Portrait.

A print from the 'Naval Chronicle' of Pearson (1731-1806), who was Lieutenant-Governor at Greenwich from 1800 in succession to William Locker.

Pearson is best known for his defence of a valuable Baltic convoy off Flamborough Head in 1779, when in command of the 'Serapis', against John Paul Jones's 'Bonhomme Richard' and a small accompanying American rebel squadron. Pearson saved his convoy but lost both 'Serapis' and her consort, the 'Countess of Scarborough', to Jones. On release from captivity in France he was knighted for the gallantry of his action and feted by the London merchants whose ships he had saved, though the rewards were perhaps excessive. If the original image for this print is by Grignion, which is open to doubt, it is not from the NMM portrait by that artist (BHC2942).