Circle of Samuel Shelley (British, 1750-1808) An Officer, called Thomas Worthington, wearing blue coat with red standing collar edged with silver, white frilled chemise and black stock, his hair cropped and powdered
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Circle of Samuel Shelley (British, 1750-1808)
An Officer, called Thomas Worthington, wearing blue coat with red standing collar edged with silver, white frilled chemise and black stock, his hair cropped and powdered.
Gold frame, the reverse glazed to reveal plaited hair.
Oval, 71mm (2 13/16in) high
Sold for £5,000 inc. premium

Footnotes

  • A note which the sitter's descendents have inherited with the present lot states that Thomas Worthington served in the Loyal County Dublin Cavalry Yeomanry Corps, raised in 1794 and commanded by John Claudius Beresford MP (1766-1846). Beresford also commanded the Loyal Dublin Infantry Yeomanry Corps, raised in 1797.

    Yeomanry corps in Ireland originated from the Irish Volunteers. These local militias were formed to defend the country from the threat of French and Spanish invasion during a period which saw a high volume of regular British soldiers being withdrawn from Irish soil to fight the American rebellion. Taking advantage of Britain's preoccupation with the American Revolutionary War, the Irish Volunteers were able to pressure Westminster into granting legislative independence for the parliament in Dublin, which led to a growth in the number of volunteer corps in Ireland.

    The Irish Volunteers' forces rapidly declined following the end of Britain's war with America in 1783 but remained influential in Ulster. Whilst some Volunteer members would go on to join the United Irishmen, a revolutionary republican organisation founded largely by members of the Belfast 1st Volunteer Company, the majority were inclined towards the Yeomanry, which, led by Beresford, defeated the United Irishmen's rebellion of 1798 with great ferocity.

Category: Fine Art / Portrait Miniatures

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Jennifer Tonkin Bonhams
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Specialist - Portrait Miniatures

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