Captain John Henderson
Newspaper report (probably Aberdeen Journal): A nonogenarian Aberdeen sailing skipper, who made thirty five trips round the world in the days before the steamship has just died.
All the glamour and romance of the sea are contained in the life story of Captain John Henderson who has died at his residence, 83 Hamilton Place, Aberdeen, in his ninety second year.
Captain Henderson had to his credit that which few people have achieved - he had sailed round the world thirty five times, and that, too, in a time when there were no speedy steamships, but when the sailing ships ruled the waves. He saw life in every aspect and from his extensive travel had stored up a knowledge of life and things such as comparatively few people are privileged to possess.
Born at Peterhead, Captain Henderson went to sea at the remarkably early age - perhaps in those days it was not considered just so very early - of fourteen, the first ship on which he served being in the coffee trade.
he was apprenticed to Mr John T Rennie, shipowner, Aberdeen, for four years, and then, in 1853, he made his first voyage to Australia, sailing in a ship carrying a cargo of wooden houses. This was during the time of the great Australian gold rush, and on that account the voyage became memorable.
Returning from a second voyage to Cape Town, Captain Henderson took his second mate's certificate, and joined in that capacity a vessel bound for Calcutta with Government stores for troops. This was during the Indian mutiny.
While yet hardly out of his 'teens he took his master's certificate and shortly afterwards he joined the Black Prince, a clipper built by Hall, Aberdeen for the tea trade, and again set out for Australia.
To Mr Henderson fell the distinction of taking the first gunboat built at Aberdeen to Nagasaki to the order of the Japanese government.
The Japanese had never had experience of this new weapon of warfare and it was interesting to find how they welcomed this means of defence. It is a somewhat piquant fact that nowadays the Japanese can probably show the Britisher a few tips in the matter of inventive genius in this direction.
The voyage to Nagasaki, it is interesting to note, occupied 147 days.
Mr Henderson then joined the firm of Messrs George Thompson and Co. (the Aberdeen White Star Line) keeping up a valuable connection with them for over thirty five years. While in their service, he commanded several of the fastest clippers afloat, including the Wave of Life, the Moravian, the Pericles, Thermopylae, and the Samuel Plimsoll. Of the last named vessel he was fifteen years master.
It was while captain of the Thermopylae that he made the fastest voyage of his career, sailing to Australia in seventy three days, thus attaining a speed of 209 miles a day. men of the sea nowadays would probably scoff at such a speed but in those days it constituted a record.
Captain Henderson was thirty five times round the world and in the course of his career he carried many shiploads of emigrants to Australia.
He retired when he was seventy years of age, just at the time the steamship was coming into its own.
Captain Henderson's wife predeceased him eleven years ago. He is survived by a family of four. The only son is Captain John W Henderson, ship commander of the Standard Oil Company of New York; one daughter is married, and of the two unmarried daughters one is a teacher in the High School, Aberdeen. A grandson, Captain Alex. Philip is with the Ellerman Line.
