Anne Beechey


Anne Beechey or Lady Beechey; Anne Phyllis Jessop was a British portrait painter.

Life

Beechey was born in Thorpe St Andrew near Norfolk in 1764. Her name was Anne Jessop. She developed a successful portrait business and she met William Beechey who was also a painter. William was in Norwich between 1782 and 1787 and it presumed they met at that time. In 1787 she exhibited works at the Royal Academy as "Miss A. P. Jessup".
William was a widower in 1793 with five children as his first wife, Mary Ann, had died.
Beechey married William also in 1793. Beechey continued to exhibit at the Royal Academy from 1795 to 1805. She used the name as Mrs Beechey until 1799 when she was able to use the name Lady Beechey.
Her children:
  1. Ann Phyllis Beechey
  2. Frederick William Beechey, Royal Navy captain, geographer, politician
  3. George Duncan Beechey, painter
  4. Anna Dodsworth Beechey
  5. William Nelson Beechey
  6. Charlotte Earl Beechey
  7. Alfred Beechey
  8. St. Vincent Beechey, clergyman
  9. Richard Brydges Beechey, painter and admiral in the British navy
  10. Jane Henrietta Frances Beechy
Their children included a high number of notable painters. Beechey died in Harley Street.