(Please excuse the rather poor quality of this scan and the fact it is slightly lopsided)
THE FLASHMAN FAMILY TREE
© DAVID M. TIBBETTS
The family history appears to be as colourful as that of Harry Flashman’s. Indeed, it would have been strange if Flashman had led an ‘ordinary’ life as all of his predecessors in some way were adventurers, albeit not reluctant ones, and had a gift of being in the right place at the right time.
Unfortunately, at the time of writing this, all the exact details of Flashman’s family tree are unknown and some of the direct lineage, especially the grand and great grandchildren, are obscure. Flashman himself sometimes makes mistakes in his memoirs, but if we accept as true his writings then a reasonable shot can be made at recreating his past. His family tree can be successfully traced for seven generations.
To assist with plotting the family tree I have included the Morrisons of Paisley, Scotland and the minor branch of the large Paget family of England that the Flashmans married into.
So to begin, let us head back to the distant days of the late 17th century...
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JACK FLASHMAN - Very little is known of the founder of the ‘House of Flashman’. He has only been mentioned once so far(1) in the Flashman Papers(2). He found success in the Americas through trading in rum and molasses and acquired enough money to return to England and buy an estate near Ashby in Leicestershire. It is not known when Jack was born, how long he was out of the country, when he returned, when married or to whom, how many children he had or when he died. All that can be established is he had at least one son, possibly around 1730.
1 Flashman
2 The 13 published memoirs of Harry Flashman's unofficial autobiography
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‘Grandfather’ FLASHMAN - Details, though not his name, of Flashman’s father recently came to light(1). Flashman told the story that his grandfather was present at Culloden in 1746(2). If so he must have only been in his late teens at the time. ‘Grandfather’ also went into overseas trade, apparently as a slave trader, and he too proved successful. Apart from adding more money to the Flashman account he bought another, or perhaps a neighbouring, estate in Leicestershire. The Flashmans must now have been a minor power in the county. Like his father we know no details of his marriage or his life apart from that he too had at least one son, possibly born around 1780.
1 Black Ajax
2 Mr. American
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HARRY BUCKLEY FLASHMAN - Until recently the only information for Flashman’s father was the Flashman Papers and much of that uncomplimentary. Again we do not have his date of birth or details of his early life except that he attended Rugby School(1). After leaving Rugby he entered the military joining the cavalry. One interesting point is that he seems to have preferred to be known as Buckley rather than Harry(2). In 1808 he was posted to Spain with his regiment, 23rd Light Dragoons, and took part in the battles of Rolica and Vimeiro. In 1809 he was part of the advance into Spain made by Arthur Wellesley's army. At Talavera he led the cavalry charge of the 23rd which ended in confusion when a hidden ditch caused the charge to be broken up. He was given the nickname 'Mad Buck' for this action. Buckley was captured by the French but exchanged the following day(3). He was sent home later that year for duelling with fellow officers, which Wellesley's disapproved of. Back in London he set about capitalising on his small fame earned at Talavera and to ingratiate himself with Society. He was a sporting man at heart and particularly enjoyed pugilism having fought against, and knocked down, the English heavyweight champion Tom Cribb(4). He was the first sponsor of the black Tom Molineaux who came to England to fight Cribb(5). Buckley eloped to Gretna Green to marry Alicia Paget as her family were not in favour of the match(6). In 1822 they had a son, named Harry Paget. Buckley was an MP for a number of years, probably in Leicestershire, but he lost his seat in the election of 1833 because of the Reform Act of 1832 when the voting base was increased and some country seats were abolished to create more in towns(7). He was a womaniser and drinker and in later years made a number of visits to asylums to try and cure him of alcoholism. In 1841 Buckley became personally bankrupt having lost the balance of the Flashman fortune in bad investments in railway shares(8). He died in the late 1840s.
1 Flashman
2 Black Ajax; Who's Who entry
3 Black Ajax
4 Flashman; Black Ajax
5 Black Ajax
6 Black Ajax
7 Flashman
8 Flashman
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HARRY PAGET FLASHMAN - Born on 5th May 1822(1), he was an only child. His mother died when he was very young. At nine years old he was sent to Rugby School(2).This was an informative period in his life and laid much of the foundation for his character in later life. He bought popular favour or informed on his friends when he was a fag in junior classes and bullied fags himself when he was a senior. It is interesting to note that all the despicable things he did to Tom Brown he learned from one 'Bully' Dawson(3). In 1839 Flashman was expelled from Rugby School for drunkenness(4). From there he joined the 11th Light Dragoons commanded by Lord Cardigan. His military career looked promising until he fought a duel over a French whore. Despite the successful outcome for Flashman, who managed to get his opponent Charles Bernier handed an unloaded gun, the scandal was enough to force his reposting to Scotland to train militia(5). While there he had a relationship with the daughter of a wealthy and influential millowner. On discovery of this relationship Flashman was forced to marry Elspeth Morrison. When he returned to his regiment in London he was informed that he was being transferred to an East India Company cavalry unit serving in India(6). In India his natural ability to pick up foreign languages came to the fore and he was brought to the attention of the Governor-General, Lord Auckland, who appointed him to the Army of the Indus. The year of 1841 was spent in Afghanistan. He survived the retreat of the British garrison in January 1842. Flashman was rescued alive from the ruins of a fort outside Jallalabad clutching the Union flag and was hailed a hero. He received much adulation particularly from the new Governor-General, Lord Ellenborough, and this status stayed with throughout his entire military career(7). Subsequent military campaigns for the British army were the 1st Sikh War of 1845-6(8) during which he was given the fabled Koh-i-Noor diamond, Crimean War 1854-5(9) during which he took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade, Indian Mutiny 1857-8(10), 2nd China War 1860(11), Zulu War 1879(12) and the Khedive Sudan 1896. Foreign military service included pirate fighting with James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, in Borneo in 1844(13), Sergeant-General of the Malagassy army of HM Queen Ranavalona of Madagascar in 1844-5(14), U.S. Civil War 1861-5 in which he served on both sides, ADC to Emperor Maximilian I during Mexican Civil War of 1865-7, the Plains Indian War of 1876(15) in USA including the Battle of Little Bighorn and the Siege of the Foreign Legation during the Boxer Rebellion in China of 1900. Flashman was presented to Queen Victoria on his return from Afghanistan(16) which was the beginning of a lifelong association with her and he appears to have been a frequent visitor to her. The Flashmans were invited to Balmoral every year. At sometime Flashman became Chairman of Flashman and Bottomley, Ltd. and a director of British Opium Trading Company. He was governor of Rugby School and honorary President for the Mission for Reclamation of Reduced Females. He wrote a number of publications including his official autobiography "Dawns and Departures of a Soldier's Life", Twixt Cossack and Cannon and The Case Against Army Reform(17). He died in 1915.
1 Flashman and the Redskins - Though no date is actually given research has pinpointed the date
2 Tom Brown's Schooldays
3 Flashman in the Great Game; Flashman and the Redskins; Flashman and the Angel of the Lord
4 Tom Brown's Schooldays; Flashman
5 Flashman
6 Flashman
7 Flashman
8 Flashman and the Mountain of Light
9 Flashman at the Charge
10 Flashman in the Great Game
11 Flashman and the Dragon
12 Flashman and the Tiger
13 Flashman's Lady
14 Flashman's Lady
15 Flashman and the Redskins
16 Flashman
17 Who's Who entry
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HARRY ALBERT VICTOR FLASHMAN - Born in 1848 he was several years old before his father first saw him. Flashman always doubted his paternity but Jack Speedicut believed he was Flashman's son(1). Very little is known about his childhood. He is mentioned in letters sent to Flashman by Elspeth and it would seem that from an early age he was a religious person(2). He entered the Church of England and became a bishop(3). He is known as 'Havvy' in Flashman's memoirs because when he was young he couldn't say Harry(4).
1 Flashman at the Charge
2 Flashman and the Dragon
3 Flashman at the Charge
4 Flashman at the Charge
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JO FLASHMAN - Born in 1857 absolutely nothing is known about his daughter. There is only one mention of her in the memoirs published so far and that is just a passing reference. It would seem that Flashman doted on her more than his son and never doubted her paternity(1).
1 Flashman and the Redskins
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FRANK GROUARD - Flashman's bastard son by Cleonie, he was born in 1849(1). It was not until 1876 that Flashman knew of his existence(2). He grew up as a American Indian but he later returned with his mother to Susie Willinck's brothel in Santa Fe and was sent to school in the east of USA. He acted as a scout for the U.S. Army but moved freely between the white world and that of the American Indian. He was supposed to kill Flashman for his mother but he didn't. He saved his father's life at Little Bighorn by partially scalping him and pretending he was dead(3).
1 Flashman and the Redskins
2 Flashman and the Redskins
3 Flashman and the Redskins
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2nd COUNT PENCHERJEVSKY - This is not a confirmed child of Flashman and we'll probably never know for sure. All we know about him is he was born in 1855(1).
1 Flashman at the Charge
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SELINA STANGER nee FLASHMAN - Surprising there is more information on Selina that her father, H A V Flashman. Born in 1875 nothing is known of her early life. She grew up into a beautiful woman, tall with long raven black hair and large eyes(1). Flashman doted on her. In 1894 she was engaged to marry a Guards officer Randall Stanger(2). Due to his gambling Selina got Flashman involved with an old enemy, 'Tiger Jack' Moran(3).
1 Flashman and the Tiger
2 Flashman and the Tiger
3 Flashman and the Tiger
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JEMIMA STANGER - The only great grandchild that we know who the parents are. She was born in 1907 to Selina and Randall Stanger(1). She had all the Flashman traits of toadying and flirting and Flashman thought highly of her(2). She was not a sister of John(3).
1 Flashman and the Angel of the Lord
2 Flashman and the Angel of the Lord
3 Flashman and the Angel of the Lord
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JOHN - Eldest of the Flashman great grandchildren. Born in 1906 he was a serious and thoughtful child(1). We know he was not a brother of Jemima but if we take his use of the word 'cousin' literally then he is a grandson of H A V Flashman(2).
1 Flashman and the Angel of the Lord
2 Flashman and the Angel of the Lord
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ALICE - All that is known about her is she had long golden hair like Elspeth(1). It might be safe to suggest that she was born in 1908(2).
1 Flashman and the Angel of the Lord
2 Flashman lists his great grandchildren in what seems to be age order
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AUGUSTUS - The youngest of the Flashman grandchildren. All we know is he was born in 1909(1). A chance remark by Flashman might suggest he is a grandson of H A V Flashman though not a son of Selina(2).
1 Flashman and the Angel of the Lord
2 Flashman and the Angel of the Lord