John Whessell lived for some time in Oxford, England and was active as a printmaker between 1760 and 1820 and died in London around 1823. He engraved works after Gainsborough, Morland, Stubbs, Stothard and others and was noted for his engravings of horses, primarily using stipple. He engraved Boultbee's "Durham Ox" and other cattle portraits.