The second son of Ralph and Margaret Grey of Backworth House, Northumbria, William Grey was born 3 November 1659. Educated at St. John’s College, Cambridge he was admitted to Lincoln’s Inn, 1676 and called to the Bar, 1683. He married Ann Gray, daughter of William Carr of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in September 1705. Apparently he was a passionate gardener and is known to have made notes on plants and flowers in the margins of somewhat serious family documents. He was the DL to the County of Northunmberland and became Squire of Backworth on the death of his brother in 1699.

This portrait displays all the mannerisms of the work of Michael Dahl and most probably was painted whilst William Grey was in London around 1700. Certainly by this time Dahl had become the most popular and successful portrait painter in the capital after Kneller with both royal and aristocratic patronage. His style was therefore strongly influential with many talented, unknown, artists choosing to depict their sitters in a similar manner, aping the master, as is the case with this portrait. The wig, scarf and brown mantle compares favorably with Dahl’s approach as can most clearly be seen in his portrait of John Locke in the National Portrait Gallery Collection at Lyme Park.

Literature: A.W. & C.M. Vivian-Neal “Catalogue of Pictures & Furniture at Poundisbury Park” 1939