The sitter in this portrait is probably Rowland Hill (1772-1842), the son of Sir John Hill, 3rd Bt. of Hawkstone, Shropshire, and his wife Mary, daughter of Robert Chambre of Petton, Shropshire. He joined the army as an Ensign on 21 July 1790 in the 38th (Staffordshire) Foot. He saw action in Gibraltar, was at the reduction of Minorca in 1798, the expedition to Egypt in 1801, and was at the seige and capitulation of Alexandria. By now in the 90th Foot and with the rank of Major-General in 1805, he commanded a brigade in the Hanover expedition that year. He fought with Sir Arthur Wellesley in Portugal, and was awarded the Order of the Bath for his services on 10 March 1812. After the campaign he returned to England and became Memeber of Parliament for Shrewsbury. With Welllington again he returned to Portugal, and again distinguished himself against the French. He was raised to the peerage as Baron Hill of Almarez and Hardwicke, and a memorial, known as Lord Hill's Column , was raised to him in Shrewsbury. With Napoleon's return form Elba, he was dispatched to Brussels and under the command of Wellington made preparations for the Battle of Waterloo. He took a leading role in this and went on to take Paris in July 1815, remaining as a second in command to Wellington until their withdrawal in 1818. As a favourite at Court with George IV, and with the rank of General he was given command of the army in February 1828, when Wellington became Prime Minister. He resigned through ill health fourteen years later. Showered with honours from several countries, he was created Viscount Hill in the year he died. He never married.