Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Henry Noltie,
Becomes servant to Farquharson:
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].
He 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."
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The 1st voyage to China, 1802-03: 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. It seems to have been on a test voyage 1801-02 to Calcutta and back. [EIC ships] shows 1st voyage of Perseverance. They left Portsmouth 25 Feb 1802 (Henry only 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. He says "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). They 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. They 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".
They
arrived at
Saint Helena
in the Atlantic on 25 Feb 1803.
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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
(this street has been heavily re-developed,
no.32 may be gone,
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.
(Modern medicine would suggest this was not the reason.)
Henry and Farquharson
joined the Perseverance
as it was about to sail from Gravesend to China.
|
The 2nd voyage to China (and around the world), 1804-05:
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. They left Portsmouth 9 June 1804. They went West instead of East this time. They 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". They departed Second Bar, China on 14 Feb 1805. They 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. They reached St. Helena on 30 June 1805. They 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,
near
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].
John Farquharson
is listed
at 58 Queen St, Edinburgh, in
[Edinburgh directory, 1808-09].
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."
They
visited London,
Chudleigh,
Bath,
Cheltenham
and other places.
Periodically returned to Haughton.
They spent winter 1810 in Edinburgh.
Came back to Haughton summer 1811.
Henry (unmarried)
had a 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.
Not sure why he did not marry her.
[Henry's memoir]
says in 1812 he and Farquharson went to Monymusk,
Aberdeenshire.
Farquharson married Mary-Anne Grant
of Monymusk
on 17 Sept 1812 (days after Henry's illegitimate child was born).
Henry and Isabella
had issue:
Settles at East Gallowhill:
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.
He
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".
He also made out a
Noltie and Hopper genealogy.
They are listed
in 1841 census
at "East Gallowhill".
He is "farmer".
Census of 1851 has them at "Gallowhill".
He is described as "farmer, Gallowhill" on grave.
Henry dies, 1852:
Henry died 28 May 1852, East Gallowhill, age 62 or 63 yrs.
Noltie genealogy
also says 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 dies, 1867:
Janet died 26th Sept 1867, East Gallowhill, age 65 yrs,
of "disease of the brain, bronchitis"
[GRO.Scot].
She was bur with husband at Alford.
Henry and Janet had issue:
Henry Noltie and family listed in 1841 census at East Gallowhill.
It notes that he was not born in Aberdeenshire.
See full size.
Payment on 30 June 1803 to Henry Noltie
for voyage of 1802-03.
From
[Perseverance Pay Book].
2nd voyage
of Perseverance
to China (and around the world),
1804-05.
From
[EIC ships].
The bell of the Perseverance (launched 1801).
Recovered by divers at Whale Rock, South Africa.
Photo 2012
from Andy Walker,
who sold the bell in 2012.
See full size.
This is a modified photo, with a busy background removed using
clippingmagic.com.
See original.
See also photos
of left
and centre
and right,
showing the bell spells it "PERSEVERENCE".
Though
[EIC ships, 1811]
spells it "PERSEVERANCE".
The game
East India Company.
Video from Nitro Games.
"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.
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