Mary Chelsum (née Ward)
3 of 5 portraits by S. Elmer
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Mary Chelsum (née Ward)
by William Pether, after S. Elmer
mezzotint, 1789
13 7/8 in. x 9 7/8 in. (352 mm x 251 mm) plate size; 20 in. x 13 7/8 in. (508 mm x 352 mm) paper size
Given by the daughter of compiler William Fleming MD, Mary Elizabeth Stopford (née Fleming), 1931
Reference Collection
NPG D33057
Sitterback to top
- Mary Chelsum (née Ward) (born 1702), Boarding-house keeper and mother of James Chelsum. Sitter associated with 4 portraits.
Artistsback to top
- S. Elmer. Artist or producer associated with 5 portraits.
- William Pether (1739-1821), Mezzotint engraver and painter. Artist or producer associated with 20 portraits.
Related worksback to top
Subjects & Themesback to top
Events of 1789back to top
Current affairs
George III recovers from the previous year's illness. The 'Regency Crisis' and attendant political wrangling between the Tory Prime Minister William Pitt and the pro-Whig Prince of Wales end. Dismissed as a 'bilious attack', George's sickness was in fact the first sign of the mental health problems which led to the Prince of Wales's appointment as Regent in 1811.Art and science
John Boydell's ambitious new Shakespeare Gallery opens in Pall Mall, displaying works by Britain's leading artists and attempting to combine urban entertainment with the promotion of British history painting.Philosopher Jeremy Bentham publishes An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, outlining his 'greatest happiness principle'.
International
George Washington is elected first President of the United States.The French Revolution begins. The storming of the Bastille on the 14 July marks the overthrow of the absolute monarchy in France. The uprising followed the establishment of a governing National Assembly of the people's representatives.
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.