Lot 155: Andrew Morton (Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1802-1845 London)

Andrew Morton (Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1802-1845 London)
Portrait of Lord Fitzroy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788-1855), half-length, in military uniform, a plumed hat under his left arm
oil on canvas
36¼ x 28¼ in. (92.1 x 71.7 cm.)

London, Royal Academy, 1838, no. 333.

Lord Fitzroy James Henry Somerset entered the army at sixteen, where he quickly rose through the ranks. At Waterloo he was standing beside Wellington when his right elbow was hit by a bullet and had to be amputated. In 1852 he was given the peerage Baron Raglan of Raglan, Monmouthshire. Two years later he was chosen to command the British troops in the Crimean war. He had never led troops in the field and mistakes were made resulting in serious criticism. He died on 28th June 1855 from dysentery.