Lot 67: John Wright (British, circa 1745-1820) Deborah Tremenheere (née Williams) (1777-1832), wearing white dress, her raven hair upswept

Deborah Tremenheere (née Williams) (1777-1832), wearing white dress, her raven hair upswept.
Signed on the reverse J.Wright/ Leicester Sqr./ Soho, gold frame with blue glass reverse.
Oval, 76mm (3in) high
Provenance: The Merchiston Collection; Bonhams, 25 November 2009, lot 40
Exhibited: Portrait Miniatures from the Merchiston Collection, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 23 September – 11 December 2005, no.42
Literature: Stephen Lloyd, Exhibition Catalogue, 2005, p.69

Deborah was the daughter and co-heiress of Reverend Anthony Williams AM (1738-1816) of Treneere House, Vicar of St Keverne and his wife Deborah née Beard (1737-1816), whom he married at Madron, West Penwith, Cornwall in 1771.

In 1803 Deborah married Henry Pendarves Tremenheere (c.1763-1841), son of William Tremenheere and Catherine Borlase. They married in Madron. After a career as a Captain in the East India Company Service commanding the 'Asia' in 1804, Henry had some success as a watercolourist, painting views of the West Country. The couple are buried at Madron Church where there is a memorial window of stained glass to Henry, commissioned and paid for by their nephew Seymour Tremenheere.