sketcher and army officer, was born on 29 December 1773, the second son of Sir Walter Synnot and his first wife Jane, née Seton. Entering the British Army as an ensign with the 66th Regiment of Foot (Berkshire) in 1793, he attained his captaincy in 1797 and served with his regiment in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Jamaica. On retiring from the army he migrated to South Africa in 1820, where he was appointed deputy landdrost of Clanwilliam, Cape of Good Hope. He held this position until 1825 when he returned to Ireland. On 28 April 1836, he sailed from London in the Amelia Thompson , arriving at Van Diemen’s Land on 25 August. With him was his third wife Mary Jane, née Mather, and eight of the surviving children from his second marriage. He lived privately at Launceston until his death on 31 December 1851.
An amateur painter, Synnot produced natural history paintings, watercolour scenes and at least one portrait. Those known to exist in private hands are Ballymoyer Co. Armagh 1819 , Tinderbox Bay 1840 , Purrumbete, Eastern Aspect 1842 and a portrait of Harriet Fergusson. An album of drawings of native plants of South Africa is in the Baillieu Library (MU). Another containing views in Ireland, South Africa and Tasmania done by various members of the family is in the Allport Library. A further botanical album and other South African works are held at Cape Town.
- Writers:
- Harris, Helen Doxford
- Date written:
- 1992
- Last updated:
- 2011
