(c.1691 - 1752) of Rise Park, Yorks; m. Anne Cope; correspondent of Alexander Pope.
1711 - 14/5 Padua (by 2 Dec. 1711), Venice (Dec. 1711 - ), Rome (by Nov. 1712) [Paris, Jan. 1713] Padua (13 Feb.), Venice (17 Feb.), Rome (by Jun.), Venice (22 Jul.), Padua (Sep. 1713; Sep. 1714)
1741 - 2 [dep. England 13 Aug. 1741] Naples, Rome, Viterbo, Florence (Oct. 1742), Venice (by Dec.) [England by Aug. 1743]
On 2 December 1711 Hugh Bethel was in Padua, and he was in Venice for the Carnival.1 In Rome in November 1712 William Kent reported that 'Mr Bethel of Rice' had 'bespoke one picture of every hand yt is famous'.2 Bethel was briefly in Paris before appearing again in Padua on 13 February 1713 (with 'George Somervaile') and in Venice four days later, arriving with Colonel Somerfield (presumably the same) and the 1st Marquess of Annandale.3 In June Kent noticed him in Rome as 'not very bright'.4 In July he was again in Venice.5 Bethel was enrolled at Padua University in September 1713 and September 1714 ('Ugo Betthel/Henricus Bethell Michaelis fils'), his name appearing in 1714 with those of William Kent and John Talman.6
Twenty-five years later Hugh Bethel returned to Italy with his close friend and contemporary Colonel James Moyser, an amateur architect and a fellow Yorkshireman.7 Their departure for Naples 'for the recovery of their health' was announced in August 1741.8 On 1 January 1742 Alexander Pope was writing to Hugh Bethel in Italy.9 It appears they went direct to Naples (where Dr Richard Mead had advised Bethel to stay); Bethel was still not well on his arrival, but Moyser recovered quickly.9 On 21/23 May 1742 Pope was concerned that Moyser was to leave Bethel, and another undated letter of 1742 indicates that Bethel had been at Viterbo and was to return there for the winter [1742 - 3].(10) At Rome Bethel sat for his portrait for Pope (which he was to receive in February 1744).(11) Moyser was in Florence in May 1742, dining at Horace Mann's 'three days together' with Sir William Codrington.(12) In October 1742 Horace Mann, an old friend, wrote that Bethel 'though extreme ill passed by Florence to see me'; his health was very poor and he was 'going I believe to die at Venise, for I cannot think he will get to England. An asthma is his disorder, in regard to which he says he hates to go voiturin, but wishes to go post at least into the other world'.(13) But two months later Mann was able to tell Horace Walpole that Bethel had been 'quite cured at Venise of his asthma'.14 He was back in England by the end of August 1743.15
1. Brown 1399. SP 99/59, f.304 (Cole, 11 Dec. 1711). 2. Kent letters MSS (5 Nov. 1712). See Yorkshire Houses, 12, no.60. 3. Kent letters MSS (26 Jan. 1713). Brown 1419. SP 99/60, f.43 (Cole, 17 Feb. 1713). 4. Kent letters MSS (3 Jun. 1713). 5. SP 99/60, f.146 (Broughton, 22 Jul. 1713). 6. Andrich, 165 - 6: Sep. 1713, Sep. 1714. 7. DBA, quoting
Macdonald MSS, dd bm/32/8. 8. Wal.Corr., 43:244 [emending 17:408 n27]. 9. G. Sherburn ed., Corr.of Pope, 4:375. M. Mack, Pope, 901n. 10. Sherburn (at n9), 4:395, 414 - 15. 11. Ibid., 500, 512. 12. Wal.Corr., 17:408. 13. Ibid., 18:65. 14. Ibid., 117. 15. Sherburn (at n9), 4:460 n2.