Richard Brydges Beechey facts for kids
Richard Brydges Beechey was a talented painter and a high-ranking officer in the Royal Navy, which is the United Kingdom's navy. He was born in 1808 and lived until 1895. He was known for his beautiful paintings of ships and the sea.
Early Life and Family
Richard Beechey was born into a very artistic family. His father, Sir William Beechey, and his mother, Anne Jessop, were both famous British painters. Richard had several brothers who were also artists or involved with the sea. For example, his brother Frederick William Beechey was a sea captain and a painter. Other brothers, Henry William Beechey and George Duncan Beechey, were also painters.
Richard joined the Royal Navy when he was just 14 years old. He worked hard and eventually became an admiral, which is a very high rank. Just like his father and some of his brothers, Richard was also a celebrated painter. He loved to paint different ports and exciting scenes from naval life.
After studying at the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth, Richard Beechey began his naval adventures. He sailed on a ship called HMS Blossom. His brother, Frederick William Beechey, was the commander of this ship. They sailed across the Pacific Ocean and even went to the Bering Strait. Their mission was to help the Franklin Expedition, which was a journey to explore the Arctic.
In 1828, Richard was promoted to lieutenant. He then served in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1835, he helped with a survey of Ireland, mapping its coastlines. He continued to rise through the ranks, becoming a commander in 1846 and a captain in 1851. Many years later, in 1879, he was promoted to vice-admiral after he had already retired from active duty.
After leaving the navy in 1864, Richard Beechey settled in Ireland. He lived in places like Monkstown and Dublin. He often showed his paintings of ships and the sea at the Royal Hibernian Academy. This is a famous art institution in Ireland. He became an honorary member there in 1868. Around 1877, he moved to Plymouth, England.
His Daughters and Chess
In 1844, Richard Beechey married Frideswide Maria Moore Smyth. They had two daughters named Annie L. Beechey and Frideswide F. Beechey. His daughter Frideswide F. Beechey, born in 1851, was very talented. In 1882, she became the first woman to win a prize for creating chess problems. Chess problems are puzzles where you have to find the best moves in a chess game.
Frideswide published her own book of chess problems called Chess Blossoms in 1883. The next year, in 1884, she co-wrote another book called Chess Fruits with her husband, Thomas B. Rowland.
Richard Beechey's first wife passed away in 1885. Three years later, in 1888, he married Frances Stewart.
Later Life and Passing
Richard Brydges Beechey passed away on March 8, 1895. He was 86 years old. He died in Southsea, England. His legacy lives on through his beautiful maritime paintings and his contributions to the Royal Navy.
