Footnotes

• C.B. London Gazette 4.6.1815.
  K.C.B. London Gazette 29.6.1841.
  K.H. London Gazette 31.12.1816.
  K.C.H. London Gazette 21.8.1832.
  
  Arthur Farquhar was born in 1772 and was the son of Robert Farquhar of Newhall, County Kincardine. He joined the Navy in October 1787. He was present as Lieutenant of the Suffolk at the capture of Amboyna and Banda from the Dutch in 1796 and acquired the rank of Commander on 29th April 1802, and in January 1804 he took command of the Acheron bomb.
  
  At dawn on the 3rd February 1805, in the company of the sloop Arrow, he was escorting a convoy of 35 merchant ships from Malta to England when two large ships were sighted. After a series of manoeuvres and signals the ships were identified as two French frigates, the Hortense (40) and Incorruptible (38). After an exchange of fire which considerably damaged the Acheron's rigging and sails, night fell. Dawn the following day saw the action continue and by 8.30 a.m. the Arrow, who had been totally disabled, struck her colours to the Incorruptible, twenty minutes later the badly damaged Acheron hauled down her colours to the Hortense
  
  The action of these two greatly out-gunned and out-manned ships allowed all but three of the convoy to avoid capture and proceed safely to England. At his court-martial on the 28th March 1805 Farquhar was honourably acquitted and the action was described as 'highly meritorious and deserving imitation'. On the 8th April he was promoted to post-captain and later awarded a sword by the Patriotic Fund and a piece of plate by the Merchants of Malta. He continued to see active service in the Baltic and North Sea, capturing numerous privateers and commanded naval operations in the Weser, the Ems and the Elbe and at the capture of Glückstadt in 1814. For these services he was made a Knight of the Sword of Sweden and also of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order. In 1815 he was made a C.B.
  
  From 1830 to 1833 he commanded the Blanche (48) in the West Indies as Commodore and for his services there during the slave revolt received the thanks of the House of Assembly of Jamaica and a sword of £150 value. He was knighted on his return to England. He attained the rank of Rear-Admiral of the Blue on 10th January 1837.
  
  He died as Rear-Admiral of the White on 2nd October 1843, aged 71, at Carlogie Cottage, Aberdeenshire.
  
  'The Lloyd's Patriotic Fund sword of £100 value and the sword of £150 value presented to Arthur Farquhar in recognition of his part in the actions decribed above are to be offered in Bonhams' next sale of Antique Arms and Armour to be held in these Rooms on 30 November 2011. For more information please contact David Williams on +44(0)20 7393 3807 or email david.williams@bonhams.com'

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Category: Coins / Medals

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