Sir Robert Townsend Farquhar, 1st Baronet (1776 – 16 March 1830) was an influential British merchant of the early nineteenth century who served as a colonial governor and Member of Parliament. During his lengthy service for both the East India Company and the British government, Farquhar gained a reputation as an efficient and ambitious administrator and he notably served as Lieutenant-Governor of Prince of Wales Island (Penang Island) from January 1804 to 1805 and as governor of Île de Bourbon, now known as Réunion from 1810 to 1811.
He was the 1st Governor of Mauritius from 4 December 1810 to 20 May 1823.[1] During his tenure on Mauritius, Farquhar became well known for his operations against French slave traders, having previously investigated the possibility of replacing slaves with paid Chinese labourers. After returning to Britain Farquhar, who was made a baronet in 1821, sat in Parliament for Newton and later for Hythe.
He married in 1809 a daughter (Maria Geslen Latoier) of J. Francis-Louis Latour, esq., of: ‘Madras, and was succeeded by his son, Walter Minto Farquhar, MP. for Hertford, who was born 26 Oct 1809; graduated at Christ Church, Oxford, and died 18 Ju June 1866 (Fostar, Alumni Oxon). [Gent. Magazine 1830, Ann.Reg. 1830][1]
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Categories: British East India Company | Westminster School, Westminster, Middlesex | Members of Parliament, Hythe | Members of Parliament, Newton | Governors of Mauritius