Charles Mayes Wigg, born at Nottingham, England on 13 January 1889 and died at Eastbourne on 2 March 1969, was an English artist.
The eldest son of Mayes Wigg, a bank manager, and Agnes Wigg (formerly Sudbury), he grew up at Watton and Cromer in Norfolk and was educated at Gresham's School. In 1911, he arrived at the Norwich School of Art and later studied with Frank Spenlove-Spenlove at his Yellow Door School of Art in Beckenham, Kent.
During the First World War, Wigg served with the British Army and saw active service at Gaza. In 1916, he was invalided out of the army with severe leg injuries, and was left with a disability for the rest of his life.
Returning to his career as an artist and illustrator, he subsequently found life afloat easier than life on land and for many years lived and painted in a house-boat on the Norfolk Broads. He also had studios at The Thatched House, Brundall, and at Rose Cottage, Barton Turf.
Following his marriage in 1952, Wigg's painting output declined, and he died at St Mary's Hospital, Eastbourne, on 2 March 1969, leaving an estate at death of £47,510. At the time of his death, he was living at East Hoathly, Sussex.
Wigg was a landscape artist working mostly in watercolours and as an etcher. The Norfolk coast and scenery of the Broads gave him the subjects for his work. His etchings were mostly of boats. He exhibited regularly at the Norwich Art Circle, at the Royal Academy in 1915 and also with the British Water-colour Society.
The following account of Charles Mayes Wigg is taken from the Wapedia web-site and is subject to licence conditions that can be viewed on the Creative Commons web-site.
Other accounts of his life suggest that his marriage, to his mother’s nurse, was disastrous for his artistic career. Apparently she prevented him from painting, breaking his brushes and they burned many of his paintings. After she died, he was unable to resume his work successfully.