Vice Admiral Colpoys (1742-1821) Coloured Naval Portrait Engraving

Colpoys was the son of John Colpoys, a Dublin attorney and Registrar to Chief Justice William Yorke. His mother was a Miss Madden whose mother was Anne, daughter of Edward Singleton, an alderman of Drogheda in Ireland.

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Admiral Sir John Colpoys, GCB (c. 1742 – 4 April 1821) was an officer of the British Royal Navy who served in three wars but is most notable for being one of the catalysts of the Spithead Mutiny in 1797 after ordering his marines to fire on a deputation of mutinous sailors.

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Although this event resulted in his removal from active duty, Colpoys was a capable administrator who remained heavily involved in staff duties ashore during the Napoleonic Wars and was later a Lord of the Admiralty, Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath (later a Knight Grand Cross) and Governor of Greenwich Naval Hospital.

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He is believed to have entered the Royal Navy in 1756 at the outbreak of the Seven Years' War and certainly served in the Siege of Louisbourg in 1758 and the Capture of Martinique four years later. His service in these campaigns was not especially notable, but they were to be almost his only experience of action with the enemy.[1] While serving at Martinique, Colpoys was promoted to lieutenant and in 1770 received his first command, the small frigate HMS Lynx. Promoted commander the same year, he was again promoted in 1773, becoming a post captain in command of the ship of the line HMS Northumberland.

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At the outbreak of the American War of Independence, Colpoys took command of the frigate HMS Seaford,Colpoys achieved his one victory at sea when, in company with HMS Roebuck, he successfully ran down and captured the small frigate USS Confederacy in 1781. His final command of the war was HMS Phoebe, a frigate with the Mediterranean Fleet that was paid off a few months after he joined her in 1783

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Colpoys was recalled in 1790 to command the guardship HMS Hannibal at Portsmouth. With the renewal of conflict with France in 1793 .

Colpoys was promoted to rear-admiral and flew his flag in HMS London with the Channel Fleet under Lord Bridport and was rewarded for his long service in 1798 with appointment as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath. Remaining in semi-retirement, Colpoys was promoted to full admiral in 1801.

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In 1805, Colpoys was awarded the honorary position of treasurer of Greenwich Hospital,where In 1821, Colpoys died at the Greenwich Hospital aged 79, and was buried on the site.

He is listed on the south face of the Officers Monument there.

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ENGRAVED BY Richard Earlom (1743-1822)

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AFTER ORIGINAL PAINTING By Pelegrine

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Published Nov 1797 By B.B.Evans in the Poultry London.

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DELIVERY

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FRAMED MEASUREMENTS:

Height 26 Inches (66cm)

Width 20.5 Inches (52cm)

Depth 1.5 Inches (4cm)

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CONDITION:

Very Good Commensurate With Age / Original Carved Wood & Plaster Gilt Frame & Glass

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NOTE

There are reflections present in the images due to photographing through the glass.

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