Younghusband
Author: Nev. Ramsden
The Younghusband Family of Whitehaven
Joseph Younghusband 1728-1782 & Elizabeth Pennington 1743-1814 were the first of that name in Whitehaven - he was a ship's captain sailing between Cumberland & Dublin. They married in Dublin in 1761, had their 8 children there, settling in Whitehaven in the late 1770's. Joseph died in 1782 in Charlestown, USA. But where was this Joseph actually born?
Death notice:- from the Cumberland Pacquet dated March 5th, 1782:-
"At Charlestown, South Carolina - Capt. Joseph Younghusband, of the 'Betsy', of this port, sincerely regretted by a numerous acquaintance" The 'Betsy' was scuttled in 1771 during the siege of Yorketown, Virginia (USA) - it was found & brought to the surface in the 1980's. A large piece was written in the National Geographic magazine [June 1988] about the history & investigations into the ship.
Baines trade directory, Liverpool 1824 - Joseph Younghusband, Ships broker at George Dock
John Palmer Younghusband, Esq., of the firm of Jones and Younghusband, Liverpool, a shipowner and insurance broker, stated: --"I have been a resident at Liverpool since I was a boy, constantly engaged in the shipping trade. I think the effect which the repeal of the Navigation Laws would have on the mercantile marine of this country would be very prejudicial to the shipowner and all connected with him.
taken from - The Navigation Laws of Great Britain, Historically and Practically Considered, with Reference to Commerce and National Defence 1849
Whitehall, October 22, 1850.
The Queen has been pleased to give and grant unto John Palmer Younghusband, of Liverpool,
in the county palatine of Lancaster, Gentleman, eldest son of William Younghusband, late of
Floraville, in the parish of St. Bees, in the county of Cumberland, Gentleman, deceased, by Sarah
his wife, daughter and at length sole heir of John Palmer, of Floraville aforesaid. Gentleman, deceased. Her royal licence and authority that in compliance with a wish expressed in the last will and testament of his said mother, he may henceforth assume and use the surname of Palmer only:
And also to command that the said royal concession and declaration be recorded in Her
Majesty's College of Arms, otherwise to be void and of none effect.
taken from - Bulletins and other State Intelligence for the year 1850; published in the London Gazette.
Who was WILLIAM YOUNGHUSBAND of Australia?
One of the many early names forgotten by local, and indeed state, historians is William Younghusband. He is relevant to our town of Goolwa but we know very little about him despite having the peninsular on the southern side of the Murray Mouth named after him as well as “Younghusband’s House” on Admiral Terrace.
William Younghusband arrived in the colony of South Australia, via Singapore and Sydney, as a merchant mariner in charge of his father’s trading ship the ‘Fortfield’, 25th June 1842. Upon arrival he found the colony virtually bankrupt.
Unfortunately for Younghusband, the goods he brought in were in excessive quantities and of irrelevance to the local people’s needs. Waiting to sell his cargo, he was forced to stay longer than anticipated. This extended stay gave Younghusband the opportunity to learn the local market’s needs and it was also when he began to see the possibilities for the future colony of South Australia.
The early settlers were still concentrated close to the towns and were waiting for exploration and survey works to be carried out before country could be opened up for future settlement. This meant that the colony was not able to produce enough to feed its own citizens. Relying on imports for all essential supplies, without exports, meant that the colony was in a debt crisis.
In his first days, William Younghusband would have made contact with his wife’s sister and her husband, James Ilbury, who had arrived earlier in the colony in 1840. They had acquired land in the hundred of Nuriootpa. This property was taken over by Younghusband around 1843 and named ‘Floraville’ after his father’s home in Cumberland. (a painting of Floraville, by S.T. Gill, c1847, can be seen on the Art Gallery of S.A.’s website.)
A close neighbour to Floraville was Stephen King. King had obtained 4,000 acres through a special survey and a special grant, c1840. When Younghusband arrived at Floraville, King had 3,250 sheep and was one of the state’s largest pastoralists. It was possibly through conversations with King and his ilk that Younghusband saw the possibility of wool and corn as potential exports. King and Younghusband were two of the first to contribute to the building of St. George’s Church in Gawler
1845 saw Younghusband and George Young forming a partnership to operate under the name of Wm. Younghusband Jnr. and Co. Young had inherited considerable property in Calcutta and was able to bring capital into the partnership. This partnership lasted for many years and later included investment in the River Murray Navigation Company.
Sad news arrived when the South Australian Advertiser, Saturday 27th June 1863, reported news from London dated 3rd May: “It is with the utmost regret we have to announce that the latest advices gave no hope whatever of our esteemed fellow-colonist Mr. Younghusband” and “It is a lamentable thing to find a man thus struck down in the vigour of manhood, and in the midst of his holiday tour.” Having contracted typhoid fever in Naples in April, William Younghusband died in Rome, 5th May 1863, aged 49 years.”
……… taken from - ALEXANDRINA LIBRARY SERVICES History Room News March 2015 No 128 by Margie Anderson
www.alexandrina.sa.gov.au/.../History%20Room%20News%20128%20-%20March%...
What this excellent article does not say is that William stopped off at India on his journey to Australia and married Louisa Cecilia Thomas on 1 Sept.1836 at Howra in Bengal.