John Pendarves Basset (1713–1739) was married to Anne Prideaux (TN 25), daughter of Sir Edmund Prideaux of Netherton and his wife, Anne Hawkins, daughter of Philip Hawkins I. Basset began to build Tehidy House, Cornwall in 1734, employing Thomas Edwards (d. 1775) of Greenwich, who shortly afterwards was employed by Philip Hawkins II at Trewithen. On the death of Basset in 1739, Christopher Hawkins administered his estates during the minority of his son, John Prideaux Basset (TN72).¹

Enoch Seeman the Younger was born in Danzig (Gdansk), Poland, and came to London with his father in 1704. A prolific painter, he produced other portraits in Cornwall, notably for Edmund Prideaux of Prideaux Place.

In the inventory of March 1928 it was described as ‘Companion portrait [to TN25] of John Pendarves Bassett of Tetidy [sic] circa 1737, hair poudre, blue coat trimmed gold, (husband of the above) 30in by 25in’. If it was conceived as a ‘companion’ to the portrait of Anne Prideaux it is nevertheless by a different artist.