Henry Richard Farquharson, MO

[Chris Scott]

This from The Times of 27 June 1892

[Natalie Severn]

Hi Andy and John and Chris,
This chap sounds a bit like Queensbury who enjoyed giving Wilde such a coating.He had a short fuse too by all accounts and was a nasty piece of works.Such a character could well have given Druitt a dog"s life given half the chance,like learning he was gay or something like that.Mind we dont yet know if he even knew Druitt personally despite being invited to the same ball.


Andy,that sounds terrific and well deserved I am sure.Hope you get the sabbatical OK.
Best
Natalie

[Chris Scott]

Hi folks
Just an aside
Am I right in thinking that the name Farquharson is one of those weird English names which are not pronounced as they are spelt? I believe the name is pronounced Farson.
Other ones like this are Leveson-Gower and Cholmondeley, which are pronounced as Loosen-Gore and Chumley!!!

[aspallek]

Mind we dont yet know if he even knew Druitt personally despite being invited to the same ball.

Appropriate word of caution indeed, Natalie. However, as Farquharson and Druitt were the same age (both born 1857), were raised ten miles apart, and were both part of the upper crust, I would lay cash on the table that they knew one another well.

[Chris George]

Hi folks
Just an aside
Am I right in thinking that the name Farquharson is one of those weird English names which are not pronounced as they are spelt? I believe the name is pronounced Farson.
Other ones like this are Leveson-Gower and Cholmondeley, which are pronounced as Loosen-Gore and Chumley!!!

Hi Chris

Yes as we said on the Ripperologist 88 thread it appears that the name can be pronounced either "Farkerson" or "Farkwerson." Since, as I understand it, and Andy confirms, the name is Scottish and the Scottish pronunciation is "Farkerson", my presumption is that the MP would have pronounced his name that way.

Chris

[aspallek]

For ease and for the sake of recognition I have decided to pronounce it "FAHR-kwar-son" even though that is probably not how HRF pronounced it himself.

[Johnr]

Hello Andy,
I think South of England-born citizens would utter the name " Farquharson", very like F's Scot's forebears would have : with a swallowed middle syllable: "FAR-K'-SON.
I noticed on Ebay the other day someone was trying to flog an "Illustrated London News" dated February 13, 1886. It allegedly contained a pictorial image of (I think) Henry Richard Farquharson M.P. JOHN RUFFELS.

[aspallek]

That's intersting about the graphic of Farquharson. It's probably the same image I used for my article. Mine came from The Graphic and was part of a feature on the newly elected first time members of Parliament.

[Natalie Severn]

Hi Andy,
I found another Farquharson MP,this one a Dr Robert Farquharson.This one came to Toynbee Hall to give a talk entitled,"Must Britain take a Back Seat?" in 1903.
Norma

[aspallek]

Nothing surprising here but this does definitely place Farquharson in Wimborne. Perhaps there were Druitts in attendance.

Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, 28 July 1884:

[aspallek]

This is interesting. Bethnal Green? His plans never came to fruition as he died at sea in 1895.

Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, 5 Febraury 1894:

[aspallek]

I am rather surprised that no one had yet picked up on this Farquharson-Bethnal Green connection. I honestly don't know what to make of it. I presume that HRF would have to have changed his residence to BG or at least establish some sort of residence there. Would this be a type of "carpetbagging" like Hilary Clinton becoming Senator from New York? A purely political move? To what end with regard to HRF's planned move to BG?

[Natalie Severn]

I dont know Andy......Mosley tried to get in the East End but was chased away.It seems to be a bit of a magnet for both left and right!

[Johnr]

Oops! Did the "private information" get out??

Hello All,

I just couldn't decide the appropriate Druitt thread for this snippet so I thought I'd try the Farquharson one.
A quote from Dan Farson's "Jack The Ripper" (Sphere paperback version:1973) at page 124:-
" It seems that suspicion of Montague did spread beyond the family. The Winchester* magazine The Trusty Servant (December, 1972 ) claims...
'...that a Kennyite who was here in the nineties knew of the suspicion at the
time ' ".

JOHN RUFFELS.

[aspallek]

Hi John,

That's very interesting. I'm sure it's there but I don't remember reading that in Farson. Been a while since I've looked, though.

OK, so I have to ask: What is a "Kennyite?" Has it something to do with Ireland and the Irish Question?