Oval miniature in watercolour with gum arabic on ivory, in an oval gilt metal suspension locket, of which the glazed back contains opal. The sitter is shown bust-length, turned to his left but looking out to the viewer. He wears the lieutenant's undress uniform of 1787-1812, with a deep black stock over his shirt, has brown eyes and brown hair worn short in Regency style.

Green was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the third son of Benjamin Green, treasurer of that Canadian province. He entered the Navy in 1797 and served as a midshipman and master's mate until the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, at which he was the latter in the 'Conqueror' and played a part in capturing the French 'Bucentaure', flagship of combined Franco-Spanish fleet. Promoted lieutenant in January 1806 he was later first lieutenant of the 'Eurydice' on the American station where, under Sir John Borlase Warren, he proposed methods to bring British firepower up to that of the American frigates that were to prove a bane in the War of 1812. His improvements in training were satisfactorily tested in his command of the brig 'Resolute' in 1811-15. Green thereafter went ashore and devoted time to his inventions until appointed to a Falmouth packet, 1829-32, after which he was on half pay until reappointed a lieutenant in 'Victory' at Portsmouth in 1842, though leaving because of financial difficulties a year later. Green had great mechanical ingenuity. He had early patronage from the Duke of Kent (d. 1820), to whom a note on a later portrait print (PAD3539) says he first acted as ADC on the latter's return from Halifax in HMS 'Topaze', in 1798. Despite many discouragements, he devoted his life to improvements in rigging, steering, gunnery and mechanical handling of heavy objects - many adopted by the Navy. He was twice awarded a Silver Medal by the Society of Arts, took out two patents and in 1833 began publishing (in parts) a book of 'Fragments .... on electricity, magnetism' and other phenomena. Only the first part, comprising 24 pages and two plates (of a proposed ten listed in the full intended contents) seems to have appeared. It however included a lithograph frontispiece of Green at about that time, seated writing at a desk bearing with models of some of his inventions, and a biographical introduction linking him back to aristocratic family roots in Lincolnshire. The lack of further parts, the tone of Green's introduction, and its claim that he had five other unpublished works ready for the press, smack of difficult personal circumstances. His death at Portsmouth, in 1846, left his widow and ten children living on a pension of only £50 a year. Green's life exemplified a general problem for competent men who lacked both the connections to rise in the Navy as far as their merits deserved, especially after 1815, and the access to capital needed to benefit from their enterprise. This fine miniature of Green , but artist unknown, was purchased from Spink's on 19 October 1951 by Frank Carr (NMM Director), acting on Sir James Caird's account, for presentation to the Museum. The price was £20. It resembles the work of George Engleheart (1750-1829) though it is perhaps unlikely that Green would have been painted by such an eminent practitioner.