John Henderson, 5th of Fordell

Sir John Henderson, Vth Baron of Fordell (3 November 1605, Fife, Scotland – 11 March 1650, Denmark) was a Scottish laird and mercenary, distinguished as a Cavalier in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

The Princess of Zanzibar with an African attendant, by Walter Frier 1731, after an earlier original. Previously displayed at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

He was born in 1605[1] at Fordell Castle, Fife. A distinguished soldier, Fordell had been enslaved by Barbary pirates when commanding on the East African coast. He then supposedly fell in love with the Princess of Zanzibar who he contrived to escape to Egypt with.[2][3] Later, Fordell was a mercenary, serving with the military for Denmark, Sweden, and elsewhere,[4] and fought on the side of the Royalists in the Civil War. He was invested as a Knight by King Charles I.

Civil War

Fordell assisted Sir John Digby, the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, to seize Newark on behalf of Charles I in late 1642[5] The Earl of Newcastle then made him Governor of Newark.[6] During his time in Newark, Fordell lived and worked in The Governor's House[7] In February 1643, Fordell led a sortie from the town that successfully repulsed Major-General Thomas Ballard's force of 6,000 Parliamentarians.[8] This led to suspicions that Ballard had colluded with the Royalists.

In March 1643, a large force of Royalists from Newark commanded by Sir Charles Cavendish and Fordell marched into Lincolnshire and captured the town of Grantham in a surprise attack.[8]

On 9 October 1643 the Eastern Association army (under the command of the Earl of Manchester, Oliver Cromwell and Sir Thomas Fairfax) marched from Boston to Bolingbroke Castle. Sir William Widdrington put together a scratch force, which included Fordell's Royalist cavalry, in an attempt to relieve the castle. Two days later, the Earl of Manchester routed Fordell's Royalist cavalry at the Battle of Winceby.[6]

By the end of October 1645 Fordell's liaisons between Charles I and the King of Denmark were known to Parliament[9] as Charles became increasingly desperate in his attempt to obtain aid.[10]

After "his health and means had been exhausted by his long imprisonment" he was allowed to retire to Denmark.[11] A few months later, he returned to England as an envoy of the King of Denmark; due to a concern that he was using his diplomatic status as a cloak for espionage, he was ordered to return to Denmark.[2] Sources agree that he died on 11 March 1650, but differ over the place (Denmark or Fife[12]).

Family
See also: Clan Henderson

His parents were Sir John Henderson, 4th of Fordell and Agnes Balfour.[13] He married Margaret Monteith, daughter of Alexander Monteith of Randiford, on 7 February 1625.[12] Together they raised ten children:

  1. Jean Henderson (married Thomas Bruce of Blairhall, son of Robert Bruce and Catherine Preston, on 27 April 1748)[12]
  2. Sir John Henderson of Fordell, 1st Baronet (d. 26 Jan 1683), created in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia on 15 July 1664.[12]
  3. Francis Henderson (killed in action, without issue, having gained the rank of Officer in the service of the French service).[12]
  4. George Henderson d. 1659 (killed in action, without issue, in The Netherlands).[12]
  5. Margaret Henderson (married Sir Henry Wardlaw of Pitreavie, 3rd Bt. on 9 June 1653, then went on to marry Peter Hay of Maughton).[12]
  6. Elizabeth Henderson (married Alexander Mercer of Kinnaird on 9 May 1656, then went on to marry Sir Robert Cunningham, Bt. on 14 May 1660 and later married Sir William Denholme of Westshield on 7 July 1679).[12]
  7. Bethia Henderson (married John Roberton of Earnock[14] on 5 March 1662, then went on to marry Alexander Hamilton, 2nd of Dalzell, son of James Hamilton, 1st of Dalzell and Beatrice Fleming).[12]
  8. Anna Henderson (married Hon. Archibald Stuart, son of James Stuart, 4th Earl of Moray and Lady Margaret Home, in 1669, then went on to marry Walter Denholme, son of Walter Denholme of Westshield).[12]
  9. William Henderson b. c 1628, d. 21 Jul 1676[12]
  10. James Henderson b. c 1630, d. 2 May 1675 (a supporter of King Charles II, married Margaret Scott)[12]

References
  1. "John Henderson". Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2012. Born: 3 Nov 1605, Fordel, Fifeshire, Scotland. Marriage: Margaret Menteith. Died: 11 Mar 1650, Fordel, Fifeshire, Scotland at age 44.
  2. Gray, Sir John (Sept 1955) "Sir John Henderson and the Princess of Zanzibar" in Tanganyika Notes and Records pp. 15-19.
  3. Friar, Walter (1731) "Portrait of the Princess of Zanzibar with an African Attendant" (inscribed centre left: "JOHN HENDERSON of FORDELL Travelling in his youth thro several parts of Asia and Africa from y 1618 to y 1628 was delivered unto Slavery by a Barbari Prince in Zarquebar on the Cost of Africa where Princefs of that Countrie falling in love with him Even to Renoincing her Religion and Countrie contrived the mians of both their Escape and getting a board a ship trading up y Red Sea landed cam to Alexandre(a) where she died whofe Picture Mr Henderson cauised to take with her black Maid after their oun Country habett from y original Picture at oterston by W. Frier 1731"); "Portrait of the Princess of Zanzibar with an African Attendant".
  4. Murdoch, Steve and Worthington, David, "John Henderson [SSNE 53]", University of St Andrews Institute of Scottish Historical Research.
  5. "English Civil War - Newark besieged". Historia - A collection of coins with their historical context. Retrieved 10 April 2012. Sir John Digby, the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, had seized Newark on behalf of Charles I in late 1642. He was assisted by Sir John Henderson, a Scottish soldier, who it was felt would bring military expertise to the Royalists cause. Henderson was appointed Governor of Newark.
  6. Ramscars, John. "Chronology of the First Civil War 1643". Wargames Forum. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  7. Bennett, Martyn (20 July 2008). "Structural - Standing buildings". The English Civil War. Nottingham: Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire. Retrieved 10 April 2012. The Governor's House, Newark: this building was where the governors of the town lived and worked Colonel Sir John Henderson 1642-3, Colonel Sir Richard Byron, 1643-4, Colonel Sir Richard Willys 1644-5 and Colonel John Lord Belasyse, 1645-6.
  8. Plant, David (14 February 2006). "1643: Civil War in Lincolnshire". Military History - First Civil War. British Civil Wars and Commonwealth website. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  9. Great Britain House of Commons (1803) [31 October 1645]. Correspondence with Denmark. p. 328. Retrieved 10 April 2012. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  10. Smith, Geoffrey (1 January 2011). Royalist Agents, Conspirators and Spies: Their Role in the British Civil Wars, 1640-1660. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 66. ISBN 9780754666936. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  11. Sothebys.com (7 December 2017) "Walter Frier: Portrait of the Princess of Zanzibar with an African Attendant" retrieved 9 October 2019.
  12. Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage. Vol. 2 (107th edition, 3 volumes ed.). Wilmington, Delaware, USA: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd. p. 1865. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  13. Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage. Vol. 1 (107th edition, 3 volumes ed.). Wilmington, Delaware, USA: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd. p. 1294. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  14. Nesbitt, Alexander. "A system of Heraldry". archive.org. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
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