Homan, William Maclean

Person

Homan, William Maclean

William Maclean Homan was born on 28th April 1871 in Christiana now known as Oslo. Homan moved to South Africa Bethlehem, Orange River Colony and then to Glasgow, Scotland where he studied at The Glasgow School of Art between 1914 and 1919. Homan finally moved to the town of Winchelsea in Sussex England where he became the towns Historian, creating a great deal of work with particular focus on the origins of the planned town. He is well known for a number of respected texts and the reconstructions of medieval maps of the town. During his lifetime, Homan worked in many different fields including engineering, painting and latterly history and writing.

Homan began his career in working as a civil engineer. He moved from Oslo to South Africa at some time before 1898, when Homan's wife gave birth to their son at Koonstad Orange Free State, South Africa. In 1907, he invented a design for an improved sun dial system which he patented in 1910. Homan describes his invention as: 'to provide a sun dial showing mean solar time (either local time, civil time, or the time of any desired longitude) instead of solar time, and also so constructed that the time may be read either entirely from the eastern or entirely from the western edge of shadow, according to the design of dial and gnomons.'

In 1916, Homan and his wife and children moved to Glasgow where he enrolled into The Glasgow School of Art and the family's address was 1st St James Place, Glasgow. Homan took life drawing classes at the school, beginning as a day student from 1914-15 before becoming an evening student during the session 1916-1917 and then returning to a day student from 1917-1919.

On the 4th April 1918, Homan's son 2nd Lieutenant Henry Biorn Homan, part of the Royal Air Force 66th squadron and a student of The University of Glasgow was killed in action. His son Henry appears on The London Illustrated New Roll of Honour on 1st June 1918. At this time Homan was still a student at The Glasgow School of Art and living at 1 St James Place Glasgow.

Homan after leaving The Glasgow School of Art, remained in the city until at least 1924 and exhibited on two separate occasions at the Royal Glasgow Institute on 1919 and 1920 including a painting of 'Before the Service, Tanum Church' in his native Norway as well as, 'The Church Door', Vicenza Italy. He also exhibited The Royal Scottish Academy more regularly, where he continued to show his work even after moving to Winchelsea, England in 1932.

Homan moved to Winchelsea and became the historian for the town. He wrote many authoritative texts and medieval history as well as reconstructing maps of the town. Homan is well known for his maps reconstructing the old Winchelsea town using the 1292 rental roll. Some of his texts include: 'Rye Winchelsea Northiam – An early post WW11 visitors guide to the area', 'The Liberty of Winchelsea' (1934), 'Notes and Drafts on the Allard family', 'The ustumal of Winchelsea' 1936'. Homan's research, held at the East Sussex record office is still considered the principal starting point for studying the history and archaeology of the town. Much of Homan's research remains unpublished although East Sussex Record office has explored examining and digitising his work.

Sources

• https://www.illustratedfirstworldwar.com/item/for-king-and-country-officers-on-the-roll-of-honour-iln0-1918-0601-0012-001/
• http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/b465117e-c495-41f7-872e-729fedeb82bd
• https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/404144/1/Dhoop%25202016%2520Shaped%2520by%2520Ships%2520and%2520Storms%2520A%2520maritime%2520archaeology%2520of%2520medieval%2520Winchelsea%2520-%2520Volume%25201.pdf
• https://digitaltmuseum.no/011014545721/willian-maclean-homan-og-hustru-helen-f-mccall?aq=owner%3A%22OMU%22+name%3A%226d2235b9-6e9f-41f2-9713-35190b8ad178%22&i=68
• http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/b465117e-c495-41f7-872e-729fedeb82bd

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