By the Pinang Gazette of the 20th April, we are sorry to see the death of Captain Congalton, late of H.C Steamer Hooghly, announced. We intended in this issue to have given a short sketch of the career of this gentleman, who as so generally esteemed at all the three stations in the Straits, and who had faithfully and zealously served hus Honorable masters without a single day's absence from duty, for more than 28 years, but the arrival of the China Steamer compels us reluctantly to postpone the task until next week. [The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 3 May 1850, Page 2]
We deeply regret to record the death of Captain Congalton of the H.C. Steamer Hooghly which took place at Piang on the 19th ultimo. By our next issue we will endeavour to make use of some materials placed in our hands connected with the subject of this notice. [The Straits Times, 7 May 1850, Page 4]
The Late Samuel Congalton, Esquire. Since last week we have been favoured by a few friends of the deceased with some notes and papers which afford some particulars of his career, and which, with others known to ourselves, we now proceed to record. Samuel Congalton was born in the town of Leith on the 23rd of March 1796. When a very young boy he clandestinely left his father's house and bound himself to a collier in the port of Leith. He was soon discovered by his eldest brother and taken home. Shortly afterwards he again secretly left his parents' roof, and on that occasion travelled to a distant part of the coast where his whereabouts might not be as easily discovered and a second time bound himself to a collier. Whether on this occasion he was found out or not is not known to us but at all events he was left to pursue his own course and to his own resources. He continued in this employ for some time, but at length his owner possessing a vessel bound for the West Indies, ready for sea, and in want of a crew, went on board the collier, in which Samuel was apprenticed, in search of men, but not one would volunteer; young Congalton forming one of the boat's crew that took the owner on board and again to shore, observed what had passed and took the opportunity of offering his service to the West Indies bound vessel; the owner, who was not in the best humour, gave him a contemptuous glance and said something more expressive than polite respecting his diminutive appearance, but consented. He remained in this trade for a number of years with the promise of advancement, which promise was put off from time to time and he ultimately left it in disgust. Sometime afterwards he met his old owner who offered him an appoinrtment as gunner in a vessel of his bound to Calcutta and in this Ship he came out to the East. The vessel was sold off in Calcutta, and, Congalton, much against the advice of the Commander of the vessel who wished him to return to England, left, remarking that "he had lived long enough at home upon promises and would now try what he could do here." He then got appointed gunner in a country ship and arrived at Pinang in 1821. At that time the H.C.'s armed Sch. Jessy, Commander Poynton, being in want of a mate, Congalton having strong recommendations, was appointed, and from this period his history is well known in the Straits. While filling a subordinate office in the Jessy he gave the utmost satisfaction. Captain Poynton and his crew for the services performed by the Schooner at the Rangoon war received the following eulogiums from Major Canning, Political Agent and Captain Marryatt of H.M.S. Lorne. The former says: "It is but an act of justice to Captain Poynton to mention that he in a very gallant manner took up his station close under one of the enemy's Batteries exposed to a heavy fire which wounded several of his men and was mainly instrumental in the stockade falling to our hands." "The Talents" says Captain Marryatt "and activity of her commander Mr. Poynton I have already made you acquainted with and I am so unwilling to be deprived of his services that I submit it to you the expediency of taking Mr. Poynton and the Crew of the Jessy to Calcutta where I trust I shall be able to induce the Supreme Government to give him the command of another vessel." Soon after this the officers and crew of the Jessy were removed into the Schooner Zephyr, appointed o relieve the former in the Straits. In March of 1825 Captain Poynton was nominated Harbour Master at Malacca, when Captain Congalton succeeded to the command of the Zephyr on a salary of Drs 100 per mensem. During the time he was in the Zephyr he cooperated with H.M. Ships under the command of Captain Plumridge, blockading the Malacca rivers, during the Naning war, and his service were officially noticed by Captain Plumridge and Stanley of H.M.S. Megiciene and Wolf, but whilst the latter received battle allowance the same was refused to the commander and crew of the Zephyr. To an application for an increase of salary in 1833, the following recommendation accompanied it from Mr. Ibbetson the then Governor, which with other extracts that will follow, will give our readers some idea of the sterling qualities of Captain Congalton's services as well as of the opinion entertained of his character. Mr. Ibbetson observes: "I have the honor to transmit to you for the purpose of being laid before the Right Hon'ble the Governor General in Council Copy of a correspondence from the Master Attendant dated 27th March with the enclosure regarding a claim submitted by the Master of the Zephyr to some increase of Pay. I perform a real pleasure in bringing this person to the notice of his Lordship in Council and in stating my conviction that for three times his present salary it would be difficult out of thousands to select one, with more honesty, zeal and ability to perform his duties." The reply was "that the claims of Captain Congalton to an increase of salary would be taken into consideration when a new steel vessel shall be purchased for the service in the Straits of sufficient capacity to accommodate the Honourable the Recorder and the Establishment of the Court on Circuit." The following extract of a letter, dated 1st June 1836 from Captain Stanley of the Wolf to Mr. Murchison, then Governor of the Straits, affords just testimony to the services performed by Captain Congalton in the suppression of piracy. He remarks: "You are aware that the Boats of the "Wolf" have on several recent occasions been engaged with the Pirartes infesting the neighbourhood and that although no decided advantage has been gained over them by the total destruction of their Prahus, yet from the reports current at the different settlements it would seem they have been so far subdued as to suppress their proceedings for the moment. In the execution of this boat service it has been necessary to conduct not only the Boats but also the Shps to the most intricate and dangerous parts of the Coast and its Shores, many of which could not have been approached without a Skilful Pilot and not without the assistance of one fully acquainted with the Localities of the neighbourhood:-- To this particular point I would beg to call your attention, as to the performance of this part of the service I am most deeply indebted to Captain Congalton who on all occasions and at all times has displayed the utmost ability. His correct knowledge of the Coast, of the Piratical haunts, and his general acquaintance with the languages, habits and manners of the Natives employed in this diabolical system of Robbery combined with the dread these persons seem to have of his perseverance in the execution of his duties have attracted my attention on many occasions and I am fully confirmed in my opinion that from these qualifications and the very high state of discipline of the Zephyr, Captain Congalton's services might be rendered available to the greatest advantage in these Straits against the Pirates were he in command of a Steam Vessel wither acting alone or in co-operation with any of H.M.'s Shups and I would therefore request that should the Supreme Government on any future occasion employ a Steam vessel on this duty that you will be pleased to recommend him as a truly eligible commander for her, and I assure you it would afford me the greatest pleasure to hear that his zeal, ability and long servitude had met their just regard either by the appointment alluded to, of by preferment to any other situation to his advantage." Towards the end of 1836the Government having resolved on selling the Zephyr, Captain Congalton pressed his claims to the command of the new vessel destined for the Straits, which was forwarded to the Supreme Government with a strong recommendation from the local governor, Mr. Murchison. In the beginning of 1837 the H.C. steamer Diana was sent down to the Straits and on the 4th March of that year Captain Congalton received his warrant to take command of her, on a salary of 350 Company's rupees per month. He was not long in command of the steamer before he had several brushes with the pirates, one in particular, with a fleet from the Soloo Islands, of six pirate prahus of from 50 to 56 feet in length, well armed and having in all 360 men, is worthy of notice. It happened while the Diana was out on a cruize with the Wolf at Tringanu, on the 18th of May of 1838. At 2 p.m. of that day the gig and jolly boat of the Wolf boarded the Diana, with information that, from the mast head of the man of war, six piratical prahus were seen attacking a large Chinese Junk to the eastward, and orders to proceed CONTINUED IN THE SUPPLEMENT. [The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 10 May 1850, Page 6] to the assistance of the Junk. At 5 p.m. the steamrer came up with the pirates and after a brisk action five of the number were left disabled -- the sixth was then pursued, and came up with at 6 p.m. when [they] soon surrendered. The pirates were secured and removed to the steamer and the prahu left in a sinking state. The Diana returned in search of the other five prahus but, through the darknes of the night and a storm having set in, they escaped, it is supposed in such a condition that they never reached shore. Of this piratical fleet 90 were killed, 150 wounded, 30 taken prisoner and 14 persons rescued from slavery. For this service H.M. Court of Judicature awarded upwards of awarded upwards ofawarded upwards of awarded upwards of £2,000, head money, but the whole was divided among the officers and crew of H.M.S. Wolf. The Court of Directors expressed their sense of the service of the Diana in the following terms: "This action which terminated in the capture of one of the Pirate Boats and the dispersion of the remainder in such a shattered condition that it is supposed they can never have reached the shore but must have sunk together with all on board reflects great credit on Captain Congalton and the Crew of the Diana, as well as on the detachment of Seamen and Marines placed on board that Vessel by Captain Stanley of H.M.S. Wolf, but affords convincing evidence at the same time that much is still wanting to effect the complete suppression of Piracy in the Malay and Chinese seas." The claims of the Diana to share in the headmoney were afterwards transmitted to the Court of Directors with a request that they might be laid before the proper department of H.M.'s Government but the reply was "that they had received intimation that the claim is not sustainable at law, Vessels of the Company not belonging to either of the classes referred to in the Act of Parliament which authorises the grant of head money for the capture or destruction of pirates." The Court of Directors suggested that Company's Officers serving at sea should in future obtain, before hand, a consent in writing from H.M.'s ships with which they co-operated to a participation in the booty. Captain Congalton had a warm, kind and good friend in Mr. Bonham our late Governor and now Governor of Hongkong. In 1843 he made application to be placed on the same footing, in respect of slary, as all other commanders of sea-going steamers out of Calcutta, namely to have his pay advanced to 500 rupees a month, which application, Mr. Bonham forwarded to the Supreme Government, strongly recommending it their favourable consideration, and moreover accompanying it with a detailed statement of Captain C's services, his claims &c. We extract the following from Mr. Bonham's letter which is not only credible to his feelings but contains an eulogium not one with greater than the subject of it merited: "On receiving Captain Congalton's letter, I ventured to assure him, that after such a protracted service and his services being so handsomely acknowledged he would, as a matter of course be turned over to any vessel that might eventually be despatched to the straits to relive the Diana but he explained to me that he was, with the exception of two of the oldest of the Commanders of the Sea-going steamers and that independent of the loss he has already suffered by not being put on the same footing as his fellows he is mortified at being placed in an inferior position; and it certainly does not appear singular, that an officer of Captain Congalton's services, and pretensions should be paid at a lower rate than his juniors, and on a station also where every article of consumption is double the price that it is in Calcutta. I have personally a high regard for Captain Congalton founded on an expression of his thorough honesty, his indefatigable zeal, and his general intelligence and as will be seen by the enclosures my predecessors together with Captain Plumridge and Stanley and I may add Captain Chads entertained the same sentiments, I conceive therefore that I am only performing my duty, in bringing the merits of a highly useful, but unobtrusive officer to the notice of the Government more especially when it is remembered that except through my means he has no opportunity of making his claim or his service known to the Government. Under these circumstances I respectfully but urgently solicit the consideration of the Government to Captain Congalton's [ . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . garbled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ] his salary may be put on the same footing as that of his fellow servants to most of whom he is senior, and few of whom have seen as much real hard service and none of whom have I believe been so uninterruptedly at sea during the past 20 years." Some time after this, we are not sure when -- whether before or after the arrival of the Hooghly, Captain Congalton's salary was advanced from 350 to 500 company's rupees, and the local Authorities in communicating this decision of the Supreme Government, accompanied it with an extract of a letter from the Bengal Authorities in which Capt. Congalton's services were complimented in the highest terms, but for some reason unknown to us his salary was again reduced to 350 rupees. We rather think it was because he declined taking command of one of the larger steamers, which might have involved the necessity of his leaving the straits and to which step we know he was averse. On the 2nd January of 1846 the H.C. steamer Hooghly arrived at Singapore to relieve the Diana and a few days thereafter Captain Congalron and his crew were removed to the former. In this vessel he continued until sickness compelled him to apply for leave of absence. His service in the H.C.'s employ comprised a period of 28½ years -- 23 of which he commanded armed vessels in the straits and we observe from a paper of his own that during thewhole period "he had never been absent from his duties either on sick leave or on account of private affairs for a single day until a few months ago when attacked by a disease of a highly dangerous nature." He was frequently employed on political missions to the various Native states and from the judicious manner in which he conducted them, invariably gave his employers the greatest satisfaction, in fact it has often been the remark that whatever he undertook was sure to be done well. In conjunction with Mr. Thomson, Government Surveyor at Singapore he made a Chart of the Singapore Straits. He laid down a set of screw Beacons in the south channel here and lately the Buoy on the 2½ fathoms Bank on the north sand, near Singapore. In his private character, it is no exaggeration to say, he was universally beloved in the straits; he was esteemed as a thoroughly honest, really sincere and truly kind man. He was unassuming and unaffected in all he did -- he said not one think from his lips and meant another thing in the heart -- his word might always be relied on. With his purse he was perhaps generous to a fault and this was sometimes taken advantage of -- petitions of all descriptions were sure to find their way to the Hooghly, and his liberality on some such occassions was measured out with an unsparing hand. He received several substantial testimonials of esteem. A handsome silver Jug from the officers of H.M.S. Wolf, another from Sir W. Norris our late Recorder, a third from our present Governor, the Honourable Colonel Butterworth C.B., and a handsome fowling piece from the French Plenipotentiary to China, besides several minor gifts from other individuals. [https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singfreepressa18500510-1.2.12.2]
Intellifence had reached Maulmain of the death of Captain Congalton, commander of the Hooghly steamer. He was a veteran of the Bengal Steam service, who had been many years in the Straits, with every nook and corner of which he was familiar. He was an excellent officer who had rendered in his day much good service to the State against piracy and in sirveying various parts of the Straits. He refused promotion some six years ago, preferrin g to remain in his little steamer the Hooghly in a navigation he was so well acquainted with, and among a people whom he knew so well as he did the Malays, to take the charge of a larger vessel on higher pay. He might have been in command of the largest of the Government steamers on 500 Rs. a month. He continued in the Hooghly in his beloved Straits on 350 Rupees only. He was a devoted[ ship keeper never sleeping out of his vessel. He was well known to the communitiesof Pinang and Singapore, by many of whom we doubt not his death will be regretted as a public loss. Captain Congalton's dfeath may possibly prevent the commander of the late Irawaddy from descending to the grade of chief officer. The sad event will thus illustrate the homely adage, that it is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good. [The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 12 July 1850, Page 5 citing the Bengal Hurkaru, May 18]
At a meeting of the subscribers to the Congalton testimonial, the Hon'ble Colonel Butterworth C. B. in the chair, it was resolved to appropriate the funds collected to the erection of a tablet in St. George's church. [The Straits Times, 10 September 1850, Page 4]
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