{"id":1554,"date":"2014-07-04T11:00:29","date_gmt":"2014-07-04T16:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/?p=1554"},"modified":"2026-10-07T09:55:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T14:55:44","slug":"john-farquhar-travel-journal-scotland-to-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/john-farquhar-travel-journal-scotland-to-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"John Farquhar Travel Journal: Scotland to Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

I would love to track down the travel journal of John Farquhar who emigrated from Scotland to the U.S. via Canada. Here is an excerpt from a letter that mentions the journal. This John is not in my direct line, but he traveled with members of his family who were my direct ancestors.<\/p>\n

Joseph and Margaret came from Aberdeen, Scotland, (where the name Farquhar is familiar) in 1832, with their son John, my father, aged 11, and another John, his cousin, somewhat older (who settled in Boston and prospered, leaving a considerable progeny. He kept a journal of the voyage, which is in the possession of his only surviving child, Nellie, Mrs. Charles H. Furber, 35 Maple Street, Milton, Massachusetts. Strangely the journal makes no mention of the other members of the party. The immigrants landed at Montreal and entered the United States by way of Prescott, on the St. Lawrence opposite Ogdensburg.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You can read the entire letter on my John Wilson Farquhar page here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Searching for John Farquhar and His Journal<\/h2>\n

I have searched for another reference to John Farquhar\u2019s journal, but so far I have not found a transcription, catalog entry, digitized copy, or independent mention of it online. At present, the 1938 family letter quoted above is the only source I have found that specifically describes the journal and tells us where it was at that time: in the possession of John\u2019s only surviving child, Nellie, Mrs. Charles H. Furber, of 35 Maple Street in Milton, Massachusetts.
\nThe letter does, however, provide several useful clues about John himself. It describes him as a cousin of my ancestor John Fraser Farquhar, says that he was somewhat older, that he traveled with the family from Scotland in 1832, and that he later \u201csettled in Boston and prospered, leaving a considerable progeny.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Possible Identification: John Farquhar, Boston Roofer<\/h3>\n

An 1896 article in The Architectural Record describes the history of John Farquhar\u2019s Sons, a prominent Boston roofing and metalworking company. According to the article, the company\u2019s founder was John Farquhar, \u201ca Scotchman\u201d who had learned the roofing trade from his father in Aberdeen, Scotland, before coming to Boston. He subsequently established his own roofing business there. The article, written in 1896, states that the business had been established approximately sixty years earlier, placing its beginning at about 1836. <\/p>\n

That chronology fits remarkably well with the family story. The John Farquhar in the journal account came from the Aberdeen area in 1832 and subsequently settled in Boston. A young Scottish tradesman arriving in North America in 1832 and establishing his own business in Boston a few years later is entirely plausible.<\/p>\n

By the end of the nineteenth century, the company had become a substantial family enterprise. The five Farquhar brothers then associated with the business\u2014Samuel, David W., Joseph, Rollin, and Frank C. Farquhar\u2014were identified as sons of the founder. The firm handled slate, copper, tin, tile, and other roofing materials and worked on a number of prominent Boston and New England buildings. A Boston-area directory in 1894 advertised John Farquhar\u2019s Sons as having been \u201cEstablished 1836\u201d and listed the same members of the family as officers and directors. That successful business and large family fit the 1938 description of the journal writer as a man who \u201csettled in Boston and prospered, leaving a considerable progeny\u201d unusually well.<\/p>\n

There is another interesting confirmation from Francis Peloubet Farquhar (1887\u20131974), the well-known mountaineer, historian, and later president of the Sierra Club. Francis was a grandson of the founder of John Farquhar\u2019s Sons through his father, David Webber Farquhar. In an oral history, Francis recalled that his grandfather had founded the family roofing business and that his father and uncles later operated it. He remembered John Farquhar\u2019s Sons as a successful firm responsible for some of the finest slate roofs in New England. <\/p>\n

All of this makes the Boston roofer a strong candidate for the John Farquhar who made the 1832 voyage and kept the journal. It is not yet proof, however. I have not found a document explicitly identifying the founder of John Farquhar\u2019s Sons as the cousin who traveled with Joseph Farquhar, Margaret Christian Fraser, and their eleven-year-old son John Fraser Farquhar. Until that relationship can be demonstrated, I am treating the identification as a working hypothesis.<\/p>\n

Where Might the Journal Be Today?<\/h3>\n

The most important clue remains the one in the 1938 letter: the journal was then owned by John Farquhar\u2019s only surviving child, Nellie, Mrs. Charles H. Furber, at 35 Maple Street in Milton, Massachusetts. Tracing Nellie and her descendants may therefore be the best way to discover what became of the original journal.<\/p>\n

There is also an archival possibility. Francis P. Farquhar\u2019s papers are preserved at The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, as the Francis P. Farquhar Papers, 1912\u20131968, collection BANC MSS C-B 517. The online finding aid does not identify the 1832 travel journal, and I have found no indication that it is part of the collection. Nevertheless, because Francis was a grandson of the Boston John Farquhar, the collection is worth keeping in mind as a possible repository for other Farquhar family material. <\/p>\n

For now, the journal itself remains missing. But identifying the Boston Farquhar family gives us a much better path forward than we had before. If this is indeed the same John Farquhar, his journal would be an unusually valuable first-hand account of the family\u2019s 1832 journey from Scotland to Canada and onward to the United States\u2014even if, as the 1938 letter rather frustratingly notes, John apparently neglected to mention the other Farquhars traveling with him.<\/p>\n

I would very much like to locate the original journal or a copy of it. If anyone reading this knows what became of the journal of John Farquhar, or has information about Nellie Farquhar Furber and her descendants, please contact me or leave a comment below.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I would love to track down the travel journal of John Farquhar who emigrated from Scotland to the U.S. via Canada. Here is an excerpt from a letter that mentions the journal. This John is not in my direct line, but he traveled with members of his family who were my direct ancestors. Joseph and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[12],"class_list":["post-1554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-genealogy-news","tag-farquhar"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3viLY-p4","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4468,"url":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/will-the-real-john-farquhar-please-stand-up\/","url_meta":{"origin":1554,"position":0},"title":"Will the Real John Farquhar Please Stand Up?","author":"Karen","date":"March 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"If you research your family history long enough, you'll come to understand the thrill of finding a long-lost photograph of an ancestor. It's so great to attach a face to the name you've spent so much time with. Many times we find these photos in the attics of family members,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genealogy News"","block_context":{"text":"Genealogy News","link":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/category\/genealogy-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"1648 John Fraser Farquhar","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/1648.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":71,"url":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/chanceford-presbyterian-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":1554,"position":1},"title":"Chanceford Presbyterian Church","author":"Karen","date":"March 13, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Chanceford Presbyterian Church, established in 1751, is among the oldest congregations in York County, Pennsylvania. \"Nestled in the scenic, rolling hills and farmland of Lower Chanceford Township, the building features some of the most beautiful stained glass windows and unique late 19th century architecture in the county.\" (chancefordpc.org) My ancestor,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Churches & Cemeteries"","block_context":{"text":"Churches & Cemeteries","link":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/category\/places\/churches-cemeteries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lower Chanceford Church","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/1Lower-Chanceford-Presbyterian-ChFarquhar2a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/1Lower-Chanceford-Presbyterian-ChFarquhar2a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/1Lower-Chanceford-Presbyterian-ChFarquhar2a.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/1Lower-Chanceford-Presbyterian-ChFarquhar2a.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":648,"url":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/first-presbyterian-church-of-easton-pa\/","url_meta":{"origin":1554,"position":2},"title":"First Presbyterian Church of Easton, Pennsylvania","author":"Karen","date":"June 18, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I visited this church on April 10, 2001. The church doesn't have any old records on file. The Easton Public Library has microfilm copies of the church's session minutes and birth, marriage, and death records. The original books are deposited in the home church in Philadelphia. Some Surnames From My\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Churches & Cemeteries"","block_context":{"text":"Churches & Cemeteries","link":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/category\/places\/churches-cemeteries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Centennial history of the First Presbyterian church of Easton, P","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Centennial-History-of-the-First-Presbyterian-Church-of-Easton-PA-first-church.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Centennial-History-of-the-First-Presbyterian-Church-of-Easton-PA-first-church.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Centennial-History-of-the-First-Presbyterian-Church-of-Easton-PA-first-church.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Centennial-History-of-the-First-Presbyterian-Church-of-Easton-PA-first-church.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Centennial-History-of-the-First-Presbyterian-Church-of-Easton-PA-first-church.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Centennial-History-of-the-First-Presbyterian-Church-of-Easton-PA-first-church.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8417,"url":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/william-james-fisher\/","url_meta":{"origin":1554,"position":3},"title":"William James Fisher, Civil War Soldier from Delaware","author":"Karen","date":"September 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"This research was done by my uncle, John Farquhar, who spent many years exploring the life, military service, and death of William James Fisher of Seaford, Delaware. William James Fisher, at the age of 17, received a civilian appointment as 2nd lieutenant to the 10th US Infantry, a regiment of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Civil War"","block_context":{"text":"Civil War","link":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/category\/history\/civil-war\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Featured-Image-for-Blog-Post-William-James-Fisher.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Featured-Image-for-Blog-Post-William-James-Fisher.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Featured-Image-for-Blog-Post-William-James-Fisher.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Featured-Image-for-Blog-Post-William-James-Fisher.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10674,"url":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/lehigh-county-pennsylvania\/","url_meta":{"origin":1554,"position":4},"title":"Lehigh County, Pennsylvania","author":"Karen","date":"October 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Lehigh County, located in eastern Pennsylvania, is an important part of my family history. My LaBar ancestors, including my great-great-grandfather Jesse LaBar (1835\u20131913), his wife Permila Showeriskey (1838\u20131913), and their daughter Laura LaBarre (1858\u20131925), lived in Slatington. Laura married Dr. David Walter Straub, whose Straub (also Stroup and Straup) family\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lehigh County"","block_context":{"text":"Lehigh County","link":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/category\/places\/united-states\/pennsylvania\/lehigh-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Delaware-and-Lehigh-rivers-at-Easton-Pa-1844-LOC-2004662002.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Delaware-and-Lehigh-rivers-at-Easton-Pa-1844-LOC-2004662002.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Delaware-and-Lehigh-rivers-at-Easton-Pa-1844-LOC-2004662002.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Delaware-and-Lehigh-rivers-at-Easton-Pa-1844-LOC-2004662002.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Delaware-and-Lehigh-rivers-at-Easton-Pa-1844-LOC-2004662002.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Delaware-and-Lehigh-rivers-at-Easton-Pa-1844-LOC-2004662002.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10679,"url":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/rupps-history-of-lehigh-county\/","url_meta":{"origin":1554,"position":5},"title":"Rupp’s History of Lehigh County","author":"Karen","date":"October 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Lehigh County is of particular interest to me because several branches of my family lived in this region. My great-great-grandfather, Jesse LaBar (1835\u20131913), and his wife, Permila Showeriskey (1838\u20131913), lived in Slatington, where Jesse worked in the slate industry and operated several businesses. Their daughter, Laura LaBarre (1858\u20131925), married Dr.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Frontier Conflicts"","block_context":{"text":"Frontier Conflicts","link":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/category\/history\/frontier-conflicts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rupps-History-of-Lehigh-County-PA-Engraving-of-Allen-town.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rupps-History-of-Lehigh-County-PA-Engraving-of-Allen-town.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rupps-History-of-Lehigh-County-PA-Engraving-of-Allen-town.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rupps-History-of-Lehigh-County-PA-Engraving-of-Allen-town.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rupps-History-of-Lehigh-County-PA-Engraving-of-Allen-town.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rupps-History-of-Lehigh-County-PA-Engraving-of-Allen-town.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1554"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1554\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10093,"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1554\/revisions\/10093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}