AFTER GEORGE ROMNEY Portrait of Sir William Fraser of Ledec...

Estimate

€2,000 - €3,000

AFTER GEORGE ROMNEY Portrait of Sir William Fraser of Ledeclume and Morar, 1st Baronet, Oil on canvas, 93 x 71cm (109 x 89cm framed) Sir William Fraser (1737-1818) was born near Inverness in Scotland and forged an illustrious career as a sea merchant commencing with his appointment as 4th mate on the East India Trading Company ship Prince Edward in 1759. His success commandeering East India Trading Company vessels enabled him to invest heavily into the fleet and Sir William later became the principal managing owner of many of its vessels including Alfred (1790), Neptune (1796), Ocean (1800) and Perseverance (1801). Fraser was highly commended during his lifetime, becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1791. Most notably, the peerage of 1st Baronet of Ledeclume and Morar was created for Fraser in 1806. He also held the position of Elder Brethren at Trinity House, a corporation and charity sanctioned by King Henry VIII in 1514 for the regulation and support of seafarers and sea merchants across Great Britain. Other figures who have held the title of Elder Brethren include Vice Admiral of England Sir Thomas Spert (1484-1541), Samuel Pepys (1633-1703), Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) and Lord Mountbatten (1900-1979).