The Battle of La Hogue, 23 May 1692, 1836 (oil on canvas)

Creator: George Chambers, Senior A copy commissioned from Chambers by Edward Hawke Locker (at this time senior resident Commissioner of Greenwich Hospital) for the Naval Gallery in the Painted Hall, from the original by Benjamin West, then in the collection of the Marquess of Westminster. Uniquely, the Painted Hall catalogue (1922 edition) blandly says it was 'obtained' without saying who presented it. This is clarified by the Hospital Board minutes for 1835 which show that Vice Admiral Benjamin Page persuaded the Board to part with six paintings from the bequest of eight left to the Hospital by Admiral Sir Edward Hughes in 1794 (five of his actions by Serres and a half-length portrait by Reynolds) for presentation to the town hall at Ipswich -where both Page and Hughes came from- in exchange for a painting of the value of 100 guineas of 'one of the great Naval Victories'.