Robert Sproule the Nabob and The Horse

 By the time Robert Sproule had lost all of his money, it was twelve years since he had left Ireland, but he remained in India for a few more years. His cousin, John Gamble, gives us more of his story in his book Society and Manners in Early Nineteenth-Century Ireland.

18th Century engraving of Bombay, Britannica.com

Eventually, Robert made his way back to Bombay to prepare for the journey home, and it is here that he met once more with his old friend, Joseph Alderson. This was the young adventurer who had travelled with Robert on his journey to India, and who Robert had saved when the ship went down. Joseph Alderson was now a Captain in the East Indes Company Navy, and was Commander of a ‘Country Ship’, which I believe is a ship that stayed round the Asia area.

 Joseph Alderson had stayed in contact with his friend Robert and as he had travelled to distant countries, he would send a present from each place to his ‘saviour’. On this occasion when they met in Bombay, he presented Robert Sproule with a valuable Arabian grey racehorse! Of course, Robert refused this, but his friend insisted that he take it, so take it he did.

When Robert left India shortly after this, he left instruction for his agent to sell the horse, and the Arabian Grey was sold for five hundred guineas. This money was then returned to Captain Joseph Alderson.

Gamble tells us that the horse was later taken to England where it was sold for £1200 and it became "the most famous Arabian horse in England"!

Now, that was the story related by John Gamble. Over 200 years later, Breandán Mac Suibhne set off to see if he could find this horse that became, “the most famous Arabian horse in England.” Could the horse story be true?

He actually seems to have had no difficulty at all in finding the horse, it was called ‘The Wellesley Grey' after his owner, Henry Wellesley! Breandán tells us in footnotes in Society and Manners;

“The ‘Wellesley Grey’, a horse imported from India by Henry Wellesley (1773–1847), youngest brother of the first Duke of Wellington. Another of his brothers, Richard Colley Wellesley, second Lord Mornington (1760–1842), had been governor-general in India; Henry acted as assistant to him in 1797–99 and 1801–02.

The Wellesley Grey stood at Chestnut, Hertfordshire, and Virginia Water, Surrey, producing many fine horses, notably Fair Ellen (1806). Few great sires were imported from India, which makes this identification quite secure; the horse’s date of birth is not known, but he died in winter 1811–12; hence, if he died of natural causes, it is probable that he was several years old when Robert Sproule was leaving India c. 1787.”  (Breandán Mac Suibhne, notes on p.556 with extensive sources Society and Manners)(My note, Robert was back in Ireland in 1885 see below)

I went looking for the 'Wellesley Grey' and immediately found this painting called, “The Wellesley Grey Arabian Led through the Desert”! It is by Jacques-Laurent Agasse, painted ca. 1810 in London. I don't know why the 'Wellesley Grey' was placed in the desert, but this must be a painting of the horse in our story, the famous Wellesley Grey horse that came from India and was formerly owned, ever so briefly, by our Robert Sproule! Quite amazing to see it!

The Wellesley Grey, by Jacque-Laurent Agasse ca. 1810

Despite rejecting this opportunity to further enrich himself with this horse, Robert Sproule headed back from India with £2000 in his pocket, Gamble tells us. He went from England straight to Ireland. 

Although Gamble doesn't tell us, we know that Robert arrived back in 1885:

“Sproul served his time to his uncle and went to India about 17 years ago; he had in his apprenticeship contracted a love for one of Mr Sproul's daughters; they made some sort of an engagement.

The poor girl has been very sickly for some years, and is very much changed; however he continued steady as she did, and yesterday they were married; I beg pardon for this trouble, but I could not help mentioning the uncommon goodness of my son's friend”  (Letter written 18 September 1785 James Hamilton agent in Strabane, to the Earl of Abercorn;  PRONI D623/A/46/17)

So this tells us that Robert lost no time in marrying his steadfast love, his cousin Jane, and that they were married on 17 September 1785 in Strabane. 

John Gamble tells us;

“For a short while he lived on his small income, and, could we read the heart of man, had perhaps greater happiness than he afterwards had on a much greater one.”

But I believe, in fact, that Robert Sproule was not poor when he arrived home, he already had acquired the first chunk of wealth that put him near to the status of a 'Nabob'.

Society and Manners in Early Nineteenth-Century Ireland, by John Gamble — edited and introduced by Breandán Mac Suibhne, published by Field Day 1911

Other posts in this series:

1. The Nabob

2. The Story of Robert Sproule the Nabob 1