Beechey, Captain Richard Brydges

Richard Brydges Beechey (1808 – 14 March 1895) was an Anglo-Irish painter and Admiral in the Royal Navy. He was one of the 18 children of British painter Sir William Beechey (1753–1839) and Ann Phyllis Jessop. At fourteen years of age Richard joined the Royal Navy, in time rising to the rank of admiral. Like his father and two of his brothers Richard became a celebrated painter, who would illustrate various ports and naval scenes. In 1844 he married Frideswide Maria Moore Smyth (1819–1885) of Portlick Castle, Westmeath. They had two daughters, Annie L. Beechey and Frideswide F. Beechey (1851–1919). In 1882 Frideswide was the first women to win a prize as a composer of chess problems and her book Chess Blossoms was published in 1883 followed by Chess Fruits in 1884, which she co-wrote with her husband Thomas B Rowland 1850-1926. He was also a noted chess player and columnist In 1888, some three years after the death of his wife, Richard married Frances, daughter of the Rev. Annesley Stewart of Trinity College, Dublin. One brother was the famed British sea captain Frederick William Beechey. Other brothers included the portraitist Henry William Beechey and the painter George Duncan Beechey.