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H.E. Henderson
Captain Henry Edward Henderson (1804-1848) was a shipowner and master of his own ship Cornwallis, in which he arrived in the colony in 1831 (Oldman; Erickson has 1834 and Quebec Trader). He wasn't here much, as he was often away trading around Australia and to the Cape of Good Hope. However, he was granted land in Plantagenet and town lots in Fremantle, and built a warehouse on two of the latter. He left the colony in 1834, and died in London in 1848. It has been suggested that Henderson Street Fremantle was named in his honour. This is mischievous nonsense: it was certainly named for Captain E.Y.W. Henderson.
Dictionary of West Australians (online):
HENDERSON, Henry Edward, b. 1804. arr. 4.1834 per Quebec Trader. Master mariner from Cork. Granted 2000 acres & title to Lot 90. Intended leaving WA per Mary 9.1834.
Shipping notices:
Cornwallis, master H.E. Henderson, arr. 25 February 1831 from Cape Town, dep. 30 May.
Cornwallis, master H.E. Henderson, arr. 24 November 1831 from Cape Town, dep. 26 January.
Cornwallis, master H.E. Henderson, arr. 14 May 1832 from VDL.
Cornwallis, master Henderson, arr. Jun/July 1833 from Cape Town.
Quebec Trader, master Bellamy, arr. 19 April 1834 from London/Cape of Good Hope.
H.E. Henderson was granted town lots 82 in 1833, and lots 89/90 probably also 1833. By 1855, lots 89/90 were the property of W.D. Moore. In the Gazette for 22 August 1850 they were being offered for sale as part of the deceased estate of Samuel Moore, the father of W.D. Moore. (Landgate for the details; Hitchcock 1929 also mentions the lot numbers, p. 110.)
The town plan filed in SRO as 1844Cons_3846_Roll_Plan_106_plan shows what I assume is Captain H.E. Henderson's (large) building astride lots 89 and 90 in Henry Street 'behind' (tho not immediately) the Customs House in Marine Terrace. Perhaps it was his warehouse, as there were many advertisements for sales from his 'stores' (not mentioning the address).
Here are a few snippets from newspapers of the time in which Captain Henderson is mentioned.
ACCIDENT.—We hear with concern that Mr. Wm. Samson, during his stay with his friend, Captain Henderson, on board the Cornwallis, in Cockburn Sound, accidentally fell from his cot, and broke his arm. The same gentleman had the misfortune to break his leg by a fall from his horse a short time ago, and has only very recently recovered.
The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal Sat 24 Aug 1833 p. 134
Young Keats, who made his escape from the natives, by swimming across the river, we understand has received the reward of £30 for Yagan's head; and is now on his way to Fremantle to embark on board the Cornwallis.
The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal (WA : 1833 - 1847) Sat 10 Aug 1833
Page 126
ALSO ON SALE
Eleven WORKING OXEN ; 27 COWS and HEIFERS, in calf.
For further particulars, apply to Mr Sherwin, at the Stores of Captain Henderson, Fremantle ; or, to Mr. Marrs at the Farm on the Canning
The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal (WA : 1833 - 1847) Sat 28 Mar 1835
Page 466.
References and Links
Many thanks to Diane Oldman, who shared the primary sources for most of the above data. She has now made available her own much more detailed version, with more than you could possibly want to know about him.
Thanks to Margaret Baddeley for providing the news stories. It is she who suggested that Henderson Street in Fremantle might have been named in his honour. I don't think there is even a remote possibility of that.
Shipping information from PRO London, and Swan River Pioneers.
This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 18 March, 2021 and hosted at freotopia.org/people/hendersonhe.html (it was last updated on 6 March, 2024), and has been edited since it was imported here (see page history). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.