The sitter is shown seated to the left at almost full length, holding a violin and with music open in front of him. The picture is inscribed, signed and dated on the back 'Mr John Jones. A. Mouchet, 1816'. It was presented by Major M. C. Nicholson in 1959. The 'Naval Chronicle' was launched in January 1799 by its first editor the Revd James Stanier Clarke, assisted in all probability John McArthur - who had been secretary to Lord Hood in the Mediterranean, 1793-96. Stephen Jones and John Jones were subsequently editors before the last issue of the 'Chronicle' was published at the end of 1818. Over its twenty-year life, including much of the French Wars of 1793-1815, it was in effect - albeit a private commercial publication - the 'house magazine' of the Royal Navy and its eventual demise was a consequence of peace and the Navy's rapid reduction after 1815. Nothing else is currently known of Jones, though this portrait suggests he was also a man of musical talent. He was not the brother of Stephen Jones (1763-1827) - a well-known editor - assuming this is the Stephen connected with the Chronicle. If so, however, he may have been a cousin and the son of Griffith Jones (d. 1786) also a journalist. The artist is also a mystery, though a French painter, Francois-Nicolas Mouchet, died in 1814. [Pvdm 7/12]