Further research into John Urquhart uncovered interesting events in his military career.

During the First Opium War, in May 1841, as a Lieutenant of the Royal Marines, he led a detachment of Royal Marines on the HMS Conway during the assault on and capture of Canton (Guangzhou) and was mentioned in dispatches. Charles Rudston Read was one of the naval officers on the HMS Conway.

In March 1849, Urquhart was court-martialled and dismissed from the service for “a breach of faith.” After a review, the Admiralty reversed this decision and he was re-instated as a Captain on half-pay – effectively the Royal Navy Reserve. In 1850, he was appointed Paymaster of the 59th Regiment of Foot – serving with the British Army instead of the Royal Marines [01].

Urquhart’s wife died in February 1852 and in October he was again court-martialled, this time for a loud argument with a fellow officer. The two men were found guilty and “severely reprimanded.” Urquhart was removed as Paymaster of the 59th and returned to the Royal Navy half-pay list. In January 1853, he sailed from Canton to Melbourne on the Sphynx.

In May 1853, he was appointed Junior Assistant Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Gold Districts and met Panton in Bendigo (see John Urquhart and the Sandhurst Government Camp). He resigned this post (or was asked to resign) in November 1853 and returned to England on the Anglesey in January-May 1855.

He married for a second time on 29 August 1857 at St Paul’s Southsea, Portsmouth. His wife was Jane Beck.

He soon returned to British Army service as Paymaster to the British Swiss Legion (1855-1857) [02], the 21st Regiment of Foot (1857-1859) [03] [04], and the 27th Regiment of Foot (1859-1861) [05]. During the latter service in India, he was again court-martialled for writing a satire on British Indian Society and again reprimanded.

John Urquhart died of cholera on 9 September 1861 at Morar, Gwalior, in the Bengal Presidency [India] and was buried the next day [06].