Rear-Admiral Sir Lambton Loraine, 11th Bt, 1838-1917, 1884 (oil on canvas)

Creator: Anna Massey Lea Merritt A three-quarter-length portrait to the left showing Loraine in his captain's full dress uniform; he stands with his hands resting on the pommel of his sword against a red curtain. His hat is on a cabinet behind him which also bears his shield. The painting is signed and dated: 'Anna Lea Merritt 1884'. Loraine joined the Navy in 1852 and from April 1854 was a midshipman in the frigate 'Trincomalee' (today preserved as a museum ship at Hartlepool). From 1859 to 1862 he was a lieutenant in the ‘Algiers’ in the Mediterranean, and from 1864 flag lieutenant to Rear-Admiral Denman in the ‘Sutlej’ on the Pacific Station. His next and last service afloat was remarkable for two pieces of gunboat diplomacy while he commanded the cruiser ‘Niobe’ on the North America Station from 1871 to 1874. In 1873 he went to the assistance of the British Consul at Omoa (Honduras), whose consulate had been sacked during a revolution. As Loraine could get no satisfaction out of General Streber, the military commander there, he bombarded Fort San Fernando until it surrendered. Streber was then obliged to return the consul’s property, rehoist the Union flag and then salute it with 21 guns. The second incident occurred in 1874, involving the America ship ‘Virginius’, which unknown to her passengers was secretly running arms from Haiti to Cuba. The ship was illegally stopped by a Spanish warship and taken to Santiago. Although no arms were found, the rather bloodthirsty and aptly named departmental governor, General Burriel G. Lynch, threw all aboard the ship in gaol, having declared them pirates. Ignoring the protests of the British and American consuls, and without informing his superiors, Lynch began to execute the prisoners after a summary trial. The ‘Niobe’ was dispatched by the governor of Jamaica to halt the executions. This he achieved after threatening to sink the Spanish warship. Loraine received the freedom of New York. Upon being promoted captain, he gave up command of the ‘Niobe’ and never served again. He was promoted rear-admiral on the retired list in 1889. Anna Lea Merrit (née Lea) (1844–1930) was born in Philadelphia, but settled in England after the American Civil War. She exhibited 44 pictures at the Royal Academy, 1871–1917. In 1885 she exhibited this portrait and another of Lady Loraine with one of her children. She moved in celebrity artist circles and Henry James was among her sitters. Presented by Lady Loraine, the sitter’s daughter-in-law in 1962.