Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Bindon, Francis
BINDON, FRANCIS (d. 1765), painter and architect, was born of a respectable family of Limerick, towards the close of the seventeenth century. He travelled on the continent, and acquired reputation in Ireland both as an architect and a painter. Bindon was more than once employed by the Duke of Dorset, lord-lieutenant of Ireland in 1734 to paint his portrait, and entries of the payments made to him appear in an unpublished Account-book of that viceroy. In 1735 Bindon painted a portrait of Swift, who sat for it at the request of Lord Howth. This picture is of full length, and in it Wood, the patentee for noted halfpence, is represented as writhing in agony at the feet of the dean. In 1738 Bindon painted for the chapter of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, another full-length portrait of Swift. The chapter paid 30l. 16s. for this picture, which is preserved at the Deanery House, St. Patrick's, Dublin. A contemporary mezzotint of large size was published of it, and it was also engraved by Edward Scriven in 1818. In connection with this portrait an epistle, in Latin verse, was addressed to Bindon by William Dunkin, A.M., 'Epistola ad Franciscum Bindonum.' Of this an English poetical version was published in 1740, 'An Epistle to Mr. Bindon, occasioned by his painting a picture of the Rev. Dr. Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's.' From Swift's correspondence it appears that Bindon also painted a portrait of nim for Mr. Nugent, subsequently Lord Clare. In a letter from Bath, in 1740, Nugent writes to Mrs. Whiteway 'I must beg that you will let Mr. Bindon know I would have the picture no more than a head, upon a three-quarter cloth, to match one which I now have of Mr. Pope.' A bust-portrait of Swift, ascribed to Bindon, and formerly in the possession of the Rev. Edward Berwick, editor of the 'Rawdon Papers,' 1819, is now in the National Gallery, Dublin. Bindon executed a full-length portrait of Richard Baldwin [q. v.], provost of Trinity College, Dublin. Among the portraits by Bindon, of which contemporary engravings appeared, were those of the following: Hugh Boulter, primate of Ireland, 1742; Charles Cobbe, archbishop of Dublin, 1746; General Richard St. George, 1755; Henry Singleton, chief justice, Ireland; and Hercules L. Rowley. Bindon's chief architectural works were three mansions — one erected in the county of Wicklow for the Earl of Milltown, and two in Kilkenny for Lord Bessborough and Sir William Fownes respectively. Bindon was irranted an annual pension of 100l. on the Irish establishment in 1750, about which time he retired from his profession, owing to age and figure of sight. He died on 2 June 1765, 'suddenly, as he was taking the air in his chariot.' In Sir Walter Scott's edition of Swift's works Bindon's christian name is erroneously given as Samuel.
[MSS. of Lionel Cranfield, Duke of Dorset; Establishments Ireland 1750, MS.; Dublin Journal, 1765; Mason's History of St Patrick's Dublin, 1820; Redgrave's Dict. of Artists.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.27
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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| 46 | ii | 15 | Bindon, Francis: after Artists insert Nichols's 'Literary Illustrations,' vol. v. 384-6 |