Richard Brydges Beechey
Encyclopedia
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. He was one of the 18 children of British painter Sir William Beechey
William Beechey
Sir Henry William Beechey , English portrait-painter, was born at Burford, the son of William Beechey and Hannah Read ....
(1753–1839) and Ann Phyllis Jessop.
At fourteen years of age Richard joined the Royal Navy, in time rising to the rank of admiral. Like his father and two of his brothers Richard became a celebrated painter, who would illustrate various ports and naval scenes.
Family
In 1844, he married Frideswide Maria Moore Smyth (1819–1885) of Portlick Castle, Westmeath. They had two daughters, Annie L. Beechey and Frideswide F. Beechey (1851–1919). In 1882 Frideswide was the first women to win a prize as a composer of chess problems and her book Chess Blossoms was published in 1883 followed by Chess Fruits in 1884, which she co-wrote with her husband Thomas B Rowland 1850-1926. He was also a noted chess player and columnistIn 1888, some three years after the death of his wife, Richard married Frances, daughter of the Rev. Annesley Stewart of Trinity College, Dublin.
One brother was the famed British sea captain Frederick William Beechey
Frederick William Beechey
Frederick William Beechey was an English naval officer and geographer. He was the son of Sir William Beechey, RA., and was born in London.-Career:...
. Other brothers included the portraitist Henry William Beechey and the painter George Duncan Beechey
George Duncan Beechey
George Duncan Beechey was an English portrait painter, the fourth of Sir William Beechey’s eighteen children by Ann Phyllis Jessop , and a godson of George III...
.