Sir William Beechey (1753-1839) Portrait of Capt. Sir James Everard Home, 2nd Bt CB FRS (1798-1853)

Oil on canvas; signed with monogram and dated 1819; held in original period giltwood frame.

Provenance: By family descent

A British naval captain and botanist, the son of surgeon and anatomist Sir Everard Home. James Everard joined the navy at the age of eleven and was later promoted to the command of the frigate North Star in which he served with distinction. In 1843 he visited Wellington, New Zealand and assisted in bringing to an end a virtual siege of the harbour. Botanical collections were also made during his visit to New Zealand and are now at British Museum. Home was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (1825) and also made scientific observations on a solar eclipse in Shanghai (1842).

In the latter part of his career he was Captain of HMS Calliope and senior officer of the Australian Station of the Royal Navy. He died in Sydney and was buried at the Camperdown cemetery in Sydney with a memorial erected at St James’ church in King Street. He was often referred to by his second name, Everard, and scientific specimens collected by J.E. Home are often attributed incorrectly to his father. Several taxa including Alpinia homeana K. Schum. from Fiji, Geranium homeanum Turcz. from New Zealand and Podonephelium homei (Seem.) Radlk. from New Caledonia were named in his honour.

His father sat for a portrait by Sir William Beechey in 1810 (Royal College of Surgeons Collection, London) which no doubt encouraged James to sit for the same in 1819. This portrait is also mentioned separately in his will. His uncle was the portrait painter Robert Home.