Charles Hudson Kearley (1904-1989)

Kearley was born on 11th June, 1904 and educated at Gresham's School, Holt. His father, C.F. Kearley, was the brother of Hudson Ewbanke Kearley, 1st Viscount Devonport, and head of Messrs Kearley & Tonge, tea importers. Kearley's father had established his own business as a builder and property developer, which Charles joined after leaving school. Charles's influence soon became evident in the progressive nature of buildings erected by the firm.

One important project, undertaken in a difficult economic climate, was Fairacres at Roehampton, a group of modern flats. In 1936, to advertise this development, Kearley asked the artist and architect Raymond Myerscough-Walker to execute three perspective drawings of the design by Minoprio & Spenceley. It was the first of many commissions and the beginning of a lifelong friendship. Myerscough-Walker (1908-1984) was instrumental in encouraging Kearley's enthusiasm for modern art and design. The next development by C F Kearley was Kensal House, a block of modern movement flats in Ladbroke Grove, designed by the architect Maxwell Fry. Kearley reserved the penthouse flat for his own use, and commissioned Myerscough-Walker to design the interior. Kearley began collecting modern art to decorate this modern one-plan flat, which was completed in 1938.

During the Second World War Kearley was in reserved occupation and undertook building work at airfields and the manufacture of air/sea rescue boats at the Walton yacht works. After the war he and his mother moved to the Isle of Man, where he farmed and owned a hotel, later moving to Dirk Bogart's former home in Crowborough and subsequently to Langstone Harbour. He continued the work of his father's firm, building flats in Portugal and the Canary Islands, among other places. But he had no great enthusiasm for business: his real interests lay in his yacht, his racehorses and, above all, in contemporary art.

In 1975 Kearley asked the architect John Lomax to design a modern single-storey house at Hat Hill Copse expressly to house his collection of modern art. The house was influenced by the architecture of Mendelsohn and built into the hillside site with stylish simplicity, and is now the home of the Cass Sculpture Foundation.