State before letters. A three-quarter-length portrait of George Farmer (1732–1779) in captain’s (over three years) full-dress uniform, 1774–87, with a tie wig. Farmer holds a sword in his right hand and leans against a rock. This portrait was engraved in mezzotint by John Murphy against an original painting by Charles Grignion, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1778 and is now in the National Portrait Gallery. Grignion also produced a finished chalk drawing of the portrait, the same size as a mezzotint plate, as an aid for the engraver, John Murphy; this drawing is now in the British Museum. George Farmer was promoted to lieutenant in May 1759 and post-captain in January 1771. In 1778, he took command of the frigate ‘Quebec’, 32 guns. On 6 October 1779, the ‘Quebec’ met the French ‘Surveillante’, 40 guns, off Ushant. A sharp action ensued, during which the ‘Quebec’ caught fire and blew up, killing all but sixty-six of the men on board, including Captain Farmer. He was posthumously honoured through the award of baronetcy to his eldest son and pensions to his wife and nine children. These posthumous honours were intended by the Admiralty board to serve a political purpose, encouraging other officers to risk their lives by demonstrating that they would be honoured if they died in action. (Updated April 2019).