William Lockerby

In Fiji 135 Years Ago

A WRITER in England, when inquiring about an old house that was being demolished in Liverpool, England, brought to light a bit of the fascinating early history of the Pacific. The house, known as Fairfield House, was built and occupied over 100 years ago by William Lockerby—the man who wrote the “Jour nal of William Lockerby, Sandalwood Trader in Fiji, 1808-1809,” which was pub lished some 25 years ago—a long time after his death.

Lockerby came from the famous Lock erby family of Annandale, in the county of Dumfries, and he was born in Annan dale in 1782. This family was devoted to the Stuart cause, and most of the Lockerbys threw in their lot with Bonnie Prince Charlie, in the 1745 rebellion. A notable incident in the southward march of Prince Charlie in 1745 was the rescue of Janet Halliday from a burning house.

Janet Halliday carried in her arms an infant girl; and this infant was after wards the mother of William Lockerby.

William Lockerby settled in Liverpool, and was married there about 1798 or 1799. Then he mysteriously disappeared, and it was thought that he had been taken by a Press Gang. But it turned out subsequently that he had somehow got away into the Pacific, and he was shipwrecked or marooned in the then totally unknown Fiji Islands. He was there from 1800 until 1802; and then he was able to get away to America and thence to Liverpool, where he rejoined his wife. He had some amazing adven tures in Fiji; but he was a shrewd, far seeing man and he noted many things in Fiji which he afterwards turned to good

account. He settled down at Fairfield, in Liverpool, and established himself in business as a ship owner. He apparently returned afterwards to Fiji, and did much to develop the sandalwood business there. He was still living in Fairfield, Liverpool, in 1849.

He wrote an extraordinary account of his experiences in Fiji, but this was strictly preserved from publication until one of his great-grandchildren, in co operation with Sir Everard F, im Thurn (at one time Governor of Fiji) had it published by the Hakluyt Society, some time early in the present century, as “a unique cpntribution to the history of savage life in the South Seas.”

Lockerby’s old home, Fairfield House, was recently demolished, and his fascin ating story was retold.

Lockerby had several children, and Jane, his second daughter, married one Richard Gaskell. Mr. Robert Gaskell, who is a resident of Tulagi, Solomon Islands, is a grandson of this Richard Gaskell, and, therefore, a great-grandson of William Lockerby.

Pastor W. N. Lock returned to Papua by the Montoro on February 20, after six months’ furlough in Australia. He is a Seventh Day Adventist missionary at Mirigeda, the S.D.A. headquarters near Port Moresby.