Scot who burnt down White House causes a stir again

Published on Thursday 11 March 2010 21:35

A MINIATURE portrait of a Scottish naval officer who helped burn down the White House in a British attack on Washington is being sold by his family 200 years later.

• Sir Pulteney Malcolm, the Scottish naval officer from Dumfriesshire, as he appears in the miniature. Picture: PA

The descendants of Rear Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm, whose illustrious career ended with him guarding Napoleon on the island of St Helena, are hoping to find a buyer who will treasure the fragile artefact.

Born near Langholm in Dumfriesshire, Sir Malcolm was third in command of the British fleet which in 1814 set fire to many public buildings in Washington DC, including the White House.

Painted on ivory, the miniature was removed from its locket decades ago, and the paint is in danger of cracking and peeling away.

The family is hoping to sell it to a collector with the specialist expertise to conserve the image properly, Bonhams auctioneers said. It is expected to fetch 10-15,000 in an April sale in London.

The miniature, and a second one of Sir Pulteney's younger brother Sir Charles Malcolm, who also served in the Royal Navy, were painted by George Engleheart. He was a skilful artist who completed 4,853 miniature portraits in the course of his 40-year career, records show, including several of King George III.

The son of a sheep farmer, Sir Pulteney joined the navy at the age of ten as a midshipman. He was promoted to lieutenant at 15.

He went on to serve alongside both Admiral Horatio Nelson, though he narrowly missed the Battle of Trafalgar, and the Duke of Wellington. He was given command of a convoy carrying troops to America in 1813, and later made commander-in-chief of St Helena, where Napoleon was held after he escaped from Elba. Sir Pulteney died in 1838 aged 70.

In letters written to his wife and sister, he would describe the capture and burning of Washington – allegedly in retaliation for an American attack on Canada – and the battles of Baltimore and New Orleans, as well as peace negotiations that followed.

The fire that raged through Washington DC also destroyed the interiors of the Capitol building and the Library of Congress. As British troops advanced, the then First Lady, Dolly Madison, stoically stayed in her home, trying to rescue valuables and documents.

Bonhams specialist Camilla Lombardi said the two paintings were "superb examples" of Engleheart's work. They have been in the Malcolm family since 1806.

His descendants have various items of memorabilia, including a letter from Nelson, she said. "Their children are not terribly interested in carrying on looking after the items," added Ms Lombardi, but there may be interest from collectors with a connection to "a bit of history" that has often been overlooked.