Edward Southwell Esq

Kneller, Godfrey, after

Mezzotint portrait on paper of Edward Southwell (1671-1730) engraved and published by John Smith (1652-1743) in London c. 1709. It is a cropped version of a painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) dated 1708. In the larger painting, with his dog at his feet, Edward points to a ship in the distance. He made money financing privateers and was a Fellow of the Royal Society. A companion portrait of his wife, Elizabeth Cromwell (1674-1709), was also painted by Kneller (and copied in mezzotint by Smith). Both paintings hang in Kings Weston House (Bristol), which had been redesigned during Edward’s tenancy by Sir John Vanbrugh (1664-1726). The estate was acquired by Edward's father, Robert Southwell, in 1679. Edward served on both the Irish House of Commons (Kinsale and Dublin University) and the House of Commons of England and Great British (Rye, Tregony and Preston). He took over the post of Secretary of State for Ireland from his father and served as the Chief Secretary for the Duke of Ormond during his time as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.