John Charles Denham (1777–1867) was born in London, the son of a painter of miniatures who although he became a civil servant continued to practise as an amateur artist. Denham was one of three amateurs who joined Girtin, François Louis Thomas Francia (1772–1839), Paul Sandby Munn (1773–1845), Robert Ker Porter (1777–1842) and George Samuel (active 1785–1823) in the creation of the Sketching Society, which was initially called ‘the Brothers’. An album of watercolours and drawings, many associated with Denham’s time at the Society and including a small work attributed to Girtin, is in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University (GEN MSS 831, 81 v).