Excerpt from The General Biographical Dictionary, Vol. 18: Containing an Historical and Critical Account of the Lives and Writings of Most Eminent Persons in Every Nation; Particularly the British and Irish; From the Earliest Accounts to the Present Time

It should be noticed, that in an early part of his success ful practice at Bath, finding a general destre prevailing for pictures 111 crayons, he sent an order to Rosalba, the cele brated Venetian paintress, for two heads of fancy painted in that manner, and he received from that eminent mistress of her art two of her most studied performances; the one Apollo with [us lyre, the other A Nymph crowned with vernal flowers. These beautiful works became the models of the Bath painter in his first efforts in crayons, in which mode of painting he afterwards carried the practice of the art to so high a degree as to be scarcely excelled by Rosalba herself. On the formation of the Royal Academy in London, his long-established reputation secured him an election among tts original members, and he was a constant exhibitor for many years.

During this long course of professional industry, he had shewu himself a no less diligent guardian of a numerous family. At an early period of its increase he maintained a regular correspondence on the subject of parental duties with Mr. Chandler, a brother of the dissenting minister of that name, and distinguished among 1113 friends for the integrity of his mind and conduct. Many of these letters and replies still exist. He extended to all his children the most unwearied attention, and bestowed on them every advantage of education which Bath could sup: ply. He expended 011 them all that his long life of dili gence had amassed, and left them, at his death, which happened in 1792, scarcely any other possessions than the remembrance of his virtues and his useful labours.

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