William Augustus Murray Prior

William was baptised at Bray in Berkshire on 19 January 1825.¹⁾ His baptism as a three-year old is further confirmation that his parents were evangelical Anglicans.

William M-P became an ensign ²⁾ in the 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot. His regiment is confirmed by some loose blank pages, originally part of a book, with the inscription ‘W.A. Murray Prior. 59th Regt.' He died at Portsmouth from a gunshot wound on 5 February 1844 – presumably an accident when training. His brother TLM-P wrote in a prayer book he owned that William died when he was 22 years, 2 months and 17 days old – a precision which suggests profound grief. William, like his father, was a career soldier - but also an artist. The seriousness with which William took his art is seen by a very large, thick, heavy album in which he collected his sketches and examples of art.³⁾. There is also a smaller volume engraved ‘Bruges 1841’ containing lithographs of sketches of life in Bruges.⁴⁾ There are also two reputed self-portraits of William and one believed to be his painting of his mother.⁵⁾

The first sketch has the faint signature W.M.P.(a dash at line level was then a full stop). The second one is on the other side of the paper, so is presumably also by William, and of his army comrades. The third sketch has the faint date 1818 and is probably by William of an army comrade.
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This badly deteriorated painting on wood was believed to be by William.⁹⁾