'A view of a temple near Buckingham' by Robert Dighton 1811

This portrait as long been identified as the 1st Marquess of Buckingham (Nugent Buckingham) by the British Museum and National Portrait Gallery. I questioned this in December 2009.

Note to National Portrait Gallery

The identification of the sitter is incorrect. It is Richard Temple, later 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, son of George Nugent Temple Grenville.

The pun in the portrait title derives from the Temples of Stowe near Buckingham, whose grounds at Stowe were filled with temples. Family motto: “Templa quam dilecta. How beautiful are thy Temples!” The Temples married into the Grenville, Nugent and Chandos families, and acquired the title Buckingham through a marquessate and subsequent dukedom.

George Nugent Temple Grenville was created 1st Marquess of Buckingham in 1784. After this he signed himself Nugent Buckingham and was known as Buckingham or Lord Buckingham. He did not usually use his Temple surname either before or after he was created Marquess. It is therefore unlikely Dighton would be able to create a recognisable pun on George, who in any event had largely withdrawn from public life by 1811. George was 57 when the Dighton cartoon was created. He did not sport dark hair, and had lighter to grey hair/wig in portraits.

Richard Temple, 35 at the time of the cartoon, was trying to step into his father’s shoes as head of the Grenvillite faction in parliament. He longed for his father’s status but was largely inept – another interpretation of the pun in the title. He wore long dark sideburns as portrayed in the cartoon.

I attach a portrait of Richard Temple from a sketch in the Grenville Room at Stowe by Henry Watkins Williams Wynne. It shows a girth, posture and face much like that in Dighton.

My conclusion is, therefore, that this is Richard Temple, not George Grenville.

Response

You will be pleased to know that we will be changing the cataloguing of D15484 to show that the sitter is Richard Temple, later 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos.

I have been in touch with the British Museum and they also agree that the sitter is Richard Temple and will also be changing their cataloguing to reflect this.

12 January 2010