Person:William Farquhar (5)

William FARQUHAR was born about 1770, probably 26feb1774 (oneworldtree file at ancestry.com), son of Robert FARQUHAR and Agnes MORISON (ow) and died in Perth, Scotland, 13may1839. Major General William Farquhar (1770-1839), was for many years Governor of Malacca and first British Resident at Singapore. He married 1st a Malaysian woman and 2nd Margaret LOBIN/LOBAN (died 21jun1844).

William was “married” from abt 1790 to 1823 with Nonio (Nonja) Clement (abt 1780-abt 1852), daughter of a French officer and Malay mother (princess?); they had 6 children between 1796 and abt 1803; William made a will for Nonio in 1833 (information, J. Fuchs). He married Margaret Loban 1828 at London; their children were b. at Early Bank Villa, Perth (J. Fuchs). Margaret Loban/Lobban was maybe b. 10jul1808 at Bellie, Moray (IGI), was of Fochabers, 7th of 9 children of Robert Loban and Isabella Laing; in 1844 she went home to Fochabers and died 21jan1844 aged 36 (J. Fuchs, via D. Sangster). Scottish archives have the will of William Farquhar, Maj. Gen., in Hon. East India Company’s service, res at Early Bank nr. Perth, reg. 1839 Perth (scotlandspeople).

William Farquhar (1770-1839) entered the East India Company’s service as a cadet in 1790. However he became an ensign in the Madras Engineers in June 1791 and four years later the Chief-Engineer in the expeditionary force which took Malacca from the Dutch. Farquhar took a Malay wife and was known locally as the Raja of Malacca. He remained in Malacca for the next 27 years and was appointed Resident in 1803. In 1818, Malacca was handed back to the Dutch, in keeping with the terms of the Treaty of London. Farquhar, with the intention of returning to Scotland, sailed for Penang. However when he ran into Raffles, he plan changed. A letter from Lord Hastings which Raffles had with him expressed the hope that Farquhar would be able to assist him in establishing trading post South of the Malacca Straits and a new settlement. This eventually led Farquhar to the becoming of the first Resident and Commandant of Singapore in 1819. Regarding the latter’s administration of the new settlement, several differences subsequently rose between Raffles and Farquhar. Raffles found that Farquhar had not followed his instructions regarding the development of Singapore on his second visit to Singapore in 1822. Moreover, gaming and cockfighting were permitted, the sale of opium went unregulated and slaves were being exchanged not 50 yards from the Residency. The latter particularly angered Raffles, who decided that the settlement had outgrown Farquhar’s ability. However Farquhar refused to relinquish his position when Raffles appointed Travers Resident in his place. Farquhar finally left Singapore in December 1823, and complained to the E.I.C. Court of Directors about his treatment by Raffles, whom he accused of "acts of flagrant injustice and tyranny". Even though his petition to be the Resident of Singapore was not entertained, he was compensated for the loss of his civil appointment by being promoted to the rank of Major-General. Farquhar died in retirement at Perth in Scotland 1839.

1.   (R) (59), in International Genealogical Index. ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1999-2008).