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| Mary Queen of Scots | |
| There are many portraits of Queen Mary but very few were made during her lifetime (1542–87). This one is after a portrait by the Dutch artist Daniel Mytens, painted in 1627, forty years after her execution. Mytens was commissioned to paint the portrait by the sitter’s grandson, Charles I. He displayed it, along with two other posthumous portraits of his ancestors in the Bear Gallery at Whitehall. Mary’s black dress and lace head-dress are associated with mourning. Her first husband, the French King François II, died in 1560; her second, Lord Darnley, was murdered in 1565. She also lost twins to a miscarriage around the time of her forced abdication in 1567. The gilded frame is almost certainly of a later period. Its lavish Baroque design suggests it may be Italian. |
| Robert Innes | |
Robert Innes was Treasurer of Trinity House from 1734 to 1773. The Incorporation of Ship Masters commissioned the artist William Miller to paint this portrait in appreciation of his 39 years of service. Miller has emphasised Innes’s seafaring profession by setting him amongst the navigational aids of his trade. A ship, probably belonging to the sitter, is also shown in the background. |
| Admiral Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan of Camperdown | |
| The son of a Dundee provost, Adam Duncan (1731–1804) is remembered as the hero of the Battle of Camperdown. On 11 October 1797, during the Napoleonic Wars, the Royal Navy engaged a Dutch fleet at Camperdown north of Haarlem, led by Duncan aboard HMS Venerable. Riskily departing from the approved tactics, Duncan won the day. He was hailed as a hero and raised to the peerage. The Incorporation of Ship Masters made Admiral Duncan an honorary member in recognition of his victory at Camperdown. They also commissioned Sir Henry Raeburn (1756–1823), the famous Edinburgh artist, to paint his portrait in 1798. Admiral Duncan is also commemorated by a bust on the iron fireplace in the Masters’ Room. |
| John Hay | |
| John Hay was Master of Trinity House from 1808 to 1820, and oversaw the construction of the present building. Construction work began on 4 June 1816, and the building was completed 15 months later. This was the culmination of a long struggle. As early as 1811, with the roof and garret in terrible disrepair, plans for relocation were being considered. This formal but very human portrait was painted by the famous Edinburgh-born artist Sir Henry Raeburn. It was commissioned by the Members of the House around 1810. |
| Peter Wood | |
| Peter Wood (1749–1826) and his brother Christopher were successful Leith whale-ship owners. They also ran a blubber-smelting business in the Timber Bush of Leith. Peter Wood was a member of Trinity House and Water Baillie of Leith. This three-quarter-length painting shows a prosperous and relaxed-looking man holding a walking cane made from a narwhal tusk. The cane itself is displayed on the Convening Room table. This portrait was also painted by Sir Henry Raeburn, around 1800. |
| George Smith | |
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George Smith was Master of Trinity House from 1796–1805. This portrait was painted by Sir Henry Raeburn. |
| Colina M. Grant | |
Mrs Colina Grant was the daughter of the local shipowner Mungo Campbell Gibson. She is best known for commissioning the Memorial Window. Created by the Edinburgh artist J.R. Cook, it was unveiled on 15 September 1933. On the same day, Mrs Grant was made an Honorary Master member of Trinity House – the only woman to receive this honour. The signature is indistinct but may be V. Dick. |
