English artist, born Melbourne, Derbyshire, the son of William Bull Dexter, a lace maker, and his wife Jane, who was apprenticed at the Derby China Factory and learned to paint fruit, flowers and birds in the oriental style of decoration. William Bull Dexter went to Paris in 1839 to paint china and upon his return to London, then Nottingham (cl847), styled himself 'Chinese enameller to Louis Phillippe, King of the French and MMSAR the Duke of Nemours' He did some watercolours e.g. Wheatfield with birds nest' circa 1850 a circular oil painting (three or four young birds with parent in nest and second parent in the sky) that were popular and found a ready sale at Ackermann's.

About 1851 Paul Jarrard of Fleet St published a small book called Birds and Nests from Original Drawings by William Dexter. He exhibited a painting of birds and their nest RA 1851. He then moved to London and exhibited paintings of larks in the 1850's. He showed his watercolours at the RA (2) 'Dead birds' 1851 and 'The lark and her young - Aesop's fable' 1852; BI(1) 'The lark and her young 1855 SS(3) all 1852 'String of larks', 'Dead bird' and 'Larks'.

He lived at 14 Bernard Terrace with his wife Caroline (formerly a watchmaker) and they had a lodger, the Derby born artist Edward Prince in 1851. Dexter gave his age as 34 and his occupation 'Animal artist'. Both he and his wife were eccentric. He appeared at a soiree in Hungarian costume c 1851 and she was celebrated for giving lectures on the 'Bloomer costume', also appropriately dressed. He went to Sydney, Australia in 18521, his wife following him a little while later. He exhibited paintings there including a 'Landrell (sic landrail) and lark' watercolour at NLA 'Wood ducks' oil c 1857 at NG Victoria and 'Lark's nest' oil now in the Joseph Brown collection, Melbourne. He died 4 February 1860, Sydney.

Locations: Royal Crown Derby M has a signed sketch of a nest. His 'Wheatfield with birds's nest' c 1850 was reproduced in Daniel Thomas's Outlines of Australian Art NY 3rd ed 1989.