Bushe, Letitia (c.1710–1757), watercolourist and miniature painter, was the youngest daughter of Arthur Bushe of Dangan, Co. Kilkenny, secretary to the commissioners of revenue, and his wife Mary, daughter of John Forth. She was a talented artist; there is no direct evidence of where she trained, although it has been suggested that she had lessons with the English artist Bernard Lens (d. 1740) or perhaps one of his sons when in Ireland. It is possible that she was self-taught, as her naive direct style shows little change throughout her short career. Known for her witty, intelligent conversation and constant good humour, she was in great demand as a ‘ladies’ companion’ in genteel society. She taught many, often lonely, women and their children to paint and encouraged their artistic endeavours.
She stayed for long periods with Mary Delany (qv), wife of the dean of Down, and her self-portrait in miniature, engraved by Joseph Browne, is in the Correspondence of Mrs Delany edited by Lady Llanover (1861). The letters give a valuable insight into Bushe's life, which otherwise remains fairly obscure. One letter, dated 25 November 1731 and addressed to Mrs Delany's sister, relates that Bushe had contracted smallpox and as a consequence had lost her renowned good looks, that her father was dead and had left her without independent means, and that a lawsuit was pending. She criticised the men, once admiring, who faded into the distance, for certainly these circumstances ruined any possibility of marriage. This seems to have been the beginning of a long-standing friendship between the two women, and later letters refer to Bushe drawing landscapes in her ‘Indian book’ or helping to clean the paintings at Delville, the home of Mrs Delany when she moved near to Dublin (1744/5). They were often engaged in artistic projects together, as Mrs Delany was herself an accomplished artist and excellent craftswoman. An early work, ‘A view of Bray’ (1736; NGI), drawn in one morning, highlights Bushe's skill as a topographical artist; many of the buildings she captures still exist (Church of St Paul, built 1609), and rather amusingly she portrays herself at work in the picture, sitting on the side of a hill wearing a large hat and with a dog for company. The picture is quaint and picks out several anecdotal details.
Bushe visited England (1743) and while in London painted a ‘View of London’, from Hampstead Heath, a popular painting spot among artists. She also painted views of Bath and Bristol. Back home she made studies of many country houses, recording the detail and layout of the gardens, and made antiquarian drawings for Bishop Robert Clayton (qv), an antiquarian and friend of Mrs Delany. Bushe had rooms in Dawson St., Dublin, where she stayed alone when not required as a companion. She died there on 17 November 1757 and was buried in St Andrew's church, Dublin.