Townsend-Farquhar, Robert Townsend, 1776-1830
- GB-2014-WSA-16993
- Person
- 1776-1830
TOWNSEND-FARQUHAR, SIR ROBERT TOWNSEND, BART., brother of Sir Thomas Harvie Farquhar, Bart. (qv); b. 14 Oct 1776; adm. 6 Jun 1787; KS 1789; Writer, EICS Madras 10 Sep 1793; Assistant to Accountant, Board of Revenue 1796; Assistant to Resident, Amboyna (now Ambon, Indonesia) and Banda 1797, Deputy Commercial Resident 1798, Commercial Resident 1798-1802; Commissioner for adjusting British claims in the Moluccas 1802; Lieut. -Gov., Prince of Wales Island 1804-6; Governor of Mauritius 1810-23, where he successfully suppressed the slave trade; created baronet 21 Aug 1821; assumed additional surname of Townsend 19 Jul 1824; MP Newton (Lancs. ) Feb 1825-6, Hythe from 1826; Director, East India Co., 1826-8; author, Suggestions for counteracting any injurious effects upon the population of the West Indian colonies from the abolition of the Slave Trade 1807; m. 10 Jan 1809 Maria Frances Geslip, second dau. of Joseph Francis Louis de Latour, firm Francis Latour & Co, agents, Madras; d. 16 Mar 1830. DNB.