John Chancellor

(1925-1984)

His passion for sailing ships was founded on the banks of the Tagus in Portugal where he was born of British parents. At school in England his talent was recognised and by the age of 12 he had won 3 Drawing Society bronze medals.
Young John Chancellor was determined to go to sea and joined the Merchant Navy. Back home he skippered many types of sailing boats and illustrated a sailing barge handbook in 1952.
A quiet and friendly man, his early death in 1984 came as a blow to lovers of marine painting who had quickly come to recognise his outstanding contribution to the genre.