Person Thornhill; Sir; James (1675 - 1734) Thornhill James Sir 1675 - 1734 British Male Melcombe Regis, Dorset, England 1675 Thornhill, Dorset 13 May 1734

75 Dean Street, Soho, Westminster; James Street, Covent Garden, Westminster; Thornhill, Dorset

Painter Education: Apprenticed by his great-uncle, Thomas Sydenham, to Thomas Highmore, Serjeant-Painter to the King Career: Travelled in Europe, where he was influenced by the works of Poussin and Carracci among others and began to make a collection of their works; employed by Queen Anne in the decoration of Hampton Court, Greenwich and Windsor Castle and also painted many of the great houses of the aristocracy; (against the wishes of Sir Christopher Wren (FRS 1663) painted scenes from the life of St Paul on the inside of the dome of St Paul's Cathedral; painted portraits of Sir Isaac Newton (FRS 1672) and other notable men; endeavoured to form an academy of painters, though without lasting success; Serjeant-Painter to the King (1720-1732); King's History Painter (1720-death); MP for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (1722-1724); purchased and rebuilt his ancient family seat at Thornhill Honours: Kt 1720 Son of Walter Thornhill of Wareham, Dorset, and his wife, Mary, daughter of Colonel William Sydenham, Governor of Weymouth Castle; married Judith; his daughter married the painter William Hogarth Fellow 02/05/1723 William Jones Brook Taylor Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; Sedgwick References: Obituaries in 'Gentleman's Magazine' 1734, p274; 'London Magazine' 1734, p266; 'Historical Register Chronological Diary' 1734, p16 International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 1675 - 13 May 1734 NA277 21/11/2001 Andyg Martind 28/03/2023 RS_NET\JonathanB Yes 7e22367e-e946-4200-a1e8-42b7c519ce06