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195:, in 1749, the 14-year-old Watson was attacked by a shark. The shark attacked twice before Watson was rescued. The first time, the shark removed flesh from below the calf of Watson's right leg; the second time, it bit off his right foot at the ankle. Watson was rescued by his shipmates, but his leg had to be
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to be delivered to them immediately after the
Decease of my Wife Helen Watson or before if she shall think proper so to do hoping the said worthy Governors will receive the same as a testimony of the high estimation in which I hold that most Excellent Charity and that they will allow it to be hung up
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On his return from that service he was elected an
Alderman of the City of London and one of its representatives in parliament, and continued Member of the House of Commons till he was appointed to the situation of Commissary General to the Army under His Royal Highness the Duke of York, acting on the
246:
In 1759 Watson went to London to continue his mercantile career, and for a while, he was a partner with Joshua
Maugher. Watson became a successful merchant, engaging in business in London, Montreal and Boston, amongst other places. In 1763 he obtained, with others, a land grant from the government of
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He died in 1807, an
Alderman of the City of London, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, &c, &c thus shewing that a high sense of integrity and rectitude with a firm reliance on an overruling providence united to activity and exertion are the sources of public and private virtue and the
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on a voyage from Canada to
England. Allen wrote that he "was put under the power of an English Merchant from London, whose name was Brook Watson: a man of malicious and cruel disposition, and who was probably excited, in the exercise of his malevolence, by a junto of tories, who sailed with him to
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He served in the
Commissariat Department of the Army under the immortal Wolfe at Louisberg in 1758. In 1759 he was established as a merchant in London and was subsequently called upon to act as Commissary General to the Army in America commanded by Sir Guy Carleton, late Lord Dorchester.
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He was of a very good family in the North of
England but having lost both his parents early in life was brought up by an aunt, and before the age of fourteen years manifested a strong predilection for the sea, which led to the misfortune represented in the picture.
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Watson's will, dated 12 August 1803, stated: "I give and bequeath my
Picture painted by Mr. Copley which represents the accident by which I lost my Leg in the Harbour of the Havannah in the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Nine to the Governors of
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514:('Under God's Protection') below. In return for his services in North America, Parliament voted Watson's wife an annuity of £500 for life. Watson died in 1807. His baronetcy descended, by special remainder, to his grand-nephew William.
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met in 1774: some say they travelled on the same ship from Boston to
England, and some that they met in London. Whatever the circumstances of their meeting, Watson commissioned Copley to produce the work, known as
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in 1796. From 1793 to 1796 Watson served as
Commissary General to the British Army in Flanders under the Duke of York, and from 1798 until 1806 served as Commissary-General of England. (
267:
in 1772 and later served for ten years as its chairman. He combined his mercantile affairs with government business. He visited Massachusetts, New York and other colonies before the
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wrote that Watson "ingratiated himself with many leading Americans, obtained as much information on their designs as he could, and transmitted it to his chosen masters".
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and Middlesex in 1785. Watson was agent for New Brunswick in London from 1786 until 1794, and Commissary-General to the Duke of York from 1793 to 1795. He was
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This picture representing a remarkable occurrence in the life of Brook Watson was bequeathed to the Royal Hospital of Christ in London by his will.
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470:] Lesson to Youth". The school's Committee of Almoners accepted the painting in 1819. In 1963 it was purchased from Christ's Hospital by the
169:. Before the age of 14, Watson had expressed his interest in the sea, so his uncle signed him up as a crew member on one of his merchant ships.
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road to honours and respect. The picture was painted by John Singleton Copley Esq. Royal Academician in the year 1778.
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A verse penned by one of Watson's political enemies poked fun at his ordeal (and perhaps at his abilities):
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on 5 December 1803. Watson's coat of arms was designed to reference his ordeal with the shark. Underneath
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was before parliament. In 1782 he acted as Commissary General to the army commanded in North America by
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161:, in 1735, he was orphaned in 1741 and sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Boston, Massachusetts in
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refers to this office as the "Commissariat Office of the Treasury"). Watson served several terms as a
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On his return to Boston, Watson found that his uncle was bankrupt. He took a job under Captain
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area. He worked with the English trader Joseph Slayter, and in 1758 he was commissary under
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122:(7 February 1735 – 2 October 1807) was an English merchant and politician who served as the
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brandishing his trident, the shield bears Watson's severed right leg, with the Latin motto
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below the knee. Watson recuperated in a Cuban hospital and recovered within three months.
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In 1796 he was chosen Lord Mayor and in 1803 created a baronet of the United Kingdom.
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Watson was the only son of John Watson and Sarah Watson (née Schoefield). Born in
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Shipowners investing in the South Sea Whale Fishery from Britain: 1775 to 1815
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668:"The National Portrait Gallery, London: six versions of portraits of Watson"
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History of the rise and progress of the arts of design in the United States
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Watson married Helen Campbell in 1760. Her father was Colin Campbell, a
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Jeffery, Margaret (Dec 1942). "A Painting of Copley's English Period",
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After this, he returned to London, where he was elected to serve as an
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that were said to prove that Gage was a spy. Calling him 'a traitor',
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in the Hall of their Hospital as holding out a most usefull [
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Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
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of the 1790's, Watson publicly defended Britain's involvement in the
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405:'s painting dramatically showed Watson's rescue by his shipmates in
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A Narrative of Colonel Ethan Allen's Captivity, Written by Himself
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215:, Nova Scotia (1750). At Fort Lawrence, he came to the notice of
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Incidents in the life and ministry of the Rev. Alex. R.C. Dallas
310:. Watson owned at least two South Sea whaling ships. These were
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which was completed in 1778. The painting was exhibited at the
650:. National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. 2006. Archived from
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on a schooner that supplied provisions to the British army at
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of the City. Watson served as a Member of Parliament for the
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In November 1775 Watson accompanied American prisoner-of-war
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that resulted in the loss of his right leg below the knee.
271:, during which time he intercepted letters to General
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from 1796 to 1797. He is best known as the subject of
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https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/10554
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Watson was a member of the original committee of the
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http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/watson_brook_5E.html
243:. He was known as 'the wooden-legged commissary'.
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556:. New York: C. Goodrich and S.B. Nichols. p.
502:. The Watsons had no children. Watson was made a
227:. Three years later he was sent to supervise the
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413:Sources differ as to how Watson and the artist
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378:Had scarce supply'd him with a head so good.
255:, which had been founded four years earlier.
165:. His uncle was a merchant who traded in the
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684:the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
431:Today the text beneath the painting reads:
374:That luckless limb, his noblest noddle met,
27:English merchant and politician (1735–1807)
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577:Jane M. Clayton & Charles A. Clayton,
376:The best of workmen, nor the best of wood,
372:Oh! Had the monster, who for breakfast ate
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18:Annuity to Brook Watson, Esquire Act 1788
634:The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin,
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913:British politicians with disabilities
536:. Vol. 1. New York. p. 117.
7:
883:18th-century lord mayors of London
356:between 1784 and 1807. During the
336:from 1784 until 1793. He was also
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292:House of Commons of Great Britain
888:18th-century English politicians
808:Baronetage of the United Kingdom
629:, 3rd. ed., Burlington, Vermont.
591:Dictionary of Canadian Biography
581:, Hassobury, 2016, p.130–1, 153.
428:in 1778 and caused a sensation.
265:Corporation of Lloyd's of London
923:18th-century English merchants
878:Sheriffs of the City of London
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120:Sir Brook Watson, 1st Baronet
918:English proslavery activists
488:St Mary the Virgin, Mortlake
358:British abolitionist debates
141:on Watson as a young man in
694:Parliament of Great Britain
296:Frederick North, Lord North
290:Watson was examined by the
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269:American Revolutionary War
241:Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
908:British people in whaling
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721:Member of Parliament for
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229:expulsion of the Acadians
225:Battle of Fort Beauséjour
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636:New Series, 1(4):148–150
530:Dunlap, William (1834).
187:While swimming alone in
472:National Gallery of Art
298:'s bill concerning the
764:Sir William Curtis, Bt
747:Sir William Curtis, Bt
648:"Watson and the Shark"
553:Capture of Ticonderoga
491:
486:Memorial to Watson at
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873:British MPs 1790–1796
868:British MPs 1784–1790
800:John William Anderson
768:Sir John Anderson, Bt
625:Allen, Ethan (1838).
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447:continent of Europe.
415:John Singleton Copley
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223:with Monckton at the
219:, and by 1755 he was
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128:John Singleton Copley
898:Shark attack victims
790:Lord Mayor of London
421:Watson and the Shark
393:Watson and the Shark
385:Watson and the Shark
362:Atlantic slave trade
342:Lord Mayor of London
312:Prince William Henry
304:New England Colonies
253:county of Cumberland
133:Watson and the Shark
124:Lord Mayor of London
105:Merchant, politician
654:on 11 November 2006
593:"Sir Brook Watson"
474:, Washington, D.C.
237:General James Wolfe
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411:
185:
841:
840:
832:Succeeded by
797:Succeeded by
753:Succeeded by
742:Nathaniel Newnham
727:1784–1793
707:Nathaniel Newnham
461:Christ's Hospital
338:Sheriff of London
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16:(Redirected from
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903:English amputees
780:Preceded by
760:Sir Watkin Lewes
737:Sir Watkin Lewes
715:Sir Watkin Lewes
700:Preceded by
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346:Alexander Dallas
324:Political career
314:(1792–1795) and
308:Sir Guy Carleton
163:colonial America
137:which depicts a
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354:Bank of England
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259:Business career
217:Robert Monckton
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203:Military career
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732:John Sawbridge
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703:Frederick Bull
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478:Personal life
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671:. Retrieved
656:. Retrieved
652:the original
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561:. Retrieved
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548:Allen, Ethan
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139:shark attack
131:
130:'s painting
119:
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91:(1807-10-02)
41:Brook Watson
29:
858:1807 deaths
853:1735 births
835:William Kay
673:15 December
658:12 November
498:working in
284:Ethan Allen
273:Thomas Gage
249:Nova Scotia
209:John Huston
167:West Indies
847:Categories
829:1803–1807
794:1796–1797
749:1790–1793
518:References
287:England".
233:Baie Verte
221:commissary
177:Caricature
149:Early life
67:1735-02-07
744:1784–1790
739:1784–1793
734:1784–1793
500:Edinburgh
496:goldsmith
300:fisheries
231:from the
197:amputated
191:harbour,
550:(1849).
350:director
330:Alderman
155:Plymouth
75:Plymouth
821:Baronet
563:28 June
508:Neptune
504:baronet
409:harbour
352:of the
302:of the
251:of the
239:at the
96:England
729:With:
723:London
407:Havana
403:Copley
189:Havana
183:, 1803
143:Havana
110:Spouse
159:Devon
79:Devon
675:2006
660:2006
565:2011
193:Cuba
86:Died
61:Born
467:sic
37:Sir
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364:.
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135:,
77:,
45:Bt
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