Samuel Scott c.1702-1772

This fine painting is a horizontal version of a large upright painting, commissioned by Earl Fitzwilliam as overdoor for Wentworth Woodhouse, which is signed and dated 1736.  It is now at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.  Scott depicts a view from the starboard quarter of a British three-decker firing a gun, with two third rates passing to windward of her on the starboard tack and other ships in the fleet beyond.

The presence of the Union Flag on the flagship denotes the presence of an Admiral of the Fleet, and Kingzett (see below) suggests that the picture is likely to commemorate the expedition to Lisbon led by Sir John Norris, who was Commander-in-Chief in the Channel.  He set sail from Spithead on 26th May 1735 at the request of the Portuguese Government, which was threatened by Spain.  The large ship on the right would therefore have been intended to be the Britannia, his flagship, but that ship remained in Lisbon until 1737, so Scott was left with no visual reference from which to paint.  Kingzett points out that Scott has used for his design one of the models for the rebuilding of the Royal William in 1719, though that vessel was not in commission as flagship to a Commander-in-Chief until after 1736.  The Hesketh picture is probably later than the picture in the Maritime Museum, and thus Scott was probably able to correct the title to include reference to the Royal William, which is how it is described in the studio sale.