First Previous 1 OF 4 NextLast

Richard Vaughan ('Hell Fire Dick') ('A view of the telegraph, Cambridge')

1 of 4 portraits of Richard Vaughan ('Hell Fire Dick')

© 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

Richard Vaughan ('Hell Fire Dick') ('A view of the telegraph, Cambridge')

by and published by Robert Dighton
hand-coloured etching, published May 1809
10 5/8 in. x 7 3/4 in. (271 mm x 198 mm) plate size; 10 1/4 in. x 12 3/8 in. (260 mm x 315 mm) paper size
Acquired, 1884
Reference Collection
NPG D10880

Sitterback to top

Artistback to top

  • Robert Dighton (1751-1814), Portrait painter, caricaturist and actor. Artist or producer associated with 320 portraits, Sitter in 4 portraits.

Related worksback to top

  • NPG D4557: Richard Vaughan ('Hell Fire Dick') ('A view of the telegraph, Cambridge') (from same plate)
  • NPG D13469: Richard Vaughan ('Hell Fire Dick') ('A view of the telegraph, Cambridge') (from same plate)
  • NPG D13468: Richard Vaughan ('Hell Fire Dick') ('A view of the telegraph, Cambridge') (from same plate)

Placesback to top

Portrait setback to top

Subject/Themeback to top

Events of 1809back to top

Current affairs

Duke of Portland resigns as Prime Minister to be succeeded by Spencer Perceval.
Motion for parliamentary reform is defeated in the House of Commons.
Notorious duel between George Canning and Viscount Castlereagh over strategic failures against Napoleon.

Art and science

Maria Edgeworth publishes Tales of Fashionable Life, a popular and perceptive series of stories exploring Anglo-Irish society after the Union.
Robert Smirke completes the New Covent Garden Theatre after fire. 'Old Price' theatre riots quickly break out against rising cost of admission.
Pall Mall in London is lit by gas for the first time.

International

British army lands in Lisbon and defeats the French at Talavera. Arthur Wellesley is created Viscount Wellington as a result of this victory.
Walcheren expedition led by General Chatham, which aimed to take Antwerp, fails amidst allegations of military corruption and carnage.
James Madison is elected President of the United States.

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(topher) Vaughan

15 September 2017, 09:13

I have recently found two important pieces of information to (almost) complete a family history jigsaw which leads me to conclude that "Hell Fire Dick" is my 5 x great uncle. His life dates as shown on your and other websites are incorrect; Richard Vaughan was born in Burnham, Bucks in 1761 (bap 22 Nov 1761) and died at Puckeridge, Herts on 24 July 1816 after falling from his gig, as reported in newspapers at the time - eg Kentish Gazette of Tue 30 Jul 1816 - at http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000235/18160730/022/0003
It would appear that before working the Cambridge Telegraph he drove another coach from Chelmsford where his first two children were baptised and where in one of the baptism entries his occupation is given as "coachman". I'm not sure how much more information, if any, you would like, but please feel free to contact me.