Captain Sir William Peel VC - National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, UK
N 51° 28.873 W 000° 00.333
30U E 707917 N 5707592
This statue of Sir William Peel is located in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. William Peel was the third sone of Prime Minister Robert Peel and was one of the first men to be awarded the Victoria Cross.
Waymark Code: WMN928
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/22/2015
Views: 2
The co-ordinates are for the Romney Road entrance to the National Maritime Museum that is open from 10am to 5pm from Monday to Sunday.
The museum's information board, next to the statue, tells us:
Captain Sir William Peel VC, 1824 - 58
by William Theed, London, 1860
The third son of Prime Minister Robert Peel, William joined the Royal Navy at the age of 14 as a midshipman on board the Princess Charlotte. He was promoted to captain at the age of 25. During the Crimean War (1854-56), he became one of the first men to be awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery. In 1858, while involved in attempts to put down the 'Indian mutiny', he was badly wounded at the siege of Lucknow. He died in India of smallpox, which he caught while still recovering.
Commissioned as a national monument by Peels elder brother, Frederick, and presented by him to Greenwich Hospital.
The National Maritime Museum's website has more detailed information about the statue that tells us:
Sicilian marble statue, a little over life size, showing the sitter bare-headed looking slightly upward to his right, left leg forward and right arm across the front, gripping and about to draw his sword. Behind, a mortar sits on a coil of cable, with an anchor, as support to the figure. This wears captain's full-dress uniform, with epaulettes, the star of the Order the Bath, the Victoria Cross and the Crimea Medal. The whole stands on a square base, which is signed 'W. THEED. SC. / 1860'.
Third son of the former Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel Bt (d. 1850), William had a brilliant but short career and was one of the earliest winners of the VC in the Crimean War, though he did not live to receive the medal shown on this statue: the original medal is also in the NMM collection. He died in India, from smallpox contracted while recovering from injuries sustained at the second relief of Lucknow, during the Indian Mutiny.
The statue was presented to Greenwich Hospital, as a national monument to him, by his immediately elder brother, the politician and railway commissioner (Sir) Frederick Peel MP. It was originally installed in the north-east corner of the Naval Gallery in the Painted Hall at Greenwich Hospital in December 1860, on a classical-style marble plinth which no longer survives.
Theed (1804-91) was one of the most eminent, varied and prolific sculptors of his age. After being a pupil of his father (also a sculptor) and of E. H. Baily, he attended the RA Schools and from 1826 continued his education and practice in Rome, where he stayed for 20 years. He returned to London in 1848, where he soon won wide patronage including from Prince Albert and Queen Victoria.