357. James Piercy Austin
He was born in Barbados, where in 1893 he married Inez Louise McGuighy Roach and they had seven children. He was at one time involved with the railway in Barbados. James Piercy is buried in Barbados.
358. Norman Bosch Reitz Austin
He married Constance Grogan and they had a son.
She married Arnold Jordan and they had two children. Arnold Jordan and one of the children were drowned in a flood near Speightstown, Barbados. Elise remarried and with her surviving son, Austin Jordan, went to live in the USA. Austin Jordan was very successful, marrying a New York socialite. After she died, he married a second time, Charlotte and they had a daughter.
368. Anne Farrar
Annie was born in Holbeck, Leeds. Annie and Dr. Major Henry Court Irving were married in 1890 by Bishop William Piercy Austin at All Saints’ Church, New Amsterdam, Berbice. Annie’s greatest tragedy was to have two of her sons killed in action and a third severely wounded in World War I. She was described by friends as having a kindly, generous and Christian character that endeared her to all who knew her. Annie returned to British Guiana after Henry died. Annie and Henry had five sons and two daughters.
Dr. Major Henry Court Irving (1861-1929) L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S. The Irving roots can be traced back to 400 A.D. and to Duncan I, King of Scotland. The Irvings of Bonshaw are Henry’s ancestors through the uncle of King Duncan, also named Duncan. Henry was born in India. His father, James Irving M.D. was Surgeon General of the Indian Medical Service. A cousin, Sir Henry Turner Irving G.C.M.G. was Colonial Secretary of Jamaica (1866-1869) and of Ceylon (1869), Governor of the Leeward Islands (1873-1874), Governor of Trinidad (1874-1880) and Governor of British Guiana (1882-1887). Henry went to Clairmont School, Scotland, and later studied medicine at Edinburgh University. After qualifying, he practised medicine for a short time in Cornwall, and in 1888 went to British Guiana and joined the Government Medical Service. He quickly established a reputation as one of the leading physicians in the Colony, ‘His kindness and sympathy with his patients becoming proverbial in a short time’. Henry was a leprosy specialist and was instrumental in founding the Leprosy Mission at Mahaica. He also worked at the Public Hospital in Georgetown and in New Amsterdam, and towards the end of his career was a general practitioner in Georgetown. He was described as: ‘A man of sterling character, a devoted husband and father, a true Christian gentleman, kind hearted and generous to a fault - no one in distress ever appealed to him in vain’. Henry retired in 1916 and returned to Edinburgh where he performed voluntary medical work at the Edinburgh Infirmary and at the Officers Hospital of Bangoner. He made brief visits to British Guiana between 1921 and 1926, eventually settling in Bedford.
David was born in Hopetown, British Guiana. He was educated at Epsom College and Royal Military College, Sandhurst. As 2nd Lt., David Piercy Irving was gazetted in January 1916 and served with the 3rd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. David was killed in action on Sunday 30th July, 1916 while attached to his Battalion at Guillemont, during the Battle of the Somme. David has no known grave, but is remembered with honour with many of his comrades at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery at Thiepval Memorial, Somme, between the villages of Bapaume and Albert, France.
556. 2Lt. Alfred Irving
Alfred, called ‘Booming’ by his parents because of the noise he made around the house as a small boy, was born in Georgetown, British Guiana. Alfred also went to Epsom College and Royal Military College, Sandhurst. As Second-Lieutenant, Alfred Irving, was gazetted in 1917 and served with the 15th Ludhiana Sikhs. Alfred was later attached to the 14th King George’s Own Ferozepore Sikhs and took part in General Allenby’s campaign in Palestine. It was while serving there that he was killed in action at Mushag, Mesopotamia, on 26th October, 1918, only fifteen days before the Armistice, while attempting to help a wounded sepoy during an attack on a Turkish position. An account of Alfred’s death was recorded by No. 4853 Sepoy (Santa Singh) of the 14th King George’s Own Ferozepore Sikhs, to which Alfred was attached, and was sent to Alfred’s parents by the Adjutant of his regiment. Part of Sepoy Santa Singh’s account reads: ‘The place where I (Santa Singh) was lying was quite safe as it had a natural cover from the enemy’s fire, but Lieut. Irving would have to pass the place where I was hit to come to see me. He insisted on coming to see me to bind my wound and give me water. He started in my direction and when he was about 15 yards away from me was hit. I called him by name several times, but alas, he did not answer me. I discovered he had been hit by four machine- gun bullets somewhere above the hip. He never moved again’. Alfred was buried with other British officers near River Tigris, about 160 miles north of Baghdad. He is remembered with honour at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Basra, Iraq. The Basra Memorial is located 32 kilometres along the road to Nasiriyah, in the middle of what was a major battleground during the Gulf War.
558. Nigel Eric Irving
Died of blackwater fever.
369. Bishop Walter Farrar D.D.
Walter was born in ‘Eliza and Mary’, at Springlands, Corentyne, Berbice. He was educated at Queen’s College, Georgetown, and was the second student to win the British Guiana Scholarship (the first being his future brother-in-law, James Hill Conyers) to Keble College, Oxford, in 1883, where he graduated with honours in theology in 1887. In 1905, he received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from his College. Walter returned to British Guiana and was ordained a deacon by Bishop William Piercy Austin in 1888. In 1889, he was married to Alice Bridges (1868-1950), daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Bridges, by Bishop William Piercy Austin, at All Saints’ Church, New Amsterdam. Alice’s father was a Justice of the Peace and was Administrator General of British Guiana. In 1893, Walter was appointed Chaplain of H.M. Penal Settlement, Mazaruni, a post that his father had held before him, and which was considered at the time a great compliment and a reward for his high scholarly attainments as a young clergyman. Besides occupying important clerical posts in British Guiana, Walter was, during the period 1897-1905, Rector of Limpley Stoke, Wiltshire, and Hawkchurch in Devonshire, Acting Warden of the Jamaica Church Theological College, and Commissary in England of the Bishop of Guiana. In 1905, he was consecrated Bishop of Antigua in St. Michael’s Cathedral, Barbados, but had to resign five years later due to ill health. It was as Bishop of Antigua that Walter went to Barbados in 1908 to became Principal of Codrington College. He left Barbados in 1909 for England where he held several posts including Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of York, Principal of Bishop’s College, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, and Assistant Bishop in the West Indies. In 1910, Walter went to Canada to assist in the administration of the diocese of Quebec for two years. At age forty-seven, after his health had improved, Walter went to British Honduras, first as Commissary for, and then Bishop of British Honduras and Central America, a post that he held from 1913-1915. In 1915, Walter returned to England and was appointed to the Vicarage of St John the Baptist Church, Bognor, Sussex. The 1910 edition of ‘Who’s Who’ records that ‘Riding is his favourite amusement and as much of his life as a bishop must be spent in a boat, it is well perhaps that he can swim’. Walter Farrar was certainly blessed with a sense of humour and his gentleness concealed a firmness, which he showed on every necessary occasion during his term in high office. He has been described as unaffected, tactful, courteous and dignified. Walter made friends easily and those who differed with him did so only in opinion. He was a man of scholarly parts and distinguished eloquence, and was a delightful raconteur. Unfortunately, little survives about the life of his wife Alice. But, one can rightly assume that she was a truly Christian lady with great inner strength who stood by her husband throughout his distinguished career and lengthy illness. Walter and Alice had four children.
560. Capt. Walter Frederick Farrar M.C.
During World War I, he served in the Tank Corps, achieving the rank of Captain. He was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry in February 1918 while serving on the Western Front. Walter’s citation reads: ‘T. / 2nd Lt. Walter Frederick Farrar, Tank Corps. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He destroyed an enemy machine gun position in an attack, killing the crew and taking the guns on board his Tank. When he found an important bridge partially destroyed he drove his tank over it in an attempt to span the gap and keep the crossing open, and when this Tank sank in the river he got all his crew out safely. He showed the greatest initiative and determination’. Walter left the army in 1920 and went to Trinidad, where the Military Cross was presented to him in 1921 by the Governor of the Colony. Walter was married to Nora and there were no children.
370. Nicholas Farrar
Nicholas was born at Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown. In 1891, he was married by his father to Gertrude Elisabeth Sophie Bosch Reitz (‘Lizzie’) (1860-1946) [see The Bosch Reitz Family in this chapter] at St. Philip’s Church, Charlestown, Georgetown. Nicholas joined the Civil Service in British Guiana in 1882 as supernumerary in the Public Works Department and later held a senior position in the Audit Office. In 1900, he was appointed Postmaster General of the British Central Africa Protectorate (now Nyasaland) where Lizzie and their three children joined him and was the first white woman in that part of Africa. In 1912, Nicholas and Lizzie returned to British Guiana where he was appointed Postmaster General, a position which he held until 1921. He and Lizzie had three children
Gertrude Elisabeth Sophie Bosch Reitz
Gertrude Elisabeth Sophie ‘Lizzie’. A daguerreotype survives showing Lizzie as a baby with her parents and grandmother at Kleinhoop. Lizzie married her first cousin, Nicholas, son of Thomas Farrar and Melicent Ann Austin. (Melicent’s sister, Josephine Gibson, had already married into the Bosch Reitz family.) They had three children of whom Phyllis Blanche married Norman Rothwell, whose mother was a Bor, a family that came from Holland to Ireland in the fifteenth century. Phyllis therefore had two connections with the Austins, one through her father Nicholas and another through her great aunt Josephine Gibson.
Irene was born in British Guiana and married Arthur Meade (-1953) in 1924. Irene and Arthur lived on Plantation Cornelia Ida, West Coast, Demerara, for many years. They had no children.
564. Wilhelmina Elizabeth Farrar
Wilhelmina was born and died in British Guiana.
371. Marie Farrar
Marie was born at H.M. Penal Settlement, Mazaruni, British Guiana while her father was Chaplain there. She married Frederick Cecil Laurie , who was a planter, at St. Michael’s Cathedral, Barbados. Marie died in Bridgetown, Barbados. Marie and Cecil had three children, all born in Barbados
568. Marie Aileen Lorna Laurie
Aileen married Bruce Hamilton, author, schoolmaster and journalist.
373. Ellen Farrar
Ellen was born at H.M. Penal Settlement, Mazaruni, British Guiana while her father was Chaplain there. In 1891, she married the Rev. Frederick Louis Quick (1861-1930) at All Saints’ Church, New Amsterdam, Berbice. Ellen and Frederick had six children, all born in British Guiana
570. Louis Henry St Pierre Quick
He married Vera St. Clair Lumley (1894-1977). There were no children
571. George Herbert Quick
He did not marry
574. Basil Farrar Quick
Basil was born in Georgetown, British Guiana. After he retired from his job in church administration there, he went to England, where he married Evelyn Dibb (1904-). They had no children
374. Rev.Canon Piercy Austin Farrar
Piercy was born at St. Paul’s Rectory, Sparendaam (Plaisance), Demerara, and was educated at Queen’s College, Georgetown before going to Codrington College, Barbados, in 1892 to study theology. Soon after he was ordained, Piercy joined his brother, Walter, in England where he was appointed Curate at Hawkchurch, Devonshire at the same time that Walter was Rector. Piercy later became Rector of St. Andrew’s Church, Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, before returning to Barbados where in 1906 he married Constance Georgina Mary Phillips (1885-1972), at St. Michael’s Cathedral, Bridgetown. Mary’s father was Dean of St. Michael’s Cathedral. Piercy was, for a time, Rector of St. Paul’s Church, St. Michael Parish and also of St. James Church, St. James Parish, before being appointed Rector of Christ Church, Christ Church Parish. He had a keen interest in the history of Barbados and, after he retired in 1933, was appointed the first Curator of the Barbados Museum & Historical Society, an honorary position that he held for eight years. In 1941, Piercy and Mary returned to British Guiana on a visit. He was influenced by a combination of the threat of U-boat attack on the return journey to Barbados, and the persuasion of Alan Knight, Bishop of Guiana, to stay! Piercy was appointed Rector of Christ Church, Georgetown, a position that he held until he retired for the last time in 1945, when he and Mary returned to Barbados. Piercy and Mary had one son.
375. Cecil Farrar
Cecil was born at St. Paul’s Rectory, Sparendaam (Plaisance), Demerara, and was educated at Queen’s College, Georgetown. Cecil began his business career at the British Guiana Bank, later to become the Royal Bank of Canada. He subsequently joined Messrs. S. Davson & Co. Ltd., which owned Blairmont and Bath sugar estates, becoming Managing Director. Cecil also held directorships in several other prominent companies in British Guiana and for many years was President of the Chambers of Commerce in Georgetown and in Berbice. He was instrumental in founding the latter. In an article entitled ‘Berbice Personalities’, it was said of him: ‘Mr. Farrar moves quite leisurely, thinks quite leisurely, and talks quite leisurely, but that does not make him less the man of thought and action - the man of business, of endeavours, and of movements.’ Cecil took a particular interest in the needs of Berbice and the welfare of its people. He often commented strongly on the condition of the public roads in Berbice, some of which he described as ‘glorified cattle-tracks’. Those who remember driving on the Corentyne road after the rainy season will appreciate his candour. However, in the end, Cecil was unable to convince the Government that the county which contributed fifty percent of the total colonial revenue should be receiving at least the same amount or more from government coffers. As a result, the Corentyne road, in particular, remained in a deplorable state for many years. Cecil played an active part in the Church and was a Churchwarden for many years at All Saints’ Church, New Amsterdam, Berbice and at Christ Church, Georgetown. He was chairman of the Advisory Council of the Y.M.C.A. Cecil married Leila Elizabeth Agnes Winter (1878-1954), daughter of Frederick Augustus Winter (1848-1902) and Agnes Wells Winter (née Pollard), in 1904 at Christ Church, Georgetown. [Leila’s sister, Armyne Winter, married Captain James Farrar Irving M.C., son of Dr. and Mrs. Major Henry Court Irving]
Cecil and Leila had two children:
Cecil married Leila Elizabeth Agnes Winter (1878-1954), daughter of Frederick Augustus Winter (1848-1902) and Agnes Wells Winter (née Pollard), in 1904 at Christ Church, Georgetown. [Leila’s sister, Armyne Winter, married Captain James Farrar Irving M.C., son of Dr. and Mrs. Major Henry Court Irving (See The Irving Family in this chapter)]. Leila’s grandfather, Frederick Augustus Rothwell Winter, came to British Guiana from Newfoundland in 1848, and her father was born in Barbados while his parents were on the way to Demerara. On Leila’s mother’s side of the family, there was a very long connection with Bermuda and Barbados. Her ancestor, William Pollard, third son of Sir Hugh Pollard of King’s Nympton, Devonshire, (and known to be living there in 1568) went to Bermuda in 1616. In or shortly after 1630, William emigrated to Barbados, ‘from a spirit of adventure and to seek his fortune’, where he was known to be living in 1638 as his name appears in a list of persons holding 10 or more acres of land [Memoirs of the First Settlement in Barbados]. This presumably is the 100-acre estate known as Pollards, in St. Philip Parish, which remained in the elder branch of the family until 1798. Later generations of Pollards went to British Guiana shortly after it passed, for the first time, from Dutch to British rule in 1796. William Branch Pollard I (1807-1879) became Auditor General of British Guiana and was an official Member of the Colony’s Court of Policy, and his nephew, William Branch Pollard II (1833-1889) became Colonial Engineer of British Guiana and Capt. Commanding the British Guiana Artillery. During her life, Leila devoted much of her time to her Church, to social work to relieve suffering and improve living conditions. She was largely responsible for founding the Ida Sabina Dispensary in the Upper Berbice River District, and took a particular interest in the welfare of the indigenous Indian tribes of British Guiana. She was Divisional Commander of the Girl Guides. In 1935, Leila was awarded the King’s Silver Jubilee Medal for her social work. Cecil and Leila had two children:
376. Alfred Farrar
Alfred was born at St. Paul’s Rectory, Sparendaam (Plaisance), Demerara, and was educated at Queen’s College, Georgetown. Alfred was a law student of the Middle Temple before joining the Colonial Service in British Guiana. He was also a member of the British Guiana Militia. In 1900 Alfred was posted to Sierra Leone where he became an Assistant Inspector with the Sierra Leone Frontier Force. While there, he met his future wife, Celia Packard, who was staying with her elder brother, Edward Packard, who was a judge. Alfred commanded a company of the Sierra Leone Battalion of the West Africa Frontier Force with the local rank of Captain, and took part in the successful Kissi Expedition of 1905 to deal with raids by the Kissi tribes in the Pangama district of Sierra Leone. He acted as Colonial Secretary in Sierra Leone in the years 1909, 1910 and 1912. Later, Alfred transferred to the Gold Coast (Ghana) and became Assistant (Senior) Colonial Secretary. Alfred married Edith Celia Packard (1871-1962), daughter of Sir Edward and Lady Packard, in Bramford Church, near Ipswich, in1906. He seemed destined to climb to the top of the ladder of the Colonial Service, but tragically the ship in which he was travelling to join his family on leave in England, the S.S ‘Apapa’, was torpedoed off Lynes Point, Anglesey in November 1917 with the heavy loss of life. Alfred gave his life belt to a nurse, Miss Loward, and was himself lost. Alfred and Celia had two children, neither of whom married
578. Edward Norman Farrar
Norman was born in Felixstowe, Suffolk. He was educated at Imperial Service College, and later at Ipswich College of Technology, becoming Chief Engineer for a well-known company in Ipswich.
378. Ada Blanche Pierce Farrar
Ada was born at St. Paul’s Rectory, Sparendaam (Plaisance), Demerara. She was married by her brother, Bishop Walter Farrar M.A., D.D. in 1901 at St. George’s Cathedral, Georgetown, to Dr. James Hill Conyers M.B.E., M.S., C.M., (1864-1941), son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Albany Conyers. James was born in British Guiana. He was educated at Queen’s College, Georgetown, and was the first student to win the British Guiana Scholarship (the second being Walter Farrar), later studying medicine at Edinburgh University. James graduated in 1890 and in the same year went to the Gold Coast (Ghana) where he was appointed Medical Officer. In 1892, James returned to British Guiana and joined the staff of the Public Hospital in Georgetown. His medical career was confined to institution work. James was made Resident Surgeon in Georgetown in 1906 and, in the same year, was appointed Resident Surgeon of the New Amsterdam Hospital in Berbice. Six years later, he returned to Georgetown and was appointed Surgeon General of British Guiana. In that capacity, James served as member of the Executive Council, the Court of Policy and as Deputy Chairman of the Local Government Board. James is remembered as a keen and zealous officer whose skill and care as a surgeon earned him considerable respect and confidence in the community. Ada and James had two children
Dr. James Hill Conyers M.B., M.S., C.M.
Dr. James Hill Conyers M.B., M.S., C.M., (1864-1941), son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Albouy Conyers. James was born in British Guiana. He was educated at Queen’s College, Georgetown, and was the first student to win the British Guiana Scholarship (the second being Walter Farrar), later studying medicine at Edinburgh University. James graduated in 1890 and in the same year went to the Gold Coast (Ghana) where he was appointed Medical Officer. In 1892, James returned to British Guiana and joined the staff of the Public Hospital in Georgetown. His medical career was confined to institution work. James was made Resident Surgeon in Georgetown in 1906 and, in the same year, was appointed Resident Surgeon of the New Amsterdam Hospital in Berbice. Six years later, he returned to Georgetown and was appointed Surgeon General of British Guiana. In that capacity, James served as member of the Executive Council, the Court of Policy and as Deputy Chairman of the Local Government Board. James is remembered as a keen and zealous officer whose skill and care as a surgeon earned him considerable respect and confidence in the community.