Early Life and Education Born: London, United Kingdom (1817) Died: 1864 John Leech was born in London. His father, a native of Ireland, managed the London Coffee House on Ludgate Hill. His mother descended from the family of Richard Bentley. Recognized early for his artistic talent; at age three, sculptor John Flaxman admired his drawing and encouraged him to pursue art freely. Educated at Charterhouse School, where he befriended William Makepeace Thackeray. Initially studied medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital but transitioned to the arts. Career as a Caricaturist and Ill…