Benjamin Godfrey Windus (1790-1867). One of the first serious collectors of watercolours, Windus was a coachmaker and supplier of 'Godfrey's Cordial' with an office in Bishopsgate, London, who put together a great collection of watercolours at his house in Tottenham. Started collecting around 1820. In 1823 lent a group of pictures to the Old Water-Colour Society 's exhibition. His collection included by 1840, around 200 works by Turner with some 40 of the Picturesque Views in England and Wales. Also included were many of Turner's illustrations to Scott and Byron. Began buying oil paintings by Turner in 1841. Gave support to the Pre-Raphaelites in the 1850s. Windus made his collection available to viewing by visitors. Ruskin studied the collection and makes reference to Windus in Praeterita. A description published in 1840 of the collection is given by William Robinson ( see Wittingham, 'The Turner Collector: Benjamin Godfrey Windus 1790-1867'). For Ruskin's brief description of the Windus collection, see Ruskin and Windus.