Ralph Bernal
(1783-1854), Art collector and politician; MP for Lincoln, Rochester and Weymouth & Melcombe RegisEarly Victorian Portraits Catalogue Entry
Sitter in 2 portraits
Bernal was born into a Sephardic Jewish family although he was not brought up in the Jewish faith. In 1810 Bernal was called to the bar at Lincoln’s Inn, however, after inheriting three large plantations in Jamaica he moved into politics. The wealth generated from these estates helped Bernal spend the phenomenal amount of £66,000 contesting elections from 1815 to 1852. After he stepped away from politics he became president of the British Archaeological Society and was well known as a collector of glass, plate, ceramics, and miniatures.
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