Samuel Medley (painter) facts for kids

Samuel Medley (1769–1857) was a talented English artist who painted many portraits. He is also known for helping to start a famous university called University College, London.

Samuel Medley was a skilled portrait painter. He created a large painting of the Medical Society of London. Many pictures were made from his paintings and shared widely. He is also famous for being one of the people who founded University College, London.

Samuel Medley's Life

Samuel Medley Jr. was born on March 22, 1769. His father, also named Samuel Medley, was a Baptist minister.

Samuel Medley decided to become a painter. He showed his first painting, called The Last Supper, at the Royal Academy in 1792. However, in 1805, he started working at the Stock Exchange because of his health. The Stock Exchange is a place where people buy and sell parts of companies. He earned a good living there, but he still painted in his free time.

Medley was part of a large Baptist community in London. This community was led by Francis Augustus Cox. Medley, along with Cox, Henry Brougham, and other important Dissenters, helped to create University College, London, in 1826. Dissenters were groups of Christians who had different beliefs from the main Church of England.

Later in his life, Medley lived in Chatham. He passed away there on August 10, 1857, and was buried in Chatham.

His Artworks

Medley painted religious and historical scenes. But he mostly focused on painting portraits of people. One of his large group paintings shows the Medical Society of London. This painting was later made into a print by Cooper Branwhite.

His Family

Medley was married twice. His first marriage was in 1792 to Susannah, who was the daughter of George Bowley from Bishopsgate Street, London. In 1818, he married Elizabeth, the daughter of John Smallshaw from Liverpool. With his first wife, he had three sons named William, Guy, and George. He also had three daughters. The oldest daughter, Susannah, married Henry Thompson. She was the mother of Sir Henry Thompson, who became a famous surgeon.