Loney home Life & career Documents Album Ships Uniform

This portrait (430 mm x 340 mm) hangs in the house of near family in Ireland. There is apparently also a larger version in Northern Ireland.

The artist is not identified, but William Loney, in the letter with which he sent the painting to his niece Annie, seems to refer to "Symond":

• The Uniform regulations of 30 June 1843 introduced the distinguishing disposition of buttons: executive officers being given a double-breasted, and civilian officers a single-breasted arrangement, and Masters having their buttons at regular intervals, Paymasters theirs in twos, and Surgeons theirs in threes.
• William Loney was prompted from Assistant Surgeon to Surgeon in 1845.
• The Uniform regulations of 21 March 1846 introduced two epaulettes for Surgeons, and one for Assistant Surgeons. Since 20 June 1833 the Surgeon had had one epaulette, and the Assistant Surgeon none.

As he cannot have returned from his second tour on the west African coast (during which he was promoted to Surgeon) before June 1846, and as he sailed on Amphitrite for a three year cruise in July 1847, returning in July 1850 (when he would have been 33 years old), I assume the portrait was painted between June 1846 and July 1847.