Temperance Sophia Udny (née Fleming)

Temperance Sophia Udny, widow of George Udny (d. 1830) from whom she inherited Caliveny estate in Grenada.

1. Temperance Sophia (daughter of Richard Fleming, attorney in India) married George Udny in Bengal, India, 29/11/1800. At least eight children were born to this couple in India: Ernest Augustus (born 05/09/1801), George (born 10/08/1802), Richard (baptised 29/11/1803), Charles Grant (born 11/08/1806), Frances Maria Nugent (born 08/11/1812); Archibauld Noah (born c. 1808, died 25/04/1828); and Temperance Sophia (who married Henry Thomas Raikes (q.v.) in Barrackpore, Bengal, 17/04/1830).

2. The memorial insciption at Chichester Cathedral, Sussex, to Ernest Augustus Udney who died in Calcutta 16/05/1808 age 7 identifies his father as a member of the Supreme Council at Calcutta, his mother as Temperance Sophia Udny and Mrs Sarah Udny as his grandmother. In her memorial inscription, Sarah Udny who died 18/04/1811 age 69 was "relict of Ernest Udney Esqr. of Calaveny, in the Island of Grenada." Sarah Udny's memorial includes the verse: "Udny! How Few Thy Excellence Transcend / In Three Most Honor'd Names, Wife! Mother! Friend! / Now May'st Thou Glory in the Saviour's Sight / Whose Word Was Here Thy Guide, And Thy Delight!" She is shown reclining with a book open on her lap.

3. Not proven but it is very likely that George Udny was a first cousin of the West India merchant Robert Fullerton Udny/Udney (1779-1861), both sharing the same paternal grandparents, James Udny and Jean Walker, who were married at St Nicholas, Aberdeen, 20/12/1716.

4. No birth identified for Temperance Sophia Udny nor any known reason why she was in Bengal in 1800 (although cf. her father in 1 above). She wrote to Lord Glenelg on 11/08/1835 from 10 Upper Berkeley Street, Portman Square, London, "Being interested in the West India question as Proprietess of an Estate called Calaviny [sic but with the second 'a' dotted] in the Island of Grenada", asking when compensation would be paid as there were no counterclaims lodged.

5. Death of Temperance Sophia Udny registered Q2 1854 Bath, Somerset.

T71/880 Grenada claim no. 447 (Caliveny).

1. www.familysearch.org batch nos. M75002-1 and C75002-2. Memorial inscription to Archibauld Noah, James C. Brandow, Genealogies of Barbados families: from Caribbeana and the Journal of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society (Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1983) Vol. 4 p. 39. Marriage of Temperance Sophia and Henry Thomas Raikes, Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register Vol. III, p. 76 (London, Parbury, Allen, and Co., 1830).

2. "To the memory of Ernest Augustus Udney, son of George Udny Esqr. (Some Years one of the Supreme Council at Calcutta) and Temperance Sohpia his Wife. He died in this City May 16th 1808 aged seven years. Mrs Sarah Udney, his afflicted Grand mother erected his Monument as a public Testimony of her Affection for an amiable and most endearing child." "Sarah, relict of Ernest Udney Esqr. of Calaveny, in the Island of Grenada, died April 18th, 1811, aged 69 years." Both transcribed in James C. Brandow, Genealogies of Barbados families: from Caribbeana and the Journal of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society (Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1983) Vol. 4 p. 38. Photograph of Ernest Augustus's memorial at http://carolineld.blogspot.co.uk/2009_02_01_archive.html [accessed 23/05/2012]; email from Helen Paul 12/06/2018 sourced to photo of the memorial.

3. Marriage of James Udny and Jean Walker in 1716 and the birth of 9 children to this couple between 1720 and 1734 all on www.familysearch.org batch nos. M11168-2 and C11168-6. Biographical details of Robert Fullerton Udney available at http://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk/detail.asp?ContentID=104 [accessed 23/05/2012].

4. T71/1609 letter dated 11/08/1835.

5. FreeUKGen, England and Wales Free BMD Database, Deaths, 1837-1983 [database online]; Families in British India Society http://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/ [database online].

We are grateful to Helen Paul for her assistance with compiling this entry.

We are grateful to Peter Schofield for his assistance with compiling this entry.