English: Barrington's action at St Lucia: the squadron at anchor off the Cul de Sac after the action, 16 December 1778

This shows Admiral Samuel Barrington's squadron at anchor across the Grand Cul de Sac on the west side of St Lucia, covering his invasion transports within it, on the day following his successful defence of the anchorage (during the American War) against the French West Indies fleet. This is seen in the far left distance as is the conical Pigeon Island off Gros Islet Bay, further north.

The picture is the pair to BHC0422, which shows the action of the 15 December, and both were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1780, this one as 'View of the English squadron commanded by Admiral Barrington, and transports in the Cul de Sac with the French fleet under Count d'Estaing, December 16th 1778'. Barrington's flagship 'Prince of Wales', 74 guns, is last in the line, in stern view on the left, and he is shown with other figures standing on the stern gallery of his great cabin. Ahead of him lie Commodore William Hotham's 'Preston', and the 'Centurion' (both 50 guns), the 'Nonsuch', 64, the 'Boyne', 70, the 'St Albans', 64, and the 'Isis', 50. The frigates present, several of which are included, were the 'Venus', 36, 'Pearl', 32, and the 'Aurora', 28, with the smaller 'Ariadne', 20, and the 'Carcass', bomb vessel. The single-masted vessel in the foreground appears to be carrying fascines (bundles of timber used in siege works). A Union flag hanging in Barrington's mizzen rigging is a signal for officers to come on board for a council of war and boats are crossing to him from other ships, or waiting under his stern.

In 1824, after Barrington's death, the pair of pictures was presented to the Naval Gallery in the Painted Hall at Greenwich Hospital, together with BHC0370 (and its pair) and BHC0390 (and its pair): these, also by Serres, are smaller pictures of two of Barrington's earlier actions and the donor of all was his brother Shute Barrington, Lord Bishop of Durham. In 1831, William, 3rd Viscount Barrington, nephew of both the admiral and bishop, wrote a letter to the Hospital in which he 'expressed an earnest desire that such of the Pictures as are in duplicate, which were presented to the Hospital by his late Uncle the Bishop of Durham may be restored to him as the representative of the Family.' The Board agreed without comment, retaining the more battle-filled 'halves' of each set. Barrington descendants still have the pendants of BHC0370 and BHC0390.

ZBA2204, in untouched condition and still in its original 1780 frame, with the 1820s GH donor and identification 'tablets' fixed to it, was acquired by private treaty from another of them in 2003 to re-unite it with its pair. The 1824 Barrington gift included the admiral's portrait by Reynolds (BHC2534) and a painting by Serres of Henry VIII's 'Grace a Dieu' based on the well-known contemporary painting at Windsor. Although recorded by an engraving (PAD0278) this was destroyed in a fire in the Admiral President's House at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in 1935.

Barrington's action at St Lucia: the squadron at anchor off the Cul de Sac after the action, 16 December 1778