Portrait in oils of John Chinner, seated in an armchair, by J Cheney. It was painted in England in 1840 and is signed and dated in red near middle bottom third of painting.

John Chinner was born in Northamptonshire and married twice, both wives having predeceased him by 1845. That year he was a passenger on the Templar to South Australia with his four children, but his two infant children (by his second marriage) died on the voyage out. His brother Charles, with his wife and children, also emigrated on the same ship as assisted passengers in steerage. Charles Chinner settled in Angaston. John subsequently returned to England with his daughter Annie having seen his son George Williams Chinner settled and established. John died in England in 1854. Annie had married Samuel Frederick Claridge in 1850 and the couple came out to South Australia in 1855; this portrait came with them and was passed on to George Williams Chinner, her brother.

This painting was treated by Artlab Australia in 2008-09. The condition report stated that the portrait exhibits several episodes of restoration and it appears that the painting was once larger. The stretcher to which it is now attached appears to be made of Oregon with Australian Cedar keys. English stretchers were usually Baltic pine, so this suggests the size was changed in Australia. The painting's frame, removed during treatment and not replaced due to its poor condition, was early 18th century Italian and labeled A. Molton, Flinders Street, Adelaide. It may be assumed that Molton re-stretched the portrait to a smaller size. He may also have carried out one of the episodes of restoration to the painting. The Artlab treatment included removing varnish and over-painting, removing the canvas from the stretcher for flattening distortions and lining with a secondary fabric support, filling losses, and retouching tear damages and cracks.

Burgess, Sarah McA Charles Chinner & his descendants in Australia, Chinner, Crabb, Chinner, 1845-1995 [Marino, S. Aust.: S. Burgess, 1995]

The Chinner family in South Australia by Dorothy Ward in South Australian genealogist vol. 20 no. 2 April 1993 pp.9-11

Dictionary of artists in America, 1564-1860 by George C. Groce and David H. Wallace New Haven: Yale University Press, 1957 p.123

SA Memory: Foundation of South Australia: G W Chinner

Ask art: Cheney, John (1801-1885)

Smithsonian American Art Museum: John Cheney : 10 paintings held by the Museum, one of which, a portrait of Martha Washington c. 1859 can be viewed on line