Commander John Crispo (1773-1841)<br><p>A curious full-length portrait to left, of Crispo in commander’s full-dress uniform of 1795-1812 pattern. He is shown standing on Southsea beach with Spithead and the Isle of Wight in the background. On his right (viewer's left) is the captured French cutter ‘Telemachus’. At the age of nine the sitter was a midshipman on the ‘Royal George’ when he survived her sinking at Spithead. Later, while in command of the ‘Telemachus’, aged 24, he captured two privateers in the Channel in 1796. This portrait was made the following year. He afterwards commanded the ‘Resource’ troopship. In 1808 he took the ‘Little Belt’ to the West Indies, with his son John William as midshipman. He was promoted to post rank in 1810. 
</p><p>This portrait was presented to the Museum by J . T. Love in 1949 and at least one other version is known to exist. It also has a watercolour portrait of Crispo from another source (PAG6466) inscribed as showing him still commanding 'Telemachus' at the age of 27 (i.e. about 1800) though his length of tenure in her remains to be checked.<br></p>
Commander John Crispo (1773-1841)
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