Lieutenant James Noyce (d. 1813)

An oval miniature in watercolour on ivory, in a gilt metal oval presentation frame with foliate mounts at top and bottom and on each side. The glazed back comprises a ground of pale blue opal with a gilt-decorated edge. Within this is an oval band of coiled auburn hair, itself surounding an inner lozenge of dark blue glass edged with seed pearls and bearing the monogram initials 'JN' also in seed pearls. The sitter is a young man shown bust length against a grey background, turned to his left but facing out to the viewer. He has short, centrally parted, nearly black hair, brown eyes, and wears the 1787-1812 lieutenant's undress uniform. Unusually for a portrait this is shown with the left lapel fully buttoned over onto the right side, as it could be for warmth, with a white neckcloth above. Based on colour, the hair is not the sitter's, so is presumably that of a female relative or sweetheart. Noyce was commissioned lieutenant on 18 May 1798 in the 'Pegasus', bomb vessel. He was first lieutenant of the sloop 'Bonetta' in 1799, fourth of the 'Cumberland' in 1800 and third of the 'Uranie' from 1801. He was presumably paid off at the Peace of Amiens the following year and appears to have had no further service when war resumed in 1803, even though promoted to commander on 12 August 1812. He died on 24 March 1813 at Christchurch, Hants. A notice in the 'Hampshire Telegraph' of 5 April announcing this calls him 'Captain', the courtesy title for a commander, but gives no further detail.