Sir John Henderson

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

FSA (8 January 1752 – 12 December 1817), fifth of the Henderson baronets of Fordell,

Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...

, was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

nobleman and politician. He trained as a lawyer and was also a competent antiquary.

Ancestry

The Hendersons were an ancient Scottish family; James Henderson, who served as

Lord Advocate His Majesty's Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate (), is the principal legal adviser of both the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolution, devolved powers of the Scottish P ...

of Scotland and died at

Flodden Field The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton or Brainston Moor was fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland and resulted in an English victory ...

in 1513, was called the first "Laird of Fordell".

Fordell Castle Fordell Castle is a restored 16th-century tower house, located north-west of Dalgety Bay and east of Dunfermline, in Fife, Scotland. Parts of the castle date from before 1566, though most dates from 1580 or later. The chapel was rebuilt in ...

was built in 1567, but it was built on the site of a previous structure. John Henderson (d. 1683) was created a baronet in 1664. The Hendersons' considerable wealth came from coalpits on their estates.

Life

Sir John Henderson was the son of Robert Henderson (d. 1781), the 4th baronet. He was educated at

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

. He studied law at

St Andrews University The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, following the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, t ...

graduating in 1764, then did further studies at

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

gaining a second degree in 1771 before being made an advocate in 1774. In 1781, on the death of his father, he became a baronet. In January 1782 he became a Fellow of the

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body of Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The Society's aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Scotland. The usu ...

. In 1784, he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

. His proposers were

Andrew Dalzell Andrew Dalzell (sometimes shown as Andrew Dalzel or Andrew Dalziel) FRSE (1742–1806) was a Scottish scholar, Professor of Classics (Edinburgh), Professor of Greek at the University of Edinburgh, and prominent figure during the Scottish Enligh ...

Cosmo Gordon Cosmo Gordon of Cluny Castle, Cluny FRSE (1736–1800) was a Scottish politician, agricultural improver and co-founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He sat in the House of Commons from 1774 to 1777 and was a Baron of the Exchequer (Scotlan ...

, and

John Mortland John Mortland or Morthland of Rindmuir FRSE (1751–1807) was a Scottish advocate who was one of the joint founders of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1783. Life He was born on 14 January 1751 at Rindmuir House in Glasgow the son of Matthew ...

Political career

Henderson served as MP for

Fifeshire Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council area and lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the south, Perth and Kinross to the west and Clackmannanshire t ...

(1780), Dysart Burghs (1780–84), Seaford (1785-6), and

Stirling Burghs Stirling Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 to 1918. Creation The British parliamentary constituency was created in 1708 following the Acts of Union, 1707 and ...

(1806-7). Early in his career Henderson was associated with

Henry Dundas Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, Privy Council (United Kingdom), PC, FRSE (28 April 1742 – 28 May 1811), styled as Lord Melville from 1802, was a British politician who served as Home Secretary from 1791 to 1794 and First Lord of the Ad ...

and supported

William Pitt the Younger William Pitt (28 May 1759 – 23 January 1806) was a British statesman who served as the last prime minister of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain from 1783 until the Acts of Union 1800, and then first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, p ...

, but Dundas threw his support to

William Wemyss General William Wemyss of Wemyss (9 April 1760 – 4 February 1822) was a Scottish soldier in the British Army and Member of Parliament. Early life He was the son of the Hon. James Wemyss, third son of the 5th Earl of Wemyss, and his wif ...

in 1787 and Henderson never forgave him for it. In 1791 he supported his cousin

Andrew Cochrane Andrew Cochrane of Brighouse (1693 – 1777) was a Scottish merchant who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow three times, more than any other person: 1744/5, 1748/9, and 1760/1. Cochrane Street, Glasgow, Cochrane Street in central Glasgow was ren ...

, but in 1796 he campaigned vigorously but unsuccessfully against him. In an effort to keep unfavorable votes from being cast, Sir John Henderson intimidated voters and imprisoned the Provost and some other unfavorable voters. Henderson became provost of

Inverkeithing Inverkeithing ( ; ) is a coastal town, parish and historic Royal burgh in Fife, Scotland. The town lies on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, northwest of Edinburgh city centre and south of Dunfermline. A town of ancient origin, Inverke ...

from 1791 to 1807. In 1796 Henderson was one of the backers of the ''Scots Chronicle'', a newspaper opposed to the war policy of the Pitt administration. In 1802 Henderson contested Stirling Burghs against Captain

Alexander Cochrane Admiral Sir Alexander Inglis Cochrane, GCB (born Alexander Forrester Cochrane; 23 April 1758 – 26 January 1832) was a Royal Navy officer and politician who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and achieved the rank of admi ...

(later an admiral; brother of Andrew) and both names were returned in a disputed election; Cochrane was ultimately seated. Henderson was successfully returned for Stirling Burghs in 1806 with the support of

William Grenville William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville (25 October 175912 January 1834) was a British Pittite Tory politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1806 to 1807, but was a supporter of the Whigs for the duration of the N ...

and supported his ministry.

Family

Angelika_Kauffmann_Anne_Loudoun_Lady_Henderseon_of_Fordell_1771

In 1781, he married Anna Loudoun Robertson (d. 1782), daughter of General James Robertson, then serving as governor of the

Province of New York The Province of New York was a British proprietary colony and later a royal colony on the northeast coast of North America from 1664 to 1783. It extended from Long Island on the Atlantic, up the Hudson River and Mohawk River valleys to ...

. Anna Robertson was painted in 1771 by

Angelica Kauffman Maria Anna Angelika Kauffmann ( ; 30 October 1741 – 5 November 1807), usually known in English as Angelica Kauffman, was a Swiss people, Swiss Neoclassicism, Neoclassical painter who had a successful career in London and Rome. Remembered prima ...

. His wife died in childbirth of their first and only child, Anne Isabella Henderson (1782-1844), who married Admiral Phillip Durham in 1818. Additional "natural children" were John Francis Wheatley Henderson, Maria Wheatley Henderson, Emilia Elizabeth Henderson, Charlotte Strickland Henderson, and Robert Strickland Henderson. Henderson was sued by his younger brother Robert Bruce Henderson (c. 1763–1833) over the ownership of Earlshall Castle; after losing the suit, Sir John refused to make up a title for his brother, forcing him to obtain one by decree of a court. Robert Bruce Henderson became the sixth and last Henderson Baronet of Fordell after Sir John's death.

Artistic recognition

Henderson commissioned a bust of himself in 1777 by

Christopher Hewetson Christopher Hewetson (c.1737–1798) was a neoclassical sculptor of marble, terracotta and bronze Bust (sculpture), portrait busts. Born in Ireland, he was active in Rome. Biography Hewetson was born in Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Irela ...

and a portrait by

Gavin Hamilton Gavin Hamilton may refer to: * Gavin Hamilton (archbishop of St Andrews) (died 1571), archbishop of St Andrews * Gavin Hamilton (bishop of Galloway) (1561–1612), bishop of Galloway * Gavin Hamilton (artist) (1723–1798), Scottish artist * Ga ...

the next year. Henderson's books and artwork seized with the ''

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland''R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref>) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. People of the area ...

'' in 1778 were featured in a 2012 book and series of art exhibitions. John Brown's 1782 portrait of Henderson is in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Sir John Henderson of Fordell
', by John Brown. 1782. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, John 18th-century Scottish nobility 19th-century Scottish people Alumni of the University of St Andrews Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies British MPs 1774–1780 British MPs 1780–1784 British MPs 1784–1790 Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Scottish constituencies UK MPs 1806–1807

105 105 may refer to: *105 (number), the number * AD 105, a year in the 2nd century AD * 105 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 105 (telephone number), the emergency telephone number in Mongolia * 105 (MBTA bus), a Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority ...

Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1752 births 1817 deaths 18th-century Scottish politicians