Historic Maryland Miniature Portraits, Early 19th Century

American, early 19th century. Two miniature portraits depicting members of the Coale family from the area of Baltimore, Maryland. The first is oil on board, unsigned; 5 x 4 in. (sight), 7 x 6 in. (frame). Sitter William Coale is named on the backing, which also includes the sitter's purported death date (see below). Label on verso reads William Coale / Barrister's Hall / [illegible] and verso is inscribed Wm. Coale by Col. House (?). The second portrait is a hand-colored engraving, unsigned (possibly cut out), on textile backing; 3.5 x 2.5 in. (sight), 6.5 x 5.5 in. (frame). Sitter is named as E.J. Coale on verso, where it is also inscribed by St. Memin about 1808. A paper label on the frame verso reads Edward Johnson Coale / son of Samuel Stringer Coale and his wife.

Family history on William's backing reads: William Coale / Second Son and third child of Dr. Samuel Stringer Coale and Anne Hopkinson Coale. He was born July 17, 1780. Baptized December 17, 1780. Died September 3, 1805 at PointeaPitre Guadaloupe [sic] of yellow fever. Age 25 years, 1 month, 16 days.

Edward Johnson Coale was the eldest child (of eight) born to parents Samuel Stringer Coale and Ann Hopkinson in Elk Ridge, Anne Arundel County, Maryland on May 18, 1776. Edward Married Mary Ann Buchanan on April 18, 1815 and died on November 16, 1832 in Washington, D.C. No records confirm the handwritten history for William Coale, who was presumably Edward's younger brother.