A triple portrait of Thomas Phillips, John Benbow, and Sir Ralph Delaval. It probably relates to British fleet operations against the north coast of France during 1692–93. The officer seated on the left holds a plan of fortifications, and is believed to be Thomas Phillips, the fleet’s very able and distinguished chief military engineer. He wears a leather coat and breastplate with a red silk drape over his right arm. His portrait was probably painted in 1692–93 before the summer campaign of 1693 in which he was involved (with Benbow) in an assault on St Malo. In this he took a galliot packed with explosives against the sea wall of the town and, though he escaped as intended before it blew up, died a few days later, possibly from related blast injuries.

The central figure is John Benbow, Admiral of the White, three-quarter length facing to right. He wears a brown silk robe, a dark brown full bottom wig and holds a quadrant in his right hand. Benbow’s early career was in the merchant service where he gained a reputation as a seaman and a fighter of Barbary pirates. He entered the navy as captain of the ‘York’ in 1689 and the following year became master of Admiral Torrington’s flagship, a post equivalent to the Navigator of the Fleet. He was involved in the battles of Beachy Head 1690 and also at La Hogue in 1692. He died as Commander-in-Chief at Jamaica in 1702 of injury sustained in action with the French off Hispaniola (Haiti), two of his captains subsequently being shot for their failure adequately to support him in the engagement.

The figure standing on the right is Sir Ralph Delaval, who was from 1693 Admiral of the Blue, MP for Bedwyn (1695-98) and, as son of William Delaval of Horton, one of a cadet branch of this distinguished northern English family. He is shown three-quarter length and wearing a brown silk coat and dark brown full bottom wig. His right hand rests on a celestial globe holding a pair of dividers. His left hand is on his hip, holding a blue silk drape. He served in the Second and Third Dutch Wars and commanded the ‘Constant Warwick’ in 1674. In 1688 he had command of the ‘York’ and supported William of Orange at the Revolution. He directed the blue squadron with distinction at the action off Beachy Head in 1690. During the winter of 1691–92 he blockaded Dunkirk. Delaval was Vice-Admiral of the Red squadron in the subssequent action of Barfleur and La Hogue (1692), when he was subsequently detached to destroy the French flagship ‘Soleil Royal’ and two other French warships at Cherbourg. In January 1693, he was appointed one of the admirals who jointly commanded the fleet with Killigrew and Shovell. Following the loss of the Smyrna convoy the Government dismissed him and this ended his career. The painting was engraved by W.T. Moto during the 1830s and an oval half-length stipple print was made by G.H.R.B. Pook and published in 1808.