This painting shows the action between the 'Experiment', Captain John Strachan, and the French privateer 'Télémaque' of 20 guns and 460 men, of Alicante on 8 July 1757, during the Seven Years War. The 'Experiment' is the smaller vessel largely concealed by the larger enemy in front, which appears, in fact, to have mounted 24 broadside guns and is also pierced for sweeps below. With great superiority in men, the 'Télémaque' tried to board 'Experiment', and after two attempts partially succeeded, though the few French who did so were all killed. The picture shows one of these attempts, with the French boarding via the bowsprit of the 'Télémaque'. Lieutenant William Locker, on his first commission after promotion to 'Experiment' by his early patron, Sir Edward Hawke, was then ordered by Strachan to board the 'Télémaque', which resulted in her capture. The French lost 235 killed and wounded, while the 'Experiment' lost only forty-eight. Locker was wounded in the leg and despite a successful subsequent career as a captain - including as early commander and lifelong friend of Nelson - never fully overcame the effects. In 1793 his health brought him ashore to become Lieutenant-Governor of Greenwich Hospital, where he died in 1800. Locker was interested in art and became a patron of Dominic Serres, who probably painted this work for him. It is signed and date 1769 and inscribed, lower right 'EXPERIMENT AND TELEMAQUE'. This painting was presented to the Naval Gallery of the Hospital on 16 October 1830 by his son Edward Hawke Locker, Hospital Secretary from 1819 and a Commissioner from 1829. This was at the same time that gave it the portrait of William by Gilbert Stuart (BHC2846) and, by agreement, took back in substitution the Abbott portrait of him (BHC2845) that he had presented to the Gallery in 1824, on his foundation of it, at the request of the Hospital Directors. [PvdM 4/09]
HMS Experiment taking the Telemaque