—- Captain John Bentinck and his son William Bentinck- Mason Chamberlin (1775)

“John Albert Bentinck (29 December 1737 – 23 September 1775) was an officer of the Royal Navy, an inventor and a Member of Parliament.” (x)

“A double full-length portrait showing Captain Bentinck seated on the left facing right in captain’s full-dress uniform, over three years, 1774-87, and a grey wig. William, his son, is standing facing left towards his father, holding a model yacht, in the uniform of the Naval Academy at Portsmouth. They are shown in the captain’s cabin of the ‘Centaur’, 74 guns, which was the guardship at Portsmouth. On a table to the left, John Bentinck’s right arm rests on a pile of books and plans, which denote his various mechanical inventions, and he holds a rolled-up plan in his right hand. He improved the design for the chain pump which bore his name and also of pulley blocks, one of which is shown in the painting next to the sleeping spaniel, curled under the table. The painting shows a close bond between father and son as well as a strong family likeness. John Bentinck died in September 1775, only a short time after this portrait was painted, leaving a widow and seven young children. William himself was to be a naval captain and the National Maritime Museum also has his portrait by George Romney, see BHC2551.” (x)