Butler, MAJOR-GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FRANCIS, K.C.B.

Butler, MAJOR-GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FRANCIS, K.C.B., born at Suirville in Tipperary in 1838, was educated at Dublin, and joining the army, was ensign of the 69th regiment in 1858, became captain in 1872, and lieutenant-colonel in 1880. He served on the Red River Expedition, was sent on a special mission to the Saskatchewan (1870-71), served on the Ashanti Expedition (1873), as staff officer in Natal (1879), and took a prominent part under Lord Wolseley in the Soudan Campaign (1884-85). He has published The Great Lone Land (1872), Wild North Land (1873), Akimfoo (1875), Far Out (1880). In 1877 he married MISS ELIZABETH SOUTHERDEN THOMPSON, a distinguished painter of battle-scenes, born at Lausanne about 1843. From her earliest years she loved to draw horses running, soldiers, and anything instinct with life; she studied drawing at home, in Florence, in the School of Art, Kensington, from five to sixteen, when she began to paint in oil. After several rejections, her first Academy picture, 'Missing,' was exhibited in 1873, and in the following year the 'Roll Call' established her reputation as a spirited and faithful painter of military subjects. It attracted great attention, was publicly exhibited, engraved, and finally became the property of the Queen. Her 'Quatre Bras' (1875) drew praise from Ruskin, and her chief pictures since are 'Balaklava' (1876); 'Inkermann' (1877), which was purchased by the Fine Art Society for £3000; 'Listed' (1878); 'Floreat Etona;' and 'Charge of the Scots Greys at Waterloo' (1882). She has also illustrated a volume of poems by her sister, Mrs Meynell.