Farquhar was second youngest son of Robert Farquhar of Newhall near
Aberdeen. His younger brother
William was
a founder of modern Singapore. He entered the navy in 1787 on board , and, after serving in several other ships, mostly on the home station, and having passed his examination, entered on board an
East India Company's ship. He had scarcely, however, arrived in India when news of the outbreak of the
French Revolutionary Wars led him to enter on board the
sloop , whence he was removed to the
flagship, and in April 1798 was promoted to be lieutenant. On his return to England as first lieutenant of , he was employed in various ships on the home, Mediterranean, Baltic, and North Sea stations, until promoted to be commander on 29 April 1802. In January 1804 he was appointed to the
bomb vessel , and on 4 February 1805 being, in company with the sloop , in charge of convoy, was captured by two large French
frigates,
Incorruptible and
Hortense, after a defence that was rightly pronounced by the court-martial (28 March 1805) to be 'highly meritorious and deserving imitation'. Farquhar was most honourably acquitted, and the president of the court,
Sir Richard Bickerton, as he returned his sword, expressed a hope that he might soon be called on to serve in a ship in which he might meet his captor on more equal terms: 'the result of the contest,’ he added, 'may be more lucrative to you, but it cannot be more honourable.' A few days later, 8 April, Farquhar was advanced to
post-rank; he afterwards was presented with a sword, value 100l., by the
Patriotic Fund, and by the merchants of
Malta with a piece of
plate and complimentary letter, 19 September 1808. From 1806 to 1809 he commanded the 20-gun in the
Baltic and
North Sea, during which time he captured several
privateers, French and Danish. From 1809 to 1814 he commanded the frigate in the North Sea, captured many privateers, gunboats, and armed vessels, and was senior naval officer in the operations in the
Weser, the
Ems, and the
Elbe in 1813, culminating in the capture of
Glückstadt on 5 January 1814. For these important services Farquhar was made a
knight of the Sword of Sweden, and also of the
Royal Guelphic Order. In 1815 he was made a
Companion of the Bath, and in September 1817 received the freedom of
Aberdeen. From May 1814 to April 1816 he commanded the 40-gun at the
Cape of Good Hope, and from 1830 to 1833 in the
West Indies, with a
broad pennant, and for his services there during the
Baptist War, received a vote of thanks from the
House of Assembly of
Jamaica, a sword valued at 150l., and a piece of plate from the merchants. On his return home he was knighted, and was made a
Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order in 1832. He became a
rear-admiral in 1837, and died at his residence in
Aberdeenshire on 2 October 1843. ==References==