First Previous 1 OF 2 NextLast

Francis Elizabeth Acton ('Mrs Acton')

1 of 2 portraits of Francis Elizabeth Acton

© National Portrait Gallery, London

 Like voting
is closed

Thanks for Liking

Please Like other favourites!
If they inspire you please support our work.

Buy a print Buy a greetings card Make a donation Close

Francis Elizabeth Acton ('Mrs Acton')

by John Grove Spurgeon, after Sir William Beechey
etching, circa 1803
13 7/8 in. x 9 3/4 in. (352 mm x 249 mm) plate size; 17 3/4 in. x 11 5/8 in. (452 mm x 295 mm) paper size
Purchased with help from the Friends of the National Libraries and the Pilgrim Trust, 1966
Reference Collection
NPG D7163

Sitterback to top

  • Francis Elizabeth Acton (1784-1879), Wife of Edward Acton Acton; daughter of John Grove Spurgeon. Sitter in 2 portraits.

Artistsback to top

  • Sir William Beechey (1753-1839), Portrait painter. Artist or producer associated with 252 portraits, Sitter in 7 portraits.
  • John Grove Spurgeon (1746 or 1747-1829), Rector of Clopton and Oulton; magistrate; etcher. Artist or producer associated with 2 portraits.

Related worksback to top

  • NPG D18443: Francis Elizabeth Acton ('Mrs Acton') (from same plate)

Events of 1803back to top

Current affairs

The Vice Society is formally established by John Reeves and his associates to campaign against blasphemy and immorality, particularly that perpetrated by Thomas Paine and the Edinburgh Review.

Art and science

Erasmus Darwin's Temple of Nature published posthumously. A scientific treaty in the form of an elaborate couplet poem, its content anticipated some of the evolutionary ideas developed by his grandson, Charles Darwin, fifty years later.
Construction of the Caledonian Canal begins.

International

War with France resumes, sparking new fears of a cross-channel invasion.
United Irishman, Robert Emmett's attempted uprising in Dublin. Planned to coincide with Napoleon's expected invasion, it aimed to overthrow the English administration but ended in failure. Emmett is hanged along with several other conspirators.

Comments back to top

We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.

If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.

Chris Albury

25 April 2016, 16:00

See ODNB online citation for likenesses: Eliza Acton, 1799-1859. If so then the etching cannot be 1803 but 182-.