Can you provide a bio of Sir H. H. McFarley?  I came across two
article snipets from the late 1800s that says: "England has a "Negro
Knight,"  Sir H. H. McFarley. Sir Henry was born in Charles, SC, July
12, 1822.  He ran away in 1840 and worked his way to Europe on board
an English sailing vessel.  He has made quite a fortune.  He is said
to be worth over $5,000,000.  Sir Henry McFarley is a very dark
gentleman with a thin but a very beautiful face, and very pleasant
manners."

I haven't been able to find a English reference that he was acutally
"knighted."
The two mentions were in African American Detroit and Indianapolis, IN
papers - sort of like our AP newsreports.  The mentions were both from
1892.

Kyraeh-ga

Hi Kyraeh

Nice to see you here again.

This is a bit of a puzzle.

Is it possible that Queen Victoria knighted an African American?  
If she did, I'd have thought that would be considered so remarkable it
would be easy to find out more.
I haven't found any mention of McFarley (or any similar name) on the
net or in the books on black British history I've been reading since
your earlier question got me interested (thank-you!). No McF in the
index of Peter Fryer's "Staying Power" or a couple of others I have
out of the library.
Even Ira Aldridge, who was immensely talented, knighted and honoured
elsewhere in Europe, was not given a knighthood in England, and
according to Fryer, was rather grudgingly received on the London West
End stage despite acclaim elsewhere.
(Some web pages say Aldridge was knighted in England but I think this
is untrue. He was made a "Knight of Saxony" in 1858.)

I'm left wondering whether McFarley or the newspapers were stretching
the truth a little.

The London Gazette published 19c honours lists. Maybe you know of a US
library which could help there? I found this entry in the Library of
Congress catalogue:

Title:         The London gazette.
Published:     London [England] : T. Neuman, 1666-
Description:   v. ; 29-31 cm.
Notes:         "Published by authority."
               Publisher varies.
               Some issues accompanied by supplements.
               Also available on microfilm from Research
                  Publications, Kraus-Thomson Organization, Micro
Methods Ltd.,
                  British Library, and New York Public Library.
               London gazette extraordinary is issued
                  occasionally between regular numbers.
               Also issued in French ed.: Gazette de Londres,
                  Nov. 1666-.
Subjects:      London (England) -- Newspapers.
Control No.:   11337106

The 19c issues should be put online over the next few years:
http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/honours.asp?webType=0


There's also the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood:
http://www.royalinsight.gov.uk/textonly/Page590.asp

I don't know any way of contacting them other than writing to:
Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood
St. James's Palace
The Mall
London SW1

However, I think they might refer you to the London Gazette.

Good luck with your research - as ever, it sounds intriguing.

Best Wishes - Leli

Hi, 

If you have a British Consulate in your city, you could contact their
information officer and ask if they could direct you to an appropriate
office.

Leli-ga

Wonderful to "hear" from you as well.  The information from Scotland
was great. I've been able to read parts of the one disseration you
helped locate!

Will have a look at the sources you listed for McFarley.  I haven't
been able to locate him from SC records either.  I'm curious WHY he
was mentioned in the paper.  I believe the information may have come
from Archibald Johnson, a black man from the Isle of Bermuda, who
wrote about Black life in the UK during the 1892 - 1893 for a couple
Black American newspapers.  He lived in Edinburgh at the time.

The search for Sir Henry McFarley continues!