I am descended from George’s sister-in-law, Georgiana Tatham. I am her great great granddaughter. I live in New Zealand, where Georgiana and her husband, the Rev. Edwin Wheeler came in 1850. They brought with them a lovely portrait of Georgiana, which now hangs in its original travelling case in a wooden, tinder-dry farmhouse in the Wairarapa, a farming district of the North Island.

Only today I took a photo of this portrait to the Auckland Art Gallery, hoping that tone of the conservators there might be bale to tell me if she thinks it is painted by your George. She thinks it is very possibly one of his. She did her thesis on his work in the UK.

The painting belongs to my cousins, but I’m the person most concerned for its welfare and provenance.

I would love to talk with you about the painting, and your exciting project. I use Skype , and also would be happy to phone you sometime, – my skype name is ‘John and Margaret Merton’ if you don’t have Skype.