Robert Townsend Farquhar
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Townsend Farquhar, 1st Baronet (14 October 1776 – 16 March 1830) was an influential British merchant of the early nineteenth century who served as a colonial governor and Member of Parliament.During his lengthy service for both the East India Company and the British government,Farquhar gained a reputation as an efficient and ambitious administrator and he notably served as Lieutenant-Governor
of Prince of Wales Island
(Penang Island
) from January 1804 to 1805 and as governor of Bourbon
from 1810 to 1811.
He was the 1st Governor of Mauritius from 4 December 1810 to 20 May 1823. During his tenure on Mauritius, Farquhar became well known for his operations against French slave traders, having previously investigated the possibility of replacing slaves with paid Chinese labourers. After returning to Britain Farquhar, who was made a baronet in 1821, sat in Parliament for Newton
and later for Hythe
.
, an eminent Scottish physician, and his wife Anne Harvie. Farquhar was educated at Westminster School
and at age 17 was employed as a writer by the East India Company
and stationed in Madras. Farquhar rose rapidly in the company and by the late 1790s was the commercial resident in Amboyna
, a former Dutch colony seized during the French Revolutionary Wars
. In 1802, at the Peace of Amiens, Farquhar was charged with assessing British claims on the colony as it was returned to the Batavian Republic
.
During his time at Amboyna, Farquhar earned the Governor of Madras' displeasure by initiating a successful attack on the Dutch settlement of Ternate
after the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars
. Demoted and sent back to London
, Farquhar submitted his resignation together with a strongly worded letter of vindication to the Governor-General
, Lord Wellesley
. Impressed with Farquhar's initiative and direct approach, Wellesley offered him the governorship of Penang
. During his administration at Penang, Farquhar began public works activities to improve roads, water supply and the fortification of the settlement. Farquhar Street in Penang is named after him.
Farquhar became interested in the labour problems that rose from the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, and published a scheme to replace African slaves with paid Chinese labourers entitled "Suggestions for counteracting any injurious effects upon the population of the West India colonies from the abolition of the slave trade", although the idea did not gain widespread support. In January 1809, he married Maria Frances Geslip, a Madras heiress. In July 1810, Farquhar was ordered to accompany the fleet under Commodore Josias Rowley
that was to invade the French colony
of Île Bonaparte, known today as Réunion. The attack was successful and Farquhar remained on the island as governor, moving to Mauritius
in December 1810 after a successful invasion of the island
under Admiral Albemarle Bertie
(He was depicted by Patrick O'Brian
in the Mauritius Command.
During his time as governor of the Indian Ocean
islands, Farquhar had extensive maritime charts made of the region and encouraged trade with Madagascar
and Mozambique
, occasionally with disastrous results for the traders involved. He also made significant military and diplomatic efforts to end the East African slave trade, aggressively deploying naval units against the French ships that carried the slaves and conducting treaties with Madagascar
and Muscat
. Farquhar remained Governor on Mauritus for 13 years (although he took a leave of absence between 1817 and 1820) and for his service, he was made a baronet in 1821. He resigned from the post in 1823 and returned to Britain, taking the seat for Newton
in Parliament in 1825 and the following year moving to Hythe
. Adopting the surname Townsend in 1824, Farquhar served on the board of directors of the East India Company and the Alliance Insurance Company and also remained in Parliament until his death in March 1830 at his home in Richmond Terrace, Whitehall
, London.
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
of Prince of Wales Island
Penang Island
Penang Island is part of the state of Penang, on the west coat of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British East India Company on 12 August 1786, in honour of the birthday of the Prince of Wales, later King George IV...
(Penang Island
Penang Island
Penang Island is part of the state of Penang, on the west coat of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British East India Company on 12 August 1786, in honour of the birthday of the Prince of Wales, later King George IV...
) from January 1804 to 1805 and as governor of Bourbon
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
from 1810 to 1811.
He was the 1st Governor of Mauritius from 4 December 1810 to 20 May 1823. During his tenure on Mauritius, Farquhar became well known for his operations against French slave traders, having previously investigated the possibility of replacing slaves with paid Chinese labourers. After returning to Britain Farquhar, who was made a baronet in 1821, sat in Parliament for Newton
Newton (UK Parliament constituency)
Newton was a parliamentary borough in the county of Lancashire, in England. It was represented by two Members of Parliament in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1559 to 1706 then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
and later for Hythe
Hythe (UK Parliament constituency)
Hythe was a constituency centred on the town of Hythe in Kent. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons until 1832, when its representation was reduced to one member...
.
Life
Farquhar was born in 1776, the second son of Walter FarquharSir Walter Farquhar, 1st Baronet
Sir Walter Farquhar, 1st Baronet was a prominent Scottish physician of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, whose clientele included many of the leading figures of the day, including the Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister William Pitt...
, an eminent Scottish physician, and his wife Anne Harvie. Farquhar was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and at age 17 was employed as a writer by the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
and stationed in Madras. Farquhar rose rapidly in the company and by the late 1790s was the commercial resident in Amboyna
Amboyna
Amboyna can refer to:* Ambon, Maluku, a city in Indonesia* Ambon Island, sometimes named Amboyna, part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia* Amboyna burl of Pterocarpus trees* Amboyna , a moth genus* Amboyna , a play by John Dryden...
, a former Dutch colony seized during the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
. In 1802, at the Peace of Amiens, Farquhar was charged with assessing British claims on the colony as it was returned to the Batavian Republic
Batavian Republic
The Batavian Republic was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on January 19, 1795, and ended on June 5, 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the throne of the Kingdom of Holland....
.
During his time at Amboyna, Farquhar earned the Governor of Madras' displeasure by initiating a successful attack on the Dutch settlement of Ternate
Ternate
Ternate is an island in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It is located off the west coast of the larger island of Halmahera, the center of the powerful former Sultanate of Ternate....
after the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. Demoted and sent back to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Farquhar submitted his resignation together with a strongly worded letter of vindication to the Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
, Lord Wellesley
Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley
Richard Colley Wesley, later Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, KG, PC, PC , styled Viscount Wellesley from birth until 1781, was an Anglo-Irish politician and colonial administrator....
. Impressed with Farquhar's initiative and direct approach, Wellesley offered him the governorship of Penang
Governor of Penang
This is the list of people who have held the highest political office in Penang and its previous entities. Penang is a state in Malaysia.Until the 18th century, the island of Penang was part of the Sultanate of Kedah. In 1786, the island was leased by the Sultan of Kedah to an officer from the East...
. During his administration at Penang, Farquhar began public works activities to improve roads, water supply and the fortification of the settlement. Farquhar Street in Penang is named after him.
Farquhar became interested in the labour problems that rose from the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, and published a scheme to replace African slaves with paid Chinese labourers entitled "Suggestions for counteracting any injurious effects upon the population of the West India colonies from the abolition of the slave trade", although the idea did not gain widespread support. In January 1809, he married Maria Frances Geslip, a Madras heiress. In July 1810, Farquhar was ordered to accompany the fleet under Commodore Josias Rowley
Josias Rowley
Admiral Sir Josias Rowley, 1st Baronet GCB, GCMG , known as "The Sweeper of the Seas", was a naval officer who commanded the campaign that captured the French Indian Ocean islands of Réunion and Mauritius in 1810.-Naval career:...
that was to invade the French colony
Invasion of Île Bonaparte
The Invasion of Île Bonaparte was an amphibious operation in 1810 that formed an important part of the British campaign to blockade and capture the French Indian Ocean territories of Île Bonaparte and Île de France during the Napoleonic Wars...
of Île Bonaparte, known today as Réunion. The attack was successful and Farquhar remained on the island as governor, moving to Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
in December 1810 after a successful invasion of the island
Invasion of Île de France
The Invasion of Île de France was a complicated but successful amphibious operation in the Indian Ocean, launched in November 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars. During the operation, a substantial British military force was landed by the Royal Navy at Grand Baie on Île de France...
under Admiral Albemarle Bertie
Sir Albemarle Bertie, 1st Baronet
Admiral Sir Albemarle Bertie, 1st Baronet, KCB, was a long-serving and at time controversial officer of the British Royal Navy who saw extensive service in his career but also courted controversy with several of his actions....
(He was depicted by Patrick O'Brian
Patrick O'Brian
Patrick O'Brian, CBE , born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series of novels set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and centred on the friendship of English Naval Captain Jack Aubrey and the Irish–Catalan physician Stephen...
in the Mauritius Command.
During his time as governor of the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
islands, Farquhar had extensive maritime charts made of the region and encouraged trade with Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, occasionally with disastrous results for the traders involved. He also made significant military and diplomatic efforts to end the East African slave trade, aggressively deploying naval units against the French ships that carried the slaves and conducting treaties with Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
. Farquhar remained Governor on Mauritus for 13 years (although he took a leave of absence between 1817 and 1820) and for his service, he was made a baronet in 1821. He resigned from the post in 1823 and returned to Britain, taking the seat for Newton
Newton (UK Parliament constituency)
Newton was a parliamentary borough in the county of Lancashire, in England. It was represented by two Members of Parliament in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1559 to 1706 then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
in Parliament in 1825 and the following year moving to Hythe
Hythe (UK Parliament constituency)
Hythe was a constituency centred on the town of Hythe in Kent. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons until 1832, when its representation was reduced to one member...
. Adopting the surname Townsend in 1824, Farquhar served on the board of directors of the East India Company and the Alliance Insurance Company and also remained in Parliament until his death in March 1830 at his home in Richmond Terrace, Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
, London.