Henry Noltie,
born Nov 1788 or 1789, Edinburgh,
in c.1792-93
he was taken by his mother to
her parents
in Durham,
educ in Durham,
returned to Scotland c.1795-96,
he
"was boarded at a farm called Ballgrave"
near Edinburgh,
where he went to school,
in 1800 (age 11 or 12)
he became a servant to
John Farquharson of Haughton (born 1779),
brother of his
father's master Francis Farquharson,
John Farquharson was then age 21
and an officer in the naval service of the
East India Company,
Henry was sent to join Farquharson in London, arrived Jan 1801
[Noltie family memoir],
was to join him as a servant at sea, "It was most unfortunate for me that my father would send me to sea with Mr. F.,
as a little before he [Mr. F.] came home I was to have been put into
Heriot's Hospital, Edinburgh,
through the influence of the
Earl of Erroll,
and his [my father's] master Mr. Francis Farquharson,
where I was to be educated for a
Copperplate Engraver,
which was the trade I chose."
Henry and Farquharson departed on a journey to India and China 1802,
in the new, heavily-armed, 1271 ton ship
Perseverance,
Farquharson was 2nd officer,
under Capt. James Tweedale,
Henry was Farquharson's servant,
the Perseverance
was launched 1801, 166 ft long, 3 decks,
seems to have been on a
test voyage 1801-02
to Calcutta and back, [EIC ships]
shows
1st voyage
of Perseverance,
left Portsmouth
25 Feb 1802 (Henry age 12 or 13),
[Noltie family memoir]
describes the
hellish sea journey across,
typhus
broke out on the ship,
and many of the 500 men on board had died by the time they stopped at
Madras
in India on 15 June 1802,
Henry was sick but eventually recovered,
"a black rascal" was caught stealing his bed cloths,
and he was brought to watch
"the black" being flogged,
which horrified him,
"I begged the Capt. to forgive him. But no, an example must be made
to deter others from stealing. I was so weak and shocked at the bloody spectacle
that I nearly fainted",
they eventually sailed for China
through the
Strait of Malacca
(between Malaysia and Indonesia),
reached Penang, Malaysia on 1 Aug 1802,
reached Malacca on 24 Aug 1802,
the ship ran aground
at the mouth of Canton River (Pearl River),
China
(this is now the
Pearl River Delta,
between Hong Kong and Macau),
where an officer's thumb was cut off in an accident,
they arrived
Whampoa (Huangpu),
in
Canton (Guangzhou),
China, on 16 Sept 1802,
they took on board cargo
and sailed back to England,
left from
Second Bar, Pearl River, China,
22 Nov 1802,
they passed the
Cape of Good Hope, South Africa,
where "we got a tremendous gale of wind",
arrived at
Saint Helena
in the Atlantic on 25 Feb 1803, [Henry's memoir]
says that
when they got to Saint Helena
"we learned that war had again broke out",
but his memory seems to be wrong:
war between England and France
did not break out until 18 May 1803,
by which time they were back in England,
however there was
escalating tension
in the months leading up to that,
and maybe this is what they were informed of at Saint Helena,
they returned home in convoy,
they pursued an
Algerian pirate ship
but it got away,
they arrived back in England
to Gravesend, Kent,
arrived at the Downs area of sea
off Kent, 19 Apr 1803,
moored at Kent 27 Apr 1803,
Henry had further adventures travelling by another ship back to Scotland,
off
Yarmouth Roads
(the area of sea between Yarmouth
and the sandbanks offshore,
Isle of Wight)
they were chased
by a French privateer,
"And her cannon balls flew over us, but by good fortune none hit us",
and then the privateer pursued another ship nearby,
and they escaped,
he
arrived at Leith
in Edinburgh,
"and rejoiced to find my old father
in health",
in 1803 he first saw the infant
Janet Smith,
daughter of some other
Farquharson servants,
20 years later he would marry her,
after about 9 months back in Britain (early 1804),
he and Farquharson were again ordered to join the Perseverance,
they went to London, where Farquharson lodged at
32 Surrey St, Strand
(see map),
Farquharson fell dangerously ill with
pleurisy,
as Farquharson got worse under treatment by the ship's doctor,
Henry went and got another doctor,
who bled him,
Farquharson recovered, and
[Henry's memoir]
of course
credits the bloodletting of the second doctor,
but modern medicine suggests that bloodletting was either harmful or of no use,
he and Farquharson
joined the Perseverance
as it was about to sail from Gravesend to China,
Henry and Farquharson sailed to China 1804,
"my master as second officer, and I as his servant",
again under Capt. James Tweedale,
[EIC ships]
shows
2nd voyage
of Perseverance,
left Portsmouth 9 June 1804,
they went West instead of East this time,
reached
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 17 Aug 1804,
a fire broke out
on board ship,
and at night too, [Henry's memoir]
says the fire broke out
as they came
"near either
Van demas,
or else
Amsterdam Island,
I forget which",
it cannot be
Amsterdam Island
in the Indian Ocean
since they were coming from the Pacific,
it must be
Van Diemen's Land,
the fire was caused by drunk sailors dropping a candle in some straw,
they struggled to put it out,
it came close to destroying the ship,
the fire nearly reached the gunpowder,
"Poor Capt. Tweedale was in a deplorable state of mind",
after 3 hours of hard struggle they got the fire out,
"Then there was such rejoicing, black as my master was,
and he was black as a sweeper of chimneys, the Captain,
although he had on his fine regimentals, took and hugged him in his arms,
as if he had been his wife, or sweetheart. It was a narrow escape",
they stopped at the Ladrones Islands (Mariana Islands)
in the N Pacific,
where they were
"afraid that there was a fleet of French Men of War
on the lookout for our fleet",
they proceeded cautiously to the Canton River, China,
they reached Whampoa, China on 12 Jan 1805,
"We took in a cargo of tea at Canton",
departed Second Bar, China on 14 Feb 1805,
went through Malacca on 21 Mar 1805, [Henry's memoir]
incorrectly recalls them going through Rio on the way home rather than the way out,
reached St. Helena on 30 June 1805,
reached the Downs on 10 Sept 1805,
moorings 12 Sept 1805, [Henry's memoir]
says they moored off Northfleet, Kent,
he and Farquharson sailed back to Leith in Edinburgh,
Henry was age 15 or 16 at the end of his 2nd voyage,
Farquharson parted company with the Perseverance, [EIC ships]
shows
3rd voyage
of Perseverance,
left Britain on 4 Mar 1806,
but without Farquharson,
also
4th voyage,
Henry met his father at Edinburgh and they travelled with the Farquharsons
to the Farquharson country seat at
Haughton,
Alford, Aberdeenshire
(NW of Aberdeen),
"About the month of August" [year not specified]
"my master, his brother and me came to Haughton;
my father and me on horse back,
and the gentlemen in a carriage.",
Henry was left at Haughton at school, until his master got a new ship, "then about December" [year not specified]
he was told to come to Edinburgh as Farquharson needed him,
he sailed for Edinburgh from Aberdeen in a
smack "on old Christmas day",
but off Inverbervie
they were
"driven back to Aberdeen by a violent gale of wind, and [I] was nearly lost
in getting into a boat to be brought ashore.",
he finally got to Edinburgh by mail coach,
in Feb 1808 his master John Farquharson was in London planning another voyage to
Penang, Malaysia,
when his brother Francis Farquharson died
and he unexpectedly inherited,
"if his brother had lived another month, he would have been on his voyage then",
instead "my master gave up his situation"
and after arranging his affairs, returned to Edinburgh in autumn 1808,
the Farquharson house in Edinburgh was sold,
John Farquharson took a house nearby in Queen St, Edinburgh
(see map), for a year
"till Miss Ann died" [unidentified],
then "Miss F." [must be John's sister Mary]
"and my master and my father" came to Haughton,
after a few months they left Henry's father living at Haughton,
and he and Farquharson travelled round England with "Miss F.",
visiting London,
Chudleigh,
Bath,
Cheltenham
and other places,
and periodically returning to Haughton,
they spent winter 1810 in Edinburgh,
came back to Haughton summer 1811,
had relationship (must be 1811-12) with Isabella Riddell
[of Upper Banchory,
Aberdeenshire],
Henry's own notes spell her
"Isobel Riddle"
and
"Isoble Riddle"
but elsewhere he is casual with spelling,
had issue:
Mary Noltie, illegitimate,
born Sun 6th Sept 1812, Chapel St, Aberdeen,
bapt Sun 13 Sept, Skene Square, Aberdeen,
named after Henry's mother Mary Hopper,
Henry acknowledged her and included her in the family history he wrote,
she didn't marry,
census 1851 shows her at 29 St.Andrew Square (new town), Edinburgh,
census 1881 shows her at 17 Carlyle Square
(off the King's Rd), Chelsea, what is now London SW3
(see map),
died 7th Mar 1908, Royal Asylum Gate Lodge, Aberdeen,
age 95 yrs, of "senile decay",
described as "Lady's Companion"
[GRO.Scot].
[Henry's memoir]
says in 1812 he and Farquharson went to Monymusk,
Aberdeenshire,
Farquharson married Mary-Anne Grant of Monymusk
on 17 Sept 1812 (shortly after Henry's illegitimate child was born),
in 1822-23
Henry
left Farquharson's service,
married,
and settled at a farm at
East Gallowhill,
near Alford, Aberdeenshire,
near to the Farquharson seat at Haughton
(see map),
the Noltie account book for East Gallowhill starts in 1822,
East Gallowhill was on the Farquharson estate
and Noltie got a long-term lease from Farquharson,
the lease ended 1898, so it seems it was a 75 year lease 1823-98,
at his marriage 1823 he describes himself as butler to
John Farquharson for 22 years,
his wife Janet Smith and her parents were also servants of Farquharson of Haughton,
mar 17th May 1823, Haughton,
to Janet Smith
[bapt 22nd Feb 1802],
he farmed at
East Gallowhill from 1822 to his death,
he wrote
[Noltie family memoir]
c.1839,
he gives advice to his children,
"I .. sincerely recommend to you all to cultivate brotherly love ..
and to assist one another in every possible way ...
either by precept example
or worldly goods.
Should any of you be more prosperous in the world than another, I think it is the bounden duty
of the prosperous brother or sister to assist their poor brothers and sisters
...
Now if you really believe (and I hope and trust there is none of you,
my dear children, has a heart of even doubt, far less of unbelief)
that there is a great and merciful God",
and some writing of its time:
"having living examples of His
judgements in His formerly
highly favoured people the Jews,
who are exiles and wanderers to this day
to teach us to beware of disobedience",
census of 1841 has them at "East Gallowhill",
census of 1851 has them at "Gallowhill",
he is described as "farmer, Gallowhill" on grave,
he died 28th May 1852, East Gallowhill, age 62 or 63 yrs,
[Noltie family papers]
also say 26 May,
he was
bur in the old Kirkyard of Alford,
at the spot where his father
was buried,
in the NW corner of the graveyard,
census of 1861 has Janet at "Gallowhill",
Janet died 26th Sept 1867, East Gallowhill, age 65 yrs,
of "disease of the brain, bronchitis"
[GRO.Scot],
bur with husband at Alford,
had issue:
Henry Noltie,
born 20th Apr 1824, East Gallowhill,
bapt 16th May, Alford,
named after his father.
Isobella Noltie,
"Isabella" on grave,
her father's notes spell her "Isobel" and "Isoble" but elsewhere he is casual with spelling,
born 24th Jan 1826, East Gallowhill,
bapt 17th Feb, Alford,
named after maternal grandmother Isabel Cooper,
census of (30th Mar) 1851 has her still at home at Gallowhill, age 25,
mar 25th Dec 1851, Alford, to Robert Reid
and had issue.
William Noltie,
born 23rd Jan 1828, East Gallowhill,
bapt 20th Feb, Alford,
named after maternal grandfather William Smith,
census of 1851 has him still at home at Gallowhill, age 23,
census of 1881 has him at Bandodle,
NW of Midmar Forest
(W of Aberdeen, and to the SE of Alford),
Aberdeenshire
(see map),
census of 1891 has him at Alford,
think it is this census that describes him as farmer of 60 acres,
living Kinstair Cottage, Alford, at sister Mary Ann's death 1897,
died 16th June 1903, at Corner Cottage, Alford, age 75 yrs,
funeral 20 June,
bur with parents at Alford.
John Noltie,
born 23rd Jan 1830, East Gallowhill,
bapt 18th Feb, Alford,
named after his uncle John Smith.
Janet Noltie,
born 18th June 1832, East Gallowhill,
bapt 7th July, Alford,
named after her mother,
her father's notes spell her "Janett" but elsewhere he is casual with spelling
(he also spells her "Janet"
and he spells the mother "Janet"),
died of typhus,
25th Sept 1846, East Gallowhill, age 14 yrs,
bur 28 Sept in the old Kirkyard of Alford
(where her parents were later buried).
Mary Ann Noltie,
born 20th Nov 1834, East Gallowhill,
bapt 4th Dec, Alford,
named "after Mrs. Farquharson of Haughton"[Noltie family memoir],
this is
Mary-Anne Grant,
who married in 1812 to
John Farquharson of Haughton,
census of Apr 1861 has her still at home at Gallowhill, age 26,
census of 1881 has her at 46 Dee St, Aberdeen,
census of 1891 has her at Alford,
occupation listed as "Knitter" in census,
died 7th June 1897, Kinstair Cottage, Alford, age 62 yrs,
funeral 10 June, bur with parents at Alford.
Archibald Noltie,
born 14th June 1837, East Gallowhill,
bapt 4th July, Alford,
named "after Master Archibald Farquharson
of Haughton"
(unidentified)
[Noltie family memoir],
census of Mar 1851 has him at home at Gallowhill, age 13,
reported his mother's death 1867
[GRO.Scot],
census of 1881 has him at Bandodle with his brother William,
census of 1891 has him at Alford,
listed as "farm worker" in census,
died 7th Feb 1904, at Corner Cottage, Alford, age 66 yrs,
funeral 11 Feb,
bur with parents at Alford.
Edward Teasdale Noltie,
born 29th Sept 1839, East Gallowhill,
bapt 24th Oct, Alford,
his father Henry says he is named
"after my Great Grandfather",
Henry's great-grandfather is Edward Hopper
and his great-grandmother is Elizabeth Teasdale,
is it possible Henry means great-great-grandfather
and Elizabeth Teasdale is the dau of Edward Teasdale?
James Noltie,
born 26th Jan 1842, East Gallowhill,
bapt Thur 3 Mar, Alford [Noltie family papers], think NOT 5 Mar,
named after James Whyte, farmer, near Alford,
mar 26th June 1867, Clerkenwell, London,
to Isabella Mitchell
[born or bapt 31st Aug 1835,
St.Machar's parish, Aberdeen,
dau of William Mitchell and Ann Smith],
listed at "16 Castle St", Aberdeen, as at 1871 and 1872,
census of 1881 has them at "16 Castle Terrace", Aberdeen,
census of 1891 has them at St.Nicholas', Aberdeen,
census lists him as "grocer, farmer",
she died or was bur 21st Dec 1901,
St.Machar's parish, Aberdeen,
age 66 yrs,
he died 3rd Sept 1918, Oarleigh,
Banchory, Aberdeenshire,
SW of Aberdeen,
age 76 yrs,
of "carcinoma of liver and stomach"
[GRO.Scot],
had issue:
Jessie Ann Noltie, born 1868, "Pancreas", London,
(todo) see [GRO.UK] 4th qr,
died 6th Apr 1872, St.Nicholas', Aberdeen, age 3 yrs.
Mary Leith Noltie, born 1870, "Pancreas", London,
(todo) see [GRO.UK] 3rd qr,
died 28th July 1871, 16 Castle St, Aberdeen, age 1 yr,
of "meningitis tuberculosa"
[GRO.Scot].
Annie Noltie,
Ann Mitchell Noltie, born 21st Apr 1872,
16 Castle St, Aberdeen
[GRO.Scot],
census of (5th Apr) 1891 has her still at home at St.Nicholas', Aberdeen,
age 18,
she must be "A.M. Noltie" who
wit her 1st cousin Henry Noltie's mar 1897,
Aberdeen,
reported her father's death 1918
[GRO.Scot],
died 23rd Nov 1951, Springfield, Ramsay Rd,
Banchory, Aberdeenshire,
age 79 yrs
[GRO.Scot].
"As there is nothing so certain as death,
and none knows how soon he may leave this world,
we should frequently meditate on that event
and accustom our minds frequently to think on that
which is certain will happen to himself in a very few years at farthest"
- Henry Noltie.
