Singapore visit

In April we stopped over in Singapore on the way to England.

Our flight took us over central Australia where we could see Uluru from the air. I managed to photograph the Olgas (Kata Tjuta).

On the drive to our hotel, we were struck by all the flowers lining the roads.

Our hotel room was on the 30th floor with most impressive views. Dachshunds were not welcome though.

The next day we had breakfast at Killiney Kopitiam which has been operating since 1919 and claims to be Singapore’s oldest existing Hainanese coffee shop.

Our activities for the day included

• the Singapore Flyer, a large ferris wheel with terrific views
• the National Orchid Garden
• visiting the Cavenagh bridge which I wrote about at A is for arms

 

 

 

While there were glimpses of colonial Singapore I don’t think Orfeur Cavenagh would recognise the city. It has changed enormously since the 1860s.

The next day we continued our journey to England. The terminal at Changi airport was most impressive. We didn’t give in to retail temptations, but we admired the koi and the flowers. It was raining and the butterflies were staying out of the deluge.

A is for arms

When we stop over in Singapore on our way to London one of the places we will be visiting is the Cavenagh Bridge, named in honour of my 3rd great uncle Orfeur Cavenagh (1820 – 1891), Governor of the Straits Settlements from 1859 to 1867.

Orfeur Cavenagh was the fourth of eight children of James Cavenagh (1766 – 1844) and Ann Cavenagh nee Coates (1788 – 1846). James Cavenagh was a Royal Staff Corps surgeon. He was at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Orfeur Cavenagh trained at Addiscombe, the East India Company Military Seminary in Surrey near London, and passed his exams in 1837. He served in India and was wounded severely twice.

Sir Orfeur Cavenagh

In recognition of his services during the 1857 Indian Mutiny,  Orfeur Cavenagh was offered the post of Governor of the Straits Settlements (Singapore, Malaya and Penang): he governed there from 1859 to 1867. In his book, Reminiscences of an Indian Official, Sir Orfeur, summed up the changes that had taken place under his Governorship of
the Straits Settlements:

“When I assumed charge of the Government, the Settlement contained but few public buildings, lines of communication were in many parts much needed, many of its official establishments were weak, and its financial position was unsatisfactory. During my tenure of office, extensive public works of every description were carried out, every Department of the Public Service was placed on an efficient basis, and I left the Straits a most flourishing colony with a revenue amply sufficient to meet all legitimate expenditure.”

The Governor, Chief Justice, Members of Council &c. Singapore. Orfeur Cavenagh is sitting next to the Chief Justice. Photograph from The National Archives UK Colonial Office photographic collection retrieved through https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalarchives/7886252386/

The Singapore Court House was built during Orfeur Cavenagh’s governorship. Image retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalarchives/7886252086/in/photostream/

Between 1850 and 1860 Singapore’s population grew from 60,000 to 90,000. The first thorough census of Singapore was taken in 1871 and the population was 97,111. Singapore had grown rapidly in the decade before Orfeur Cavenagh’s arrival but the population increase was more restrained in the period of his governorship. In June 2017 Singapore’s population was 5.4 million, sixty times the population of 150 years earlier. Singapore has continued to prosper in the last 150 years: Singapore’s economy is very strong and Singapore is ranked third in the world by gross domestic product (at purchasing power parity) per capita.

Cavenagh is remembered as a hardworking Governor and apparently, in general, the verdict of modern historians on Cavenagh’s performance is favourable. However, in 1862 he embarrassed Anglo-Siamese relations with an un-authorised bombardment of Kuala Trengganu. It was possibly this incident which meant his career languished after the Governorship.

In 1881 Orfeur Cavenagh was appointed KCSI, Knight-Commander of the Order of the Star of India.

On 3 July 1891 he died in Surrey, England, aged 70.

Cavenagh Bridge is one of Singapore’s oldest and its only suspension bridge. It was built in 1868 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Crown Colony of the Straits Settlements held in 1869. It is named after Colonel Cavenagh, the last
Governor of the Straits Settlements (1859 – 1867) under the Government of British India.

A plaque at each end of the bridge includes the Cavenagh coat of arms and the inscription honouring Orfeur Cavenagh.

Cavenagh Bridge, Singapore Photograph by Wikimedia user yeowatzup [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, retrieved from Wikimedia Commons

The wheatsheaf [heraldic garb] is the standard crest of the Cavenaghs.

The left hand side of the shield is the generic Cavenagh arms, probably in red [gules] on white/silver [argent].

My grandmother Kathleen brought a small dish back from Ireland with the Cavenagh arms on it. This shows two crescents but our family uses three; for example, the arms used by Matthew Cavenagh (1740 – 1819) were “Azure, a lion passant argent, armed and langued gules, between three crescents of the second.” Matthew Cavenagh was the grandfather of Orfeur (and my fourth great grandfather).

A souvenir from Ireland

The left hand side of a shield is the more important/honoured/valuable – because it is the right hand side of the person wearing/carrying it. That the Cavenagh arms appear on that side makes sense.

The right hand side of this shield is a chevron with three “covered cups” (goblets with lids).

I was puzzled by how this connected to Orfeur Cavenagh.

With the help of some cousins I have learned that these arms are associated with the Odiarne family. Orfeur Cavenagh’s mother, Anne Cavenagh nee Coates, was the great great grand daughter of Thomas Odiarne (1639 – 1704). Both her father and grandfather were named Odiarne Coates. The Odiarne arms appeared as one of the 856 shields on the ceiling of the cloisters of Canterbury Cathedral, but it appears they may not have survived to be among the shields there today.

Orfeur Cavenagh’s father, James Gordon Cavenagh, used these arms for his bookplate, and Orfeur Cavenagh seems to have adopted his father’s design. Neither of them registered the arms with the College of Arms.

the bookplate of James Gordon Cavenagh

Sources

• Cavenagh, Orfeur, “Reminiscences of an Indian official “(London: Allen & Co, 1884) Archive.org (https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesofi00caveuoft/page/n4)
• http://www.buildingmysg.com/landmarks-from-the-set/cavenagh-bridge/
• GULLICK, JOHN. “THE CAVENAGH PAPERS.” Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. 75, no. 2 (283), 2002, pp. 51–64. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41493473.
• Cavenagh-Mainwaring, J.G.. The Mainwarings of Whitmore and Biddulph in the County of Stafford. An account of the family, and its connections by marriage and descent; with special reference to the Manor of Whitmore.  published about 1935
• Wikipedia: Demographics of Singapore
• Willement, Thomas. ”Heraldic notices of Canterbury cathedral.” (London: Harding, Lepard, and Co, 1827), page 73; digital images, Archive.org ( https://archive.org/details/heraldicnotices00willgoog/page/n94) The Odiarne arms were found in the tenth compartment in the south-west angle,
• https://www.theheraldrysociety.com/articles/the-great-cloister-of-canterbury-cathedral/      Unfortunately it seems that the Odiarne arms may not have survived as they are not mentioned at https://www.drpaulfoxfsa.com/bay-10.
  Update July 2020: I have received an email from Dr Paul Fox FSA advising “The arms in question I have attributed to the Cavendish family.  I believe that the Odiarne family were granted similar arms at a later date.” He adds “If you have evidence that these ancestors of yours  were living as gentry in the early 15th century I would be interested to hear of it.” From
  Edward Hasted, ‘Parishes: Wittersham’, in The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 8 (Canterbury, 1799), pp. 486-493. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol8/pp486-493  [accessed 18 July 2020].
  “ OWLIE, antiently written Oveley, is another manor in this parish, which had once owners of that surname, in which it remained till the beginning of Richard II.’s reign, when the family of Odiarne, who were of good note in this county, became possessed of it, who bore for their arms, Sable, a chevron,between three covered cups,or; as they were formerly painted in the window at the entrance of the north chancel of this church; in whom it remained till the latter end of Henry VIII.’s reign, in the 36th year of which Thomas Odyarne appears by his will to have died possessed of it. He resided at his mansion-house of Acteden, now called Acton, in this parish, which Thomas Rayfield, of Wittersham, brother of Robert Rayfield, abbot of Boxley, had died possessed of anno 1494, and by his will had ordered it to be sold, and which, with the manor of it, as well as this of Owlie, he devised to his two sons Thomas and John Odiarne, and they soon afterwards sold the latter to John Maney, esq. of Biddenden, whose descendant Sir John Maney, bart. of Linton, in king Charles I.’s reign, passed it away by sale to Peter Ricaut, esq. afterwards knighted, who sold it to Mr. Menell, of London. …”
• http://www.canterbury-archaeology.org.uk/bosses/4590809625

O is for Orfeur

Although “Orfeur” is an unusual forename, I have seven in my family tree, honouring my fifth great grandfather Captain John Orfeur (1695-1753)

John Orfeur was a Captain in General Phinias Bowles’ regiment of horse, later known as  “the Carabiniers” or 6th Dragoon Guards.  His career is summarised by Charles Dalton in George The First’s Army 1714~1727 — Volume 2. Page 362

Son of Philip Orfeur and Mary, dau. of Col. Richard Kirkby, of Kirkby Ireleth, Lancashire, was gazetted lst Lieut, to his uncle (i.e. Maj.-Gen. John Orfeur) 10 Jan. 1708/9, in Visct. Shannon’s Regt. of Marines. In 1724 he joined Lord Shannon’s Regt. of Horse, the 3rd Dragoon Guards, on the Irish Establishment, now the 6th Dragoon Guards or Carabiniers. Retd. as Capt.-Lieut. in 1745. Settled in Ireland, where he d. in 1753. He married Juliana, dau. of Col. Thomas Palliser, of Portobello, co. Wexford.”—(Communicated by Col. W. O. Cavenagh.)

Captain John Orfeur was the father of Catherine Hyde Orfeur (1738-1814) who married Matthew Cavenagh (1740-1819) in about 1769.

Catherine and Matthew Cavenagh had fifteen children. Their fourth child was named Mary Orfeur Cavenagh (1779-1823). Their tenth child was Orfeur John Howard Cavenagh who died sometime before his father’s death in 1819.

James Gordon Cavenagh (1770-1844), the oldest child of Matthew and Catherine, had seven children. His fourth child was named Orfeur Cavenagh (1820-1891).

Orfeur Cavenagh had two sons, the elder was named Orfeur James Cavenagh (1849-1931). He in turn had a son named Orfeur.

My great great grandfather Wentworth Cavenagh-Mainwaring named one of his sons Orfeur. I have a second cousin once removed with the middle name Orfeur.

Family tree showing those with the name Orfeur

General Sir Orfeur Cavenagh

Sir Orfeur Cavenagh gives his own account of his career in a letter of 1868 included in his private letter book number 11:

Statement Of Major General Cavenagh’s Service

Passed the examination at Addiscombe on the 12th June 1837 and early in 1838 joined the 32nd Regt. N.I. In 1840 passed the prescribed examination at the College of Fort William. Appointed as Interpreter and Quartermaster to the 41st Regt. N.I. Attached to the Force employed in watching the Nepaul frontier 1840/41.

In 1842 appointed as Adjutant to the 2nd Regt. Irregular Cavalry employed against the insurgents in the Saugor and Nerbuddah Territories. Susequently transferred to the 4th Regt. Irregular Cavalry.

In 1843 engaged at the Battle of Maharajpore. Left leg carried away by a round shot, and otherwise severely injured by his charger, which was killed, falling on him.

For upwards of a year compelled to use crutches. Continued however to perform all his duties even those of parade, being placed upon his horse and taken off again by his orderlies. During this period compiled the Abstract of General Orders, for a long while the standing book of reference for the Army, the profits of the compilation made over to the Lawrence Asylum. Appointed 2nd in command of the 4th Regt. Irregular Cavalry, and, for a short time officiated as Pension Paymaster at Meerut.

In 1845-46 employed with the Army of the Sutledge, and, at the relief of Loodianah by the Division under Sir Harry Smith again severely wounded losing the partial use of his left arm. Whilst still on the Sick List and unable to sit on his horse without being held, at the particular request of the late Sir Hugh Wheeler, took charge of the whole of the native sick and wounded, many of whom were in great distress, owing to the want of proper food and clothing. Drew and issued the requisite advances, visited the hospitals and personally conducted the accounts of several hundred of men of various corps.

Appointed Superintendent of the Mysore Princes and subsequently of the Ex-Ameers of Scinde [Sindh] and Seikh Sirdars, as well as of the Ex-Governor of Kerman, the Persian nobleman, Agha Khan Mehlatee.

In 1850 selected for the political charge of the Nepaulese Embassy. On his return from England accompanied it to Kathmandoo, and afterwards prepared a report on the State of Nepal. Received the thanks of the late Court of Directors and of the Supreme Government.

For many years a Director of the military and Orphans Funds. Compiled and edited the Bengal Army List, containing the services and dates of commissions of every officer — the profits of this work made over to the Orphan Society.

In 1854, at the special request of the then Governor General Lord Dalhousie, accepted the appointment on his staff of Town Major of Fort William [the fort in Calcutta]. In this capacity as the Governor General’s representative, recommended the numerous alterations in the European Barracks and other buildings as well as general sanitary improvements, which have led to the ordinarily satisfactory state of health of the Garrison.

On the 26th January, 1857, frustrated the design of the Mutineers to seize Fort William (vide statement of Jemadar Durrion Sing, 34th Regiment, N.I.).

Throughout the Mutiny discharged all the arduous duties connected with the command of Fort William and Calcutta, including the charge of the state prisoners, the raising a Corps of Volunteers, the organisation of a body of Native Servants for the use of the troops arriving from England, the management of a large Military Canteen, the protection of the town, the control of all Public Departments, Military Buildings, Hospitals, etc., and the entire charge (arming, clothing and victualling) of all European invalids and recruits, numbering several thousands, of the company’s service. On four occasions received the thanks and commendation of the Supreme Government.

At the close of the mutiny, appointed Governor of the Straits Settlements. In addition to the ordinary duties connected with the Government, specified in the report forwarded to the India Office, obtained from the Sultan of Acheen an apology for the insult offered to the Governor General’s Envoy, Major Haughton; prepared a special report upon the resources of the State of Sarawak and carried out the secret instructions for preventing the exportation of arms and ammunition to Japan and the North of China. For the efficient performance of these duties received the thanks of the Secretary of State and the Governor General of India.

Received through the Secretary of State, the thanks on two occasions of the Emperor of France for assistance rendered to French vessels, and also the thanks of the Secretary of State for the Colonies for the valuable aid afforded in effecting the transfer of the Straits Settlement.

An account of the Indian Mutiny by Colonel G.B. Malleson described the part played by Orfeur Cavenagh in 1856 and 1857 in frustrating the mutineers efforts to seize the fort:

Major Orfeur Cavenagh, an officer of great shrewdness and perspicacity, who filled the important office of Town-Major of Fort William in Calcutta, visited, October and November 1856, the districts just beyond Agra. He had been struck everywhere by the altered demeanour of the sipáhís [sepoys], and loyal natives had reported to him the great change which had taken place in the feelings of the natives generally towards the English. Disaffection, he was assured, was now the rule in all classes. To the clear vision of this able officer it was evident that, unless precautions were taken, some great disaster would ensue.” … “one of the sergeants attached to Fort William reported to Cavenagh a remarkable conversation, between two sipáhís, which he had overheard …

…

Cavenagh, who, as Town-Major, was responsible to the Governor-General for the safety of Fort William, took at once measures to baffle the designs of which he had been informed, and then drove straight to Lord Canning to report the circumstance to him. Lord Canning listened to Cavenagh with the deepest interest, and sanctioned the measures he proposed. These were to transfer from Dam-Dam, where one wing of the regiment which was responsible for the safety of the Presidency, the 53rd Foot, was located, one company to Fort William. For the moment the outbreak was deferred.

In recognition of his services during the Indian Mutiny Orfeur Cavenagh was offered the post of Governor of the Straits Settlements (Singapore, Malaya and Penang): he governed there from 1859 to 1867. Cavenagh Bridge in Singapore is named in his honour.

In 1881 Orfeur Cavenagh was appointed KCSI, Knight-Commander of the Order of the Star of India.

On 3 July 1891 Sir Orfeur Cavenagh died in Surrey, England, aged 70.

Sir Orfeur Cavenagh

Sources

• Col. W. O. Cavenagh who provided information to Charles Dalton was Wentworth Odiarne Cavenagh 1856-1935,the son of Orfeur Cavenagh 1820-1891 and my first cousin three times removed. He undertook considerable research on the Cavenagh family history.
• I am grateful to my cousin Diana Beckett for the pictures in this post.
• Sir Orfeur Cavenagh’s private letterbooks from his time as Governor of the Straits Settlements (Singapore, Malaya and Penang) have been transcribed and digitised copies are available through the website of the the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada at https://www.uvic.ca/library/locations/home/spcoll/book/cavenagh.php
• Sir Orfeur Cavenagh published his reminiscenses in 1884: Sir Orfeur Cavenagh (1884). Reminiscences of an Indian Official. Allen.
• Malleson, CSI, Colonel G. B. (1891). “Chapter III: The first mutterings of the storm”. The Indian Mutiny of 1857. London: Seely and Co Ltd (republished on the web by the HyperWar Foundation). pp. 34, 36.
• Entry for Orfeur Cavenagh in Dictionary of Indian Biography. Ardent Media. p. 76.

Extinction of the de Crespigny baronetcy

The Champion de Crespigny baronetcy was created in 1805. The first baronet was Claude Champion de Crespigny (1734-1818), Receiver -General of the Droits of Admiralty and a director of the South Sea Company. The last, the eighth, was Sir Vivian Tyrell Champion de Crespigny, who died in 1952. With his death the baronetcy became extinct.

There were no eligible heirs among the Australian de Crespignys. As my great grandfather Trent de Crespigny explained to the press, the Australian branch of the family belonged to a collateral line and the title could not pass sideways.

BARONETCY EXTINCT (1952, March 7). News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 – 1954), p. 6. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129870063

 

The second baronet was William (1765-1829), only son of Claude and his wife Mary (1749-1812).

William’s oldest son Augustus (1791-1825) died in Jamaica before he could inherit, but he had married and had children, and his son Claude (1818-1868) succeeded to the baronetcy when his grandfather died.

The fourth baronet, also called Claude (1847-1935), was a well known sportsman and much written up in the newspapers. He had five sons, all also called Claude.

Sir Claude and his five sons pictured in the Black and White Budget of 19 May 1901

 

The fourth baronet’s second son Claude Raul (1878-1941) became the fifth baronet. Claude Raul had no children; his brother Claude Vierville had a daughter but there were no other children from the five Claudes.

On the death of the fifth baronet in 1941, the title passed to his cousin, Henry
Champion de Crespigny (1882-1946), son of Philip Augustus Champion de Crespigny (1850-1912). Philip was the younger brother of the 4th baronet, second son of the third baronet. Henry died unmarried.

On the death of the sixth baronet in 1946 the title passed to Henry’s brother, Frederick Philip (1884-1947), who became the 7th baronet. Frederick died without issue and the title passed to his nephew Vivian.

Vivian Champion de Crespigny was born in 1907 in Kent, England. He was the son of Tyrell Other William Champion de Crespigny (1859-1946). Tyrell was the third son of the third baronet.

On the death of Vivian there were no male descendants of the first baronet who could inherit the title. All men surnamed Champion de Crespigny descend from Philip Champion de Crespigny (1738-103), brother of the first baronet.

Family tree showing the male line of descent from Claude Champion de Crespigny (1734-1818) the 1st baronet

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