Glenbuchat Heritage

4 Farquharson at Belgrave Square

Farquharson Belgrave Sq

Introduction to Farquharson Family Story

Click for Farquharson Album


Picture above shows:
1 Map of Belgravia with No 44 marked and Church of St Georges Hanover Sq and Sir Charles residence at Fitzroy Sq
2 modern Picture of no 44 (left) Belgrave Sq.

Claire Farquharson states that John Farquharson was for a short time a butler at 44 Belgrave Square. In April/May 1882 he was married to Sarah Watson at the Registrar's Office at St Georges Hanover Square.

This raises the question as to how a lad from an agricultural background in an isolated part of Scotland become a butler in one of London’s grandest addresses.

Firstly, some confusion with facts. The census for 1881 in Ancestry.com’s records for John Farquharson place him in Forgue as a Shepherd

1881 Scotland Census
Name John Farquharson
Age 22 Estimated Birth Year abt 1859
Relationship Boarder
Gender Male
Where born Strathdon, Aberdeenshire
Registration district Forgue
Civil parish Forgue
County Aberdeenshire
Address Westerton
Occupation Shepherd
Household Members
James Ogg Age 62
Elspet Ogg Age 65
Elspet Ogg Age 25
Isabella Ogg Age 21
William Brebner Age 22
John Neish Age 14
John Farquharson Age 22

Another census places a John Farquharson in Yorkshire in the country house of an MP George Fox-Lane as an under butler. It also states that he came from Scotland but his age is down as 28 and not 22. Census entries are not always correct and sometimes employees may have lied about their ages.

1881 England Census
John Farquharson
Age: 28 Estimated birth year: abt 1853
Relationship to Head: Servant
Gender: Male
Where born: Scotland
Civil Parish: Bramham cum Oglethorpe
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England
Street address: Bowcliffe
Occupation: Under Butler
Registration district: Wetherby
Household Members: Name Age
George Lane Fox 64
Maria Lane Fox 39
Fredrica Lascelles 33
Helen Lascelles 1
Banche Lascelles
Elizabeth Frances 43
Mary Dominey 42
Pricilla Whitbread 14 J
John Farquharson 28
William Camp 27
George Toms 17
John Samuel Slausen 46
Thomas Richardson 31
Harriet Thompson 21
Clara Dickinson 19
Appelina Billings 39
Sarah Ann Jacoby 35
Sarah Ann Hartshorn 37
Mary McPhail 24
Ellen Jeffiry 16
Esther Ann Hare 19
Maria Adams 45
John Edward Chapman

Which one is correct, is it likely that a shepherd in Forgue would become a butler in Belgravia a year later?

In 1882 John married Sarah Watson at St George Hanover Square registry Office The Church nearby was was the venue for mainly society weddings. The the Church was probably used by his employer and is also relevant to the Forbes of Strathdon.

England & Wales, Free BMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
Name John Farquharson
Registration Year 1882
Registration Quarter Apr-May-Jun
Registration district St George Hanover Square
Inferred County London
Household Members
Frank Chalke Age
John Farquharson Age
Emma Holmes Age
Sarah Watson

There are a number of factors which may have assisted John in getting a post as a butler in Belgravia. At that tie 44 Belgrave Square was owned by Hon. Percy Scawen Wyndham. More about him and the house later.

Firstly, his stay in Glengairn when Queen Victoria was living a lot of the time only 10 miles away would have exposed him to quite a number of the aristocracy. It maybe he had worked in some of the local estates.

Secondly’ the main land owner in Strathdon was that time was Sir Charles John Forbes, 4th Baronet (1843-1884). Sir Charles when in Scotland lived in Castle Newe in Strathdon bit also had a house in Fitzroy Square in London. The local church for theme would have been St Georges in Hanover Square and in fact his two sisters were married there. It may be that Sir Charles assisted john in getting his position.

Evelyn Elizabeth Forbes 1868–1929
5 Mar 1889 Marriage St George Hanover Sq, London, Middlesex, England
Spouse William Dodge James 1854-1912

Mabel Susan Forbes 1871–1919
10 Oct 1892 St George Hanover Square, London, Middlesex, England
Spouse Rowland Winn 2nd Baron St Oswald 1857-1919

The church was also frequented by Johns Boss, Hon. Percy Scawen Wyndham, his son Lt Col Guy Percy Wyndham MVO CB married 14 May 1892 in St. George Hanover Square, to Edwina Virginia Joanna (Fitzpatrick) Wyndham

If you look at the map above you will see that the church is equidistant between Sir Charles house in Fitzroy square and The Wyndham house in Belgravia.


44 Belgrave Square was owned by Hon. Percy Scawen Wyndham.

Hon. Percy Scawen Wyndham.

He was born on 30 January 183 the son of George Wyndham, 1st Baron Leconfield of Leconfield and Mary Fanny Blunt. He married Madeline Caroline Frances Eden Campbell, on 16 October 1860 and he died on 13 March 1911 at age 76.

He gained the rank of Captain in the Coldstream Guards and held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.) for Wiltshire .and for Cumberland. He was Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.) of Cumberland Wiltshire and Sussex

He was a Member of Parliament (M.P.) for West Cumberland between 1860 and 1885
He held the office of High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1896.
He lived at Clouds, Wiltshire, Englan
Children of Hon. Percy Scawen Wyndham and Madeline Caroline Frances Eden Campbell
Pamela Adelaide Genevieve Wyndham+4 d. 18 Nov 1928
Madeline Pamela Constance Blanche Wyndham+5 d. 31 Jul 1941
Mary Constance Wyndham+2 b. 3 Aug 1862, d. 29 Apr 1937
Rt. Hon. George Wyndham+2 b. 29 Aug 1863, d. 8 Jun 1913
Lt.-Col. Guy Percy Wyndham+2 b. 19 Jan 1865, d. 15 Apr 1941

Bred with all the lack of self-consciousness that characterized the old landed families, Percy Wyndham himself stood out as original among the individualistic aristocracy of his day and even among his own notably eccentric family. He was the younger but favourite and indulged son of the 1st Lord Leconfield; he had early been able to bend life to his will and he adopted a style of life which, unexceptional in his youth, became increasingly out of step with the times. Even his clothes, though immaculate, were quite unlike those worn by his contemporaries. He had found a type of trousers and jacket that he liked and saw no reason for wearing any other kind.
His conversation was punctuated with expletives and blasphemies in a way commonplace in his young days but remarkable in the more genteel climate of the late nineteenth century. He was fortunate to be married to Madeline Campbell, by whom he became the father of five children, all born at 44 Belgrave Square in London. Three of their children ---Mary, George and Pamela---were members of the Souls' circle.
From "The Souls", by Jane Abdy & Charlotte Gere.

6 months after getting married, John set sail for Australia.

Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839–1923
Name Jno Farquharson
Estimated Birth Year abt 1858
Age 24
Departure Port London
Arrival Date 8 Nov 1882 Port Melbourne, Australia
Ship Shannon
Nationality Scottish

John lived in Birregurra Australia and died on 2nd February 1920

Australia and New Zealand, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current
Name John Baker Farquharson
Birth Dat 1856
Death Dat 20 July 1920
Cemetery Warncoort Public Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place Warncoort, Colac Otway Shire, Victoria, Australia
Spouse
Sarah Farquharson died on 2 February 1929.