English School (18th century)

English School (18th century)
Portrait of Captain Ferdinand Anley (1763-1799), of the Royal Militia of the Island of Jersey, painted in 1787, before his marriage
pastel, oval
24 x 20cm

Ferdinand Anley (1763-1799) was born and lived in Jersey, Channel Islands. He was married in 1787 in St Helier to Mary Elizabeth née Dumaresq (1761-1814); they had eight children and he sadly died aged 36.

Anley was previously believed to have been a ‘Jersey Volunteer’, also known as the New Jersey Volunteers, Skinners, Skinner’s Corps and Skinner’s Green, a militia raised in North America in 1776 to fight for the British during the American War of Independence (1775-1783). Their uniform was a green coat and the regiment was disbanded in 1783.

Anley is depicted wearing the uniform of an officer, probably a Captain, in the Royal Militia of the Island of Jersey, raised in 1203. This regiment claims, but this is disputed by the Honourable Artillery Company, to be the oldest UK militia unit. In 1678 it was uniformed in a scarlet coat, a colour which its successor regiment (73rd Regiment Royal Engineers, formerly Jersey Field Squadron, The Royal Militia of Jersey) continues (in theory) to wear today. The regiment fought with great gallantry in the Battle of Jersey 1781 and has two battle honours, both of which are unique: Jersey 1781 and The Great War 1914-1918. The Jersey Militia has been through many iterations, evolutions, name changes etc., but it has an unbroken record of service since 1203.

We are grateful to Christopher Joll for his assistance with this catalogue entry.
Sold for £3,000

Condition report:
Under glass which is a little dirty - old gilt oval frame has major cracks.