John Whitehead Peard; Garibaldi’S Englishman.

A portrait of Garibaldi’s Englishman signed by the artist 'C.H. Hart, Portrait Painter 1861'. Painted in oil on canvas and within a period gilt gesso frame.

The canvas stamped for the supplier, G Rowney, Rathbone Place, London.

overall dimensions: w:30 in x h:36 in. The work: 22 in x 28 in

John Whitehead Peard was born at Fowey in Cornwall, July 1811. He was educated at the King's School, Ottery St. Mary, and at Exeter College, Oxford. A youth of ‘great stature and extraordinary muscular strength,’ he was described by an old waterman at Oxford as possessing ‘the shoulders of a bull.’ His height and skill in boxing made him an object of terror to any of the ‘roughs’. In 1837 he became a barrister-at-law of the Inner Temple but found this life to be somewhat irksome. By 1859 he was a captain in the Duke of Cornwall's rangers. During his frequent visits to Italy he had apparently been disturbed by witnessing the brutalities of the Neapolitan officials and so joined the forces of Garibaldi with whose aims he agreed. Peard was said to be a ‘splendid rifle-shot,’ and organised and commanded a company of revolving-rifle soldiers. When Garibaldi made his expedition to Sicily he was joined by Peard, who distinguished himself at the battle of Melazzo (20 July 1860), thought to be the location of the present portrait, and by its conclusion was raised to the rank of colonel. He also accompanied the troops of Garibaldi on their advance to Naples, and commanded the ‘English Thousand Legion’. For his services to the cause, Victor Emmanuel awarded Peard the cross of the order of Valour. Curiously perhaps, Peard and Garibaldi were almost doubles, their appearance confusing both enemies and friends. Big, bearded, broad shouldered and courageous; Peard said to have been one of the ‘biggest soldiers who ever shouldered a rifle’.