John Hookham Frere
(1769-1846), Diplomat and writerRegency Portraits Catalogue Entry
Sitter associated with 5 portraits
Entered Parliament as an MP in 1796. He was an envoy in Lisbon and Madrid, and in 1808 was sent to Spain as Minister-Plenipotentiary to the Central Junta. Affairs on the Peninsula were then in a very critical state, and in November of that year Napoleon marched upon Madrid. Frere advised Sir John Moore, the commander of the British forces in the north of Spain, to advance through Madrid. The consequences were disastrous; Frere was held responsible, recalled the following year, and found his political career at an end. Frere was known as a sparkling writer of humorous poetry. He returned to this pursuit, and his acclaimed translations of the comic plays of Aristophanes were published in 1840.
by Henry Edridge
pencil and chalk, circa 1800
NPG 1473
by Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey
pencil, 1817
NPG 316a(51)
by Henry Bone, possibly after John Hoppner
pencil drawing squared in ink for transfer, early 19th century
NPG D17218
after Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey
line engraving, (1818)
NPG D14359
by Henry Bone, after John Hoppner
pencil drawing squared in ink for transfer, May 1826 (1808)
NPG D17452
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