Oval bust-length miniature of Captain Sir Richard Pearson in watercolour on ivory, in a silver suspension frame (possibly a locket for carrying on the person, though these usually have a loop at right angles to the image plane). The sitter faces forward, turned slightly to his left, in the 1774-87 captain's full-dress uniform, with his receding hair curled and powdered.

Pearson came from a respectable Westmoreland family and had an active and successful early career. He is most famous, however, for his 1779 defence of a Baltic convoy off Flamborough Head while in command of the 44-gun 'Serapis', when they were attacked by the American rebel squadron led by John Paul Jones in the converted French Indiaman 'Bonhomme Richard'. Pearson's other accompanying escort, the 'Countess of Scarborough' , a hired armed vessel, was quickly taken by the American 'Pallas' and left 'Serapis' in a hard fight against superior force. Pearson eventually surrended to Jones but only after inflicting such damage to the 'Bonhomme Richard' that she sank shortly afterwards. This ended Jones's cruise and he put back to France in the captured 'Serapis' with his prisoners and other vessels. On release Pearson was honourably acquitted of the loss of his ship and knighted for his defence and saving the valuable convoy - all of which escaped- as well as receiving other civilian rewards. While it was excessive recognition for an embarrassing defeat sustained in public view from the cliffs of Flamborough, the knighthood rightly made the point that the Navy's prime role was the protection of trade as the source of national wealth and security, and that escorts were expendable in comparison. Jones, on hearing of it however, aptly said: ‘Should I have the good fortune to fall in with him again, I'll make a lord of him.’

The Museum also has an oil portrait of Pearson by Charles Grignion (BHC2942), painted in 1780 just after his release from captivity in France. This shows him as of rather harder and sharper feature compared to the present miniature, which was probably painted later when he was a more recovered and happier man. In 1790 he retired from active service and was appointed a Captain of Greenwich Hospital, succeeding Captain William Locker as its Lieutenant-Governor on the latter's death in 1800. He died at Greenwich in January 1806 and was probably buried in the Hospital officers' mausoleum. One of his sons, Richard Harrison Pearson, was also a vice-admiral in the Navy.