Dan
and Elizabeth were married by license at St. Mary’s, Leintwardine on 7 June
1882. The witnesses to the marriage were Arthur
Sheppard the coachman at Leintwardine House and Thurza Lewis the housemaid. The press announcement shows Dan to be the
fourth son of Mr. Richard Hall of Didmarton and Lizzie the youngest daughter of
Mr. James Perks.
Leintwardine Parish Church
Six
weeks later Dan joined his fellow recruits as they embarked from London. The wives and children of some
of the policemen joined their husbands on the 6 ½ week voyage to Hong Kong but Elizabeth appears to have remained in England. She was
expecting Dan’s child. Violet Lizzie was born the following spring.
Two
days after arrival in Hong
Kong the new recruits were
sworn in at The Magistracy for a tour of duty lasting 5 years.
They
must have faced a real culture shock as everything was so different. They found that their colleagues were Sikhs
and Chinese and it was going to take an awful lot of work to be able to
communicate with them.
Out
on the streets the markets were crowded; ear cleaners & barbers set up their stands on
the roadside; and the fortune teller always drew a large crowd.
And the streets were always adorned with washing!
Dan
settled down well to the normal day to day routine and 1886 saw
him taking part in a couple of events at the annual Police Sports Day – the
Hop, Skip & Jump and the Tug o War.
A
few months later a Police shooting match took place at Kowloon Range. The teams
were made up of men from No 1 and No 2 Rooms at Central Police Station and a PS
Hall is shown as one of the representatives of No. 2 Room. The press reported that some of the men were
“quite untrained shots and the shooting
all round was not of a high class”.
A
few months later Dan’s duties took him to No. 37 Staunton Street where he came across two Chinese men. One was busy writing out lottery tickets for
the game known as Tsz’ fa. Gambling was
illegal in the colony so PS 91 Daniel Hall made an arrest and took them off to
court.
At
some point after Violet’s birth Elizabeth joined Dan in Hong Kong and they went on to have three more children – Daisy Charlotte born on
31
December 1884; William
Maskelyne born 18 December 1887; and May Harriet born 10 March 1890.
We
shall catch up with some of the children later in the story.
At
this time the Hong Kong Fire Brigade came under the auspices of the Police and
on 1
May 1889 Dan took up duty as
an Assistant Engine Driver for which he received an allowance of $144 per annum
on top of his sergeants salary of $624.
On
6
September 1892 he
advanced to Engine Driver with an allowance of $192 on top of his sergeants salary
of $720.
Bubonic
plague swept through Hong Kong in the summer of 1894 and Sergeant Hall played his
part.
"On 31 May additional bye-laws were made by the Sanitary Board and under them notices were issued to householders in the Central District of the City of Victoria and at Kowloon calling upon them to cleanse thier houses.
Up to date 1,805 notices have been issued in the City and in obedience to them 1,303 houses have been cleaned under the supervision of Non-Commissioned Officers and men of The Royal Engineers.
Thanks to the exertions of Sergeant Hall it was found possible to induce householders in a large portion of the Eastern District to clean their houses without having recourse to the serving of notices whereby much time was saved. The entire villages of Yaumati and Hunghom have been cleaned in the same manner under the supervision of two men of the Royal Engineers."
On
1 February 1896 Acting Inspector Dan Hall was appointed an Inspector of
Nuisances. The Sanitary Board annual
report shows him to be in charge of No. 11 Health District. Duties
included:
"The Inspector of Nuisances shall see that the Government Scavenging and Night-soil Contractors for the time being strictly comply with the terms of their contracts and that all night-soil and urine, all house-sweeping and dry rubbish, and all refuse, noxious or innocuous, are removed in accordance with the prescribed regulations at least once a day from every tenement in the City of Victoria".
The
mid 1890s saw the Hong Kong Police Force involved in a corruption scandal of mega
proportions. My previous blog on Job
Witchell mentions that he was convicted of accepting bribes and sentenced to six
months imprisonment. But his was not the
only name to come up during investigations.
Several other police officers – Inspectors down to Constables – were
shown on “The List” provided by the convicted gaming house keeper Sam Yin. At one point it looked as if all were to be
dismissed from the force but closer examination of the evidence showed that it
would be impossible to prove that any one of them actually received the money
which it was said was paid over to them.
They escaped dismissal but all were compulsorily retired. After much debate they were allowed to claim
the pension that was due to them. The
name of Daniel Hall was on that list.
The
press reported that D. Hall, along with several of his colleagues left for home
by the P&O Coromandel on 5 March 1898.
"They had a very hearty send off from their comrades and civilian friends and bag-pipes skirled them a farewell from Market Wharf. The Chinese testified their goodwill to the departing officers with a loud and long sustained firing of crackers".
During
the whole of his service from 1882 to 1898 Dan had only taken 4 months and 20
days leave. So it is doubtful that he had ever made a trip back home. Dan’s
pension when converted to sterling amounted to £45 16s 8d per annum. This would not go far in supporting his
family when he returned to Gloucestershire so he became an Inn Keeper, running
the Brewers Arms in Wotton-under-Edge. The
premises had been advertised for rent by the Stroud Brewery Company a few weeks
after Dan returned home in 1898. In 1911
the rent was shown as being £12 per annum.
It has not been possible to find a picture of the Inn but having scoured old maps and old directories I have come to the conclusion that this property, now called The Moorings, was possibly once the Brewers Arms. If anyone can prove or disprove this I would love to hear from you.
Dan
died on 15 February 1913
after contracting pneumonia. The press
reported:
"The death of Mr. Daniel Hall of Wotton-under-Edge this week after a short illness removes from the midst of the townspeople a worthy and much respected resident. He enjoyed good health up till the time of his illness and his unexpected end was heard of with sorrow in the town. Mr. Hall spent the early part of his life in Hong Kong and came to Wotton-under-Edge to conduct the Brewers' Arms, a well known hostelry. He has recently been living in retirement in Long Street. Mr. Hall had served the town with acceptance on the Parish Council and at the time of his death he was a member of the Town Trust. He was a regular attendant at the meetings and his attention to the various matters which cropped up between them showed how deeply interest he was in his duties. He was a prominent Conservative and did much useful work for the cause".
Dan
was buried at the Parish church on 19 February 1913. There was a
large gathering at the funeral service including three of his former Hong Kong Police
colleagues.
The parish register gives his
address as “The Steep” which was an extension of Long Street. The picture below shows the
Conservative and Unionist Club on the right - a wall lamp marking its location. Dan would have known this well.
Dan’s
estate, amounting to £116 2s, was adminstered by his son, William
Maskelyn Hall, plumber.
Throughout
the 1920s Dan’s widow, Elizabeth, lived in Wortley Road, Wotton-under-Edge.
In her late 70s she became profoundly deaf and became confused. When crossing the road she developed the
habit of stopping in the middle and then going back. Her son warned her of the dangers.
On
the evening of Tuesday 4 February 1930 Elizabeth
left her home in Wortley Terrace and began to cross the road. As she was deaf she did not hear the
approaching motor-cyclist. The driver,
24 year old William Taverner, had a good light on his motorbike but it was
getting dark. He knew there was a corner coming up in the road so he reduced
his speed to 10-15 miles an hour. Suddenly, right in front of him only a few feet
away, he saw a dark figure. There was no time to sound his horn - he applied
his brakes and swerved to try to avoid Elizabeth but the handlebars hit her on the side. William was thrown clear as Elizabeth fell to the ground.
She died the following afternoon.
The inquest returned the verdict of “Death from shock following accidental
injuries”.
The
parish register shows that Elizabeth
was buried on 8 February 1930 at the age of 77.
Young William Tavender attended her funeral.
This
concludes the story of Dan and Elizabeth - but what of their children?
Children of Dan & Elizabeth
If
we return to Hong Kong we find a reference to young Willie Hall, age 8, the
son of a police officer, winning the short race for boys at the police children's party. The
party was an annual event held at Central Police Station. The press reported that:
“the compound and lawn were beautifully
decked out with many large banners and smaller brightly coloured flags and
streamers – and all along the lawn were the tables bounteously heaped with the
dainties that delight the little ones.
The afternoon was spent in sports and after tea an adjournment was made
to the Captain Superintendent’s quarters for the great event of the
afternoon. The festivities were a great
success and the tiny folk as they left seemed to have enough added joy in their
faces to last out at least another year.
Perhaps the feature that made the most vivid impression on their minds
was the unique sight of Captain Sterling as he entered the room and dispensed
the presents from the twinkling Christmas tree.
Rigged in a sumptuous white Mother Hubbard trimmed with golden yellow
fringe and having huge leg-of-mutton sleeves wearing on his head a monstrous
fluffy white cotton wig and over his eyes massive dark brows, and with a
giant’s staff in his hand he seemed to be one of the Norse gods and to bear in
his towering form all the mystic weirdness of his home of ice and snow. The children will always feel that they will
never see just such another Santa Claus.”
It
is worth mentioning here that Job’s daughter, Lily Witchell, won the Over 7s
Flat Race for Girls; Jim Witchell the Long Race for Boys; and James Witchell
the Obstacle Race.
Violet Lizzie Hall
1883 - 1962
It
goes without saying that in a small place like Hong Kong the children of police
officers would all have been friends – or at least have know each other. So perhaps it is not surprising to find that Violet
Lizzie Hall (daughter of Dan & Elizabeth) married Robert Charles Witchell (son of Job
Witchell). The ceremony took place on 12 December 1906 back home in England - in the parish church of Wotton-under-Edge.
Violet’s youngest sister, May Harriet Hall,
was one of the bridesmaids and also witnessed the marriage. The press reported:
“An interesting wedding was solemnised at St.
Mary’s Church on Wednesday, the Rev. H.W.B. Berry officiating, the contracting
parties being Robert Charles Witchell of Hong Kong, China and Violet Hall of
Wotton-under-Edge. The bride who was
given away by her father Mr. Daniel Hall looked charming in a gown of white
silk with embroidered tulle veil, surmounted by a wreath of orange blossoms and
carried a beautiful shower bouquet of white chrysanthemums, the gift of the
bridegroom. She was attended by two bridesmaids
– Miss May Hall (sister of the bride) and Miss J Huggins (cousin of the
bridegroom) – who wore white mercerised crepoline dresses trimed with
Valencienses lace, and white frilled hats with trimmings of pale blue silk, and
carried bouquets of chrysanthemums and wore pearl brooches the gifts of the
bridegroom. Mr. J. Witchell of Oulton was the best man. Mr. Mitchell of Bath presided at the organ and played suitable voluntaries. A reception was held at the Brewers Arms, the clubroom being specially decorated for the occasion, and later Mr. and Mrs. Witchell left for Weston-super-Mare, previous to leaving for China. The bride's travelling dress was of green cloth with black hat. The presents were very numerous."
Weston on a damp & dismal day!
Robert
Charles Witchell was a Sanitary Inspector in Hong Kong and he and Violet went on to
expand the Witchell dynasty with several children. One son, Charles Henry, died on 1 August 1916 at the age of 6 ½ years. His
grave in the Hong
Kong Cemetery is marked with a small scroll headstone. I first recorded this inscription during my project aimed at recording all the MIs within the cemetery back in the 1980s. When I returned in 2009 to photograph all the headstones the inscription was still legible.
The
family returned to the UK on leave in the spring of 1928 on P&Os
Morea. It was to be a fateful leave.
On 19 October
Robert died at Ham Green Hospital in Somerset. His estate amounted to £551 14s - his address was
given as Hill House, Old Sodbury. Violet
Lizzie was named as his widow. Robert’s
funeral took place at the Arnos Vale Crematorium in Bristol on 23 October.
After
her husband’s death Violet returned to Hong Kong for a few years but in 1939 returned to the UK to live at 4 Junction Road, Bath.
Violet’s son,
Robert George, had been a source of worry.
He had married Maria K. Ignatieva in Shanghai but she proved to be a very expensive lady to keep. To read more about her son’s sorry tale I
refer readers to Rudi Butt’s blog:
After
a troubled life perhaps it is no surprise to find that Robert George Witchell
died in 1948 at the age of 40:
"Mrs. R.C. Witchell of 35 Belvedere, Bath has received the tragic news that her only son, Mr. Robert George Witchell was killed in a motor accident in Germany on December 18. He was 40.
Mr. Witchell, who was born in Hongkong, lived there until just before the war, when he came to England to join the Army. He served with the Royal Artillery throughout.
At the time of his death, no details of which have been received, he was with the Civil Control Commission.
A widower, he has three sisters who live in Hongkong. His father, Mr. R.C. Witchell, died over nine years ago whilst on leave in this country."
Violet died in 1962 at the age of 79. Her funeral service was held at the Arnos Vale Crematorium.
William Maskelyne Hall
1887 - 1968
Electoral
rolls for 1909 and 1910 list William as a Lodger occupying a furnished bedroom
at the Brewer’s Arms in Wotton-under-Edge.
This was the licensed premises run by his father, Dan.
The
1911 census shows William as a decorator in Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire.
On
24
December 1913, a few months
after his father’s death, William married Margaret M. Roberts in
Wotton-under-Edge. His address was shown as Tortworth which is a few miles west
of Wotton.
Indications
have been found showing that William probably served with the RAMC during the
war. On 26 August 1916 he had the painful duty of writing to Mrs. Davis in
Wotton-under-Edge informing her of the death of her husband, James Davis.
August 26th.
Dear
Mrs. Davis
It
is my sad duty to inform you of your husband’s death. He was hit by a piece of shrapnel and died
instantaneously, thereby suffering no pain.
On behalf of the Ambulance and particularly the section to which he
belonged, I offer you our heartfelt sympathy.
He
was much respected by all who came into contact with him and the news of his
death, which occurred this morning, came as a great shock to us.
Believe me to remain
Yours sincerely
William M. Hall
After
the war William built up a builders and plumbing business at Westridge, 11 Bradley Street, Wotton-under-Edge.
This was a semi-detached stone built property comprising 2 reception
rooms, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, fitted bathroom and 2 attics. At the side was the entrance to the builders
yard with garage, large workshop, outbuildings and pigsty.
The
property was put up for sale in 1950 but as William and Margaret were still
listed on the electoral roll throughout the early 1960s it appears that they
had a change of heart. By 1966 they were
shown as living at 11a Bradley Street. This was a
newer property built on land behind the original cottage – possibly built by
William himself?
William
died on 29 May 1968. Probate calendars show his estate to be valued
at £8103.
Footnote:
This
story of Daniel Hall and his family forms one very small part of my research
into the 1882 Hong Kong Police intake which - for the purpose of historical
talks - I have nicknamed “The Bristol Bobbies”.
I hope to post more of their stories in due course as each is very different.
If
any reader should have additional information on Daisy Charlotte Hall or her
sister, May Harriet Hall, I would love to hear from you. It appears that they both went into domestic
service. Daisy could well have married (or at least had a partner) whilst May possibly remained single.
Please
