Francis Farquharson

He stormed a bastion and spiked its guns under intense fire.

Francis Edward Henry Farquharson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on 25 March 1837, the son of Robert Farquharson, a thread manufacturer residing at 7 St James Place. He entered military service in 1855 upon receiving a commission in the 42nd Regiment of Foot, the Royal Highland Regiment known as The Black Watch. Shortly after joining the regiment, he embarked for active service in the Crimean War, taking part in trench operations during the siege of Sebastopol.

Following the outbreak of the Indian Rebellion in 1857, the 42nd Foot was deployed to India. By March 1858, Lieutenant Farquharson was engaged in the offensive operations surrounding the siege of Lucknow. On 9 March 1858, the twenty-year-old subaltern was tasked with leading a detachment of his company against an enemy defensive position. Spearheading the attack, Farquharson stormed a bastion mounting two artillery pieces and spiked the guns under direct fire. Disabling the battery prevented the mutineers from shelling the forward position established by British troops, securing the line through the night.

The position remained vulnerable to counter-attack, and Farquharson stayed forward with his men. On the morning of 10 March 1858, while continuing to defend the advanced line, he received severe wounds. The Commander-in-Chief in India provisionally conferred the Victoria Cross upon Farquharson for his conduct at Lucknow, with official confirmation published in The London Gazette on 21 June 1859. Having been invalided home to recover from his injuries, Farquharson attended an investiture on 4 January 1860, where Queen Victoria presented him with the decoration.

Victoria Cross citation

London Gazette, 21 June 1859:

"For conspicuous bravery, when engaged before Lucknow, on the 9th March, 1858, in having led a portion of his Company, stormed a bastion mounting two guns, and spiked the guns, by which the advanced position, held during the night of the 9th of March, was rendered secure from the fire of Artillery. Lieutenant Farquharson was severely wounded, while holding an advanced position, on the morning of 10th of March."

After returning to duty, Farquharson received promotion to Captain in 1862. In late 1873, the 42nd Foot joined the British expedition to West Africa for the Third Anglo-Ashanti War. During operations in the Gold Coast, Captain Farquharson took part in combat operations including the advance on Kumasi. Major-General Sir Garnet Wolseley cited Farquharson in dispatches for prominent service throughout the campaign, contributing to his promotion to Major.

The tropical climate in West Africa severely affected Farquharson's health. Contracting a serious illness during the campaign, he was forced to retire from active duty. He relocated to Harberton, Devonshire, residing at Dundrige. Major Farquharson died on 12 September 1875 at thirty-eight years of age. He was buried near the entrance of St Andrew's Church in Harberton, where fellow officers of The Black Watch subsequently dedicated stained-glass windows in the Lady Chapel to his memory. His full medal group is preserved at The Black Watch Museum at Balhousie Castle in Perth, Scotland.