John Eardley Wilmot

John Eardley Wilmot

This portrait shows John Eardley Wilmot, a British judge involved in politics during the late 18th century. His work formed part of the legal framework that allowed Black and white Loyalists to cross over into Canada, as he had been tasked with analyzing their claims for compensation following their fight on behalf of the British crown during the American Revolution. In the background of the painting, one can see an allegorical depiction of the Loyalists being welcomed into Canada by Britannica, represented by winged angels and holy figures overseeing the scene.

It was thanks to people like Wilmot that the Black Loyalists were granted their freedom, land, and the opportunity to start anew and leave their old lives behind. Although they would soon be met once again with discrimination, their arrival in Nova Scotia would go on to mark a crucial turning point: the construction of colonial Canada’s first significant free Black communities.

Benjamin West

West, Benjamin. John Eardley Wilmot. Oil painting, 1783. Yale Center for British Art. https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:153

Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection

1812

Public Domain

Oil On Canvas