Glenbuchat Heritage

5 A 'Royal' Farquharson

A Royal Farquharson

Pictures above show:

1. HRH Prince Alfred
2. HMS Penelope
3. Badge of the Kings messengers

Introduction to Farquharson Family Story

Click for Farquharson Album

Robert Farquharson who was John Farquharsons father, had a brother Charles Farquharson and his son John Forbes Farquharson. Both Johns were therefore cousins.


Farquharson Family

Charles Farquharson
Birth 1752 Crathie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Death 20 Jun 1834 Nether Toldaquhill, Strathdon
Parents
Unknown Father
Unknown Mother
Spouse
Margaret McHardy 1776–1851
Children
Jean Farquharson 1800–1855
Charles Farquharson 1802–1879
Mary Farquharson 1805–1877
Alexander Farquharson 1808–1839
Robert Farquharson 1812–1869
John Farquharson 1816–1851
George Farquharson 1817–1829

Charles Farquharson 1802–1879
Birth October 1802 Strathdon, Aberdeenshire
Death 22 November 1879 Ordachoy, Strathdon Parish, Aberdeenshire,
Parents
Charles Farquharson 1752–1834
Margaret McHardy 1776–1851
Spouse
Janet Dawson 1805–1873
Children
Robert Farquharson 1836–1859
Helen Farquharson 1837–1858
Alexander Farquharson 1840–1919
Alexander Farquharson 1840–1919
Jane Farquharson 1842–1869
John Forbes Farquharson 1844–1935
James Farquharson 1847–1912

John Forbes Farquharson
1844–1935
Birth 28 December 1844 Strathdon, Aberdeenshire,
Death 21 May 1935 Surrey, England

John first appears in the census of 1881
He was employed by the Royal Navy and was the personal servant to the Fleet Rear Admiral, HRH Prince Alfred the 1st Duke of Edinburgh.

John F. Farquharson
Age 36 Estimated Birth Year abt 1845
Gender Male
Where born Strathdon Aberdeen, Scotland
Civil parish Vessels C
Country England
Street Address H.M.S."Penelope"
Marital Status Married
Occupation Admirals Servant
Servant To Rear Admiral - Hrh Prince Alfred 1st Duke Of Edingburgh -
Serving On H.M.S."Penelope"


Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia

Alfred (Alfred Ernest Albert; 6 August 1844 – 30 July 1900) reigned as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1893 to 1900. He was the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was known as the Duke of Edinburgh from 1866 until he succeeded his paternal uncle Ernest II as the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the German Empire.

Promoted rear-admiral on 30 December 1878, he became admiral superintendent of naval reserves, with his flag in the corvette HMS Penelope in November 1879.Promoted to vice-admiral on 10 November 1882, he became Commander-in-Chief, Channel Fleet, with his flag in the armoured ship HMS Minotaur, in December 1883.He became Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet, with his flag in the armoured ship HMS Alexandra, in March 1886, and having been promoted to admiral on 18 October 1887, he went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth in August 1890. He was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 3 June 1893.

HMS Penelope
HMS Penelope was a central-battery ironclad built for the Royal Navy in the late 1860s and was rated as an armoured corvette. She was designed for inshore work with a shallow draught, and this severely compromised her performance under sail. Completed in 1868, the ship spent the next year with the Channel Fleet before she was assigned to the First Reserve Squadron in 1869 and became the coast guard ship for Harwich until 1887. Penelope was mobilised as tensions with Russia rose during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 and participated in the Bombardment of Alexandria during the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882. The ship became a receiving ship in South Africa in 1888 and then a prison hulk in 1897. She was sold for scrap in 1912.

In the 1911 Census John F Farquharson now appears to be staying at Buckingham Palace and is employed as a Kings Messenger. Previously an arduous and responsible position by 1911 it had probably become a retirement sinecure after years of service to the Royal Family.


Census England 1911
Name John Forbes Farquharson
Age in 1911 65 Estimated Birth Year abt 1846
Relation to Head Servant
Gender Male
Birth Place Aberdeen, Scotland
Civil parish St George Hanover Square
Street Address Buckingham Palace, London S W
Marital Status Married
Occupation King's Messenger
Registration district St George, Hanover Square
Sub-registration district Belgrave
Household Members
George King
Mary Queen
Edward Prince of Wales
Albert Prince of Great Britain and Ireland
John Prince of Great Britain and Ireland
Bertha Lady Dawkins
Charles Major Lord Fitzmaurice
Lieut-col Sir F P G Ponsonby
H P Hansell
Urban Hobden
John G J Hiley
John Meredith
George Gear
Albert Edward Wakeford
James Copple
John H J Harnack
John Forbes Farquharson
William Skern
Arthur John Twyman
Frederick Finch
John Sydney Miller
Oscar Ferry
Albert Lainel
Rene Bourdon
Thomas William Hall

King’s/Queen’s Messengers.
The Corps of Queen's Messengers are couriers employed by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. They hand-carry secret and important documents to British embassies, high commissions, and consulates around the world. Many Queen's Messengers were retired Army personnel. Messengers generally travel in plain clothes in business class on scheduled airlines with their consignment.

The safe passage of diplomatic baggage is guaranteed by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and for reasons of state secrecy, the diplomatic bag does not go through normal airport baggage-checks and must not be opened, x-rayed, weighed, or otherwise investigated by customs, airline security staff, or anyone else for that matter. The bag is closed with a tamper-proof seal and has its own diplomatic passport. The Queen's Messenger has the status of a diplomatic courier and cannot be detained. However, the messenger and the messenger's personal luggage go through normal security screening.

Charles II appointed four trusted men to convey messages to Royalist forces in England. As a sign of their authority, the King broke four silver greyhounds from a bowl familiar to royal courtiers, and gave one to each man. A silver greyhound thus became the symbol of the Service. On formal occasions, the Queen's Messengers wear this badge from a ribbon, and on less formal occasions many messengers wear ties with a discreet greyhound pattern while working.



John Forbes Farquharson died at the age of 91 on 21 May 1935 Surrey, England