Early Life and Bristol Beginnings John Simmons, born in Clifton near Bristol on April 13th, 1823, emerged from a modest background steeped in the trades of his parents—his father, also named John Simmons, was a bookbinder. The family resided at 7 Bush Street, St James, where young Simmons grew up alongside his sisters, Mary and Eliza, both dressmakers and milliners. This environment, though not overtly artistic, fostered a sense of meticulous craft and attention to detail that would later permeate his work. His father’s partnership with John Oliver in the bookbinding business at 3 Little Joh…