Said to be related by my father. but I have little to go on
John Egerton Christmas Piper was born in Epsom Surrey, on December 13 1903. The youngest of three sons, Piper showed a keenness for art at an early age & a particular interest in landscape & architecture. On leaving school his desire to be a painter was hampered by an obligation to work as a clerk at his father's firm of solicitors. Following his father's death in 1926 he was free to follow his vocation. He entered the Richmond School of Art & a year later the Royal College of Art. In 1929 he left to marry fellow student, Eileen Holding.
The early 30's saw him forming friendships with such artists as Henry Moore, Ivon Hitchens, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth & Paul Nash. He exhibited regularly with the London Group & the 7 & 5 Society & was also writing articles for various periodicals & magazines. In the summer of 1934 after meeting the art writer Myfanwy Evans (who he later married in 1937) set up their own magazine 'Axis'. At this time he also collaborated with his poet friend John Betjeman on the famous Shell Guides. During the war he was commissioned to record bomb damage, most notably London, Bristol & Coventry & in 1944 he was made an official war artist.
As well as his huge output of abstract work he is also best remembered for his paintings of churches, castles & stately homes. He was also an author of books, prolific photographer, etcher, printmaker, designer of scenery & costumes for opera, ballet & theatre, created murals, stained glass for schools, colleges, churches & cathedrals as well as designs for tapestries & fabrics & in later years began making ceramics.
An operation in 1987 left him visibly damaged, he was also suffering from the onset of Alzheimers. He died at his home in Fawley Bottom, Oxfordshire on the 28th of June 1992.
The family appears in 1901 census
Which points to Westminster and the 1871 census there gives
Which points to Alresford, Hampshire which gives for 1841
And there the trail runs cold. I cannot find them in 1851 census, and the 1841 is showing that the father is probably dead.
Births Jun 1838 PIPER Alfred Alresford 7 3 , would give the father
Deaths Dec 1839 PIPER William Alresford 7 2 , may be the father
The 1851 census doe have the entry below for a Charles Piper of the right age born in Mullingar in Ireland, living with his dead father's brother Frank Piper and another brother's widow Catherine Piper from Kilkenny. They are living in Penton Grafton, Hants. The father of this Charles is given in FHC records as RC birth on 1834, son of Charles Piper. I would be fairly sure that this was a military birth, and probably unconnected with "my" Pipers. It would appear that Charles Piper, a soldier stationed in Mullingar, married a Catherine, and they had the one son Charles b1834, and that Charles the father died before 1841.
1841 census at Penton Grafton
1851 census at Penton Grafton