On a visit to Greenock
Cemetery last year I took some photographs of interesting gravestones. When I decided to do some research into one
of them, little did I realise that I would be taken on a journey back in time
to colonial New York and the revolutionary war, the life of George Washington,
the medical faculty of Columbia College, New York and life in the US Navy
during the British-American war of 1812-1815!
That's before I even mention the Greenock connection. Here's the grave that started it all.
The engraving on the stone
reads -
Walter
Washington Buchanan born 4th June 1777 at Hanover, Jersey USA, died 11th
September 1861, his son James Campbell, merchant, born 3rd Mar 1803 at New York
died 10th Oct 1868.
My curiosity was aroused by
Walter's middle name - Washington. I
wondered why he had been given that name and so I set off on my journey of
discovery. Imagine my surprise when I
found that he was given the middle name of Washington because he was the godson of George Washington, America's
first president!
But that wasn't the end of
it! In reminiscences published in the
Historical Magazine of 1860, Buchanan writes:-
"I am the only
individual living that was baptised in his (Washington's) arms at Hanover
(Morristown), NJ, on 4 June 1777 with Kosciusko on one side and Lafayette on
the other ...".
(is it likely he was baptised
on the day of his birth?)
Tadeusz Kosciusko was born in Poland (1746) and was a national hero there
as well as fighting against the British in the American Revolution. He was made a general and as an architect was
involved in the design and building of West Point. Lafayette
was born in France (1757) was also a general in the American Revolutionary war
fighting under Washington and was also involved in the French Revolution.
Walter Buchanan went on to
have a very interesting life. As a child
he recalls playing with the grandchildren of Martha Washington - George Washington
Custis and his sister Eleanor at the Osgood/Franklin House on Cherry
Street.
Walter's family originated in
Scotland and he was sent back to attend Glasgow University, graduating MD in
1798. He returned to New York and applied
to the US Navy for a position and was appointed to the ship "Ganges".
Several of his letters to the War
Department remain - he had quite a flamboyant signature! It was
a short-lived career as he was discharged the following year under the Peace
Establishment Act. He returned to
Scotland and married a Greenock lass - Annabella Brownlie on 27 February
1802. On their return to New York, they
had two children, a son James Campbell and a daughter Eliza. Dr Buchanan's career blossomed and he was
elected Professor of Midwifery at Columbia College in 1808. He was also Secretary of New York County
Medical Society and was connected with the New York Almshouse (Bellevue?).
When the British-American war
broke out in 1812, Buchanan was re-appointed as a Navy Surgeon and worked at Sackett's
Harbour on Lake Ontario. There is an
interesting letter from him in "The Naval War of 1812" Vol II edited
by William S Dudley (published by US Government Printing Office, 1985) in which he objects strongly to a proposed pay cut! He was visited at Sackett's Harbour by the
writer Washington Irving with whom he seems to have been friends since they
were younger.
He retired from the Navy in
1827 and was residing at Greene Street, near Broadway in New York. In 1830 his daughter, Eliza married a wealthy
cloth merchant Alexander Rodger in Greenock.
By 1837 Walter and his family were residing at Mount Pleasant in
Greenock. Sometime in 1843/44 he bought
the beautiful house of Bagatelle in Greenock (now a care home). He was involved in local affairs and
continued to practice as a doctor in the town.
Annabella died in 1852 and Walter died of apoplexy in 1861. In his will he left some knives, forks and
spoons which "were so long in the use of President Washington" to his
son, James who died in 1868. James founded
the Buchanan Night Asylum in the town which gave shelter and food to homeless
people.
 |
From Greenock Telegraph 27
March 1897.
|
There's a lot more to tell,
but what a journey - from revolutionary New York to the flourishing port of
Greenock in the 1840s and 50s! But
that's not the end. My research didn't
stop there - the next generation, Walter's grandchildren, are an interesting
bunch too - one of them W W B Rodger became Provost of Greenock.
My only regret - I couldn't
find a portrait of Walter Washington Buchanan - I'd love to know what he looked
like!
Love, Liz
