Captain thomas baillie late lieut. Governor of the royal hospital at greenwich. . The full inscription reads: 'captain thomas baillie. Late lieut governor of the royal hospital at greenwich who was turned out of his office by john earl of sandwich, for asserting the rights of british seamen, widows & children. 'our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens'. Jeremiah lamentns. ' this portrait, derived from an oil in the museum (bhc2523), commemorates baillie's long campaign against financial and patronage abuses in greenwich hospital, many in the matter of appointments by lord sandwich when first lord of the admiralty. Baillie, as first a captain in the hospital (from 1761), and then lieutenant-governor from 1774 wrote a damning limited circulation report (seen under his hand) which in august that year resulted not only in his dismissal but a charge of libel against him by some of the hospital directors, including sandwich. By chance he met the young lawyer and ex-midshipman, thomas erskine - later lord chancellor - who mounted a brilliant defence in 1778, which cleared baillie of the libel. He remained unemployed, however, until after the fall of lord north's government (including sandwich) in 1782, when he was appointed to another government post. The date of the print shows it follows his successful acquittal in the court case. Baillie's name and rank as lieutenant-governor are on one of the pieces of paper on the left. The word 'case' which is inserted above 'greenwich hospital' on the report under his hand only appears in the print, not the original oil. Pad4578 is another copy. 'captain thomas baillie late lieut. Governor of the royal hospital at greenwich. . '. Date: 15 December 1779. Dimensions: Sheet: 346 x 240 mm; Mount: 632 mm x 480 mm. Collection: Fine art.
Loading...
