Beechey

Beechey, SIR WILLIAM, R.A., born at Burford, Oxfordshire, in 1753, entered the Royal Academy as a student in 1772, and devoted himself chiefly to portrait-painting. In 1793 he was elected an associate of the Royal Academy; and in 1798 he received the honour of knighthood, and was made a Royal Academician, for his picture of the Cavalry Review in Hyde Park by George III., which is reckoned his best work. Beechey now received the patronage of the royal family and court. Among his portraits are those of Lord Nelson, Sir William Hamilton, Lord St Vincent, Lord Cornwallis, John Kemble, and Mrs Siddons. Beechey was not a painter of the first rank, but his portraits are generally characterised by easy attitude and naturalness of expression. He died at Hampstead, 28th January 1839.—His son, FREDERICK WILLIAM, born in London in 1796, entered the navy at the age of ten. In 1818 he took part under Franklin in a scientific voyage of polar discovery; and the services he rendered with his pencil during this voyage gained a grant of £200 from parliament. In 1819 he was engaged in another arctic expedition under Parry; and in 1821 rendered further important services to science by his exploration of part of the north coast of Africa, of which the results were published in 1828. In 1825 he received a commission to proceed by the Pacific Ocean and Behring Strait to the Polar Sea, in order to communicate, if possible, with Franklin, who was to make the journey overland from North America. The explorers did not meet, although at one time they were within 150 miles of each other. Beechey returned in 1828, and in 1831 published a narrative of his voyage. Port Clarence and Port Grantley, to the south-east of Cape Prince of Wales, were discovered by him in 1827. He was made Rear-admiral of the Blue in 1854, having in 1843 published his Voyage of Discovery towards the North Pole. He died 29th November 1856.