Another mystery solved

 

For the past eleven years I have been researching “The Bristol Bobbies” - a group of twelve Bristol constables who volunteered for duty with the Hong Kong Police in 1882.  All were born in the south-west of England but their life stories led me on to many lands.  To Consulate Constables in China; to the murder of a British Diplomat in Japan; to policing the Plague in Hong Kong; through a scandalous corruption case; off to Australasia and the Prairies of Canada; not to mention policing the streets and postal service of London.  Only six of these men ended their days back in the south-west of England the others sought better lives far away.  But the fate of one eluded me.  He disappeared from the HK scene in 1887 and seemingly dropped off the edge of the globe.  Try as I might I could not find him anywhere.  But yesterday, after years of searching, a copy of document ordered from one of those far off lands dropped through my letter box – and another mystery has been solved.

Tomorrow I am off to Wales, hopefully, to find the family photo album of one of The Forty Thieves.  Research is definitely not dull.

Stormy seas - the story of George BOOLE

George Arthur William BOOLE was born in Siddington, Gloucestershire on 30 March 1877 and baptised in West Down, North Devon on 26 August 1878, At the age of 17, whilst working as a labourer for Mr. Mitchell & Co. in Barnstaple, he joined the Militia (4th. Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment) and on 10 June 1895 enlisted with the Royal Marines in Exeter. Training was at the RM Depot at Walmer in Kent before being posted to the Plymouth Division. The majority of George’s service was on ships of the Channel Squadron before volunteering for duty with the Hong Kong Police and leaving England in February 1900.

By 1904 George was a Lance Sergeant acting as Assistant Foreman and Engine Driver of the Floating Fire Engine.  In April 1904 a huge fire broke out at Godown No 23 of the HK & Kln Wharf & Godown Co in Tsim Sha Tsui.  The godown in question was storing a quantiy of very flammable material and it was not long before the whole building exploded.  Fire engines raced to the scene and the men worked all night fighing the flames and damping down.  During the height of the blaze Dr. Gibson made his rounds attending to those who needed treatment - he was followed by a coolie carrying bottles of spirits for the men.  It was stated that:
 
"the restorative effects of these stimulants were noticed to have a good result and the men worked harder than ever after receiving their "nobbler"".

On 18th. September 1906 a severe typhoon hit Hong Kong killing hundreds and causing considerable damage. Guests taking breakfast at the Hong Kong Hotel saw the roof of the new Post Office being carried away on the winds. The press reported:

“The gale kept ripping out planks here and there until the structure looked as if it had been ‘stormed at by shot and shell’. These planks went whirling away like scraps of paper some dropping far out to sea, others boomeranging into neighbouring verandahs. Passengers and sightseers on the streets ran great risks. Two policemen passing that way were nearly struck just before the big collapse took place. What was left on the roof lifted and swayed giddily uprooting or disconnecting the supporting timbers and scaffolding. These crumpled down like a house of cards making a horrible noise and the roof followed with a sidewise lurch, slowly, almost gracefully, until it went to pieces with the rest on the street below.”

There were many daring acts of courage. On seeing a man being blown into the harbour Mr. Bevan and an Indian constable went to his rescue. The constable unwrapped his turban, Bevan snatched one end of this and jumped into the water and was able to get a grip on the man. The couple were then pulled ashore by the constable.  

Perhaps the saddest of stories concerned the Donaldson family who were living on a houseboat named the Kongnam. Mr. Donaldson was an assistant with Messrs. Butterfield and Swire and although quiet in nature was well liked by his colleagues. Mrs. Donaldson was a dance teacher. The Kongnam took a real battering from the waves and when the sea washed away the deck-cabins Mr. Donaldson snatched up their baby and attempted to rush to safety but a wave carried them both into the sea.  Mrs. Donaldson with her four year old son and two Chinese ladies huddled together until the boat lurched and they too were washed into the sea.

Police stations at Sham Shui Po and Shatin were demolished; Police launch No. 1 was sunk at Tai Kok Tsui and No. 2 launch went down at Castle Peak. Inspector Kerr and his crew were rescued by a Customs cruiser. The Captain Superintendent of Police in his report after the event commented that he was satisfied that Lance Sergeant 128 Boole had done his best to try to save No. 1 launch. The Water Police saved over a hundred people but in the aftermath they had the unpleasant duty of clearing wreckage and retrieving corpses. Constable Mundy was so overcome from the smell that he had to be taken to hospital. Two days after the storm it was reported that 1,688 bodies had been recovered.

 

1908 saw yet another typhoon hit the colony. George was again in charge of No. 1 launch when during the height of the storm it was hit and keeled over. George fell overboard and was pulled to safety by Seaman 465 LAM Kun hoi - just in time to avoid being crushed. Sergeants Clarke and Devney along with PC Ogg were also injured during the storm.

George left Hong Kong in 1910 for a spell of Home Leave - much of the time being spent in Ilfracombe with friends. 

He returned to Hong Kong on board P & Os Malwa in December 1910 and was posted to the Water Police at Taipo - by now he was an Acting Crown Sergeant. 

Then one morning in July 1911 he began to feel unwell and developed a fever. He knew he had to get himself to hospital but by the time his train reached Kowloon he had lapsed into unconsciousness.   

George died on the way to the hospital.

His funeral took place in the evening of 10th. July 1911 and was attended by 100 comrades and friends - and, as the inscription reads:

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

 

Bertie ELLY - The Saurian Slayer

Albert ELLY (or Bertie as he was known within the family) was born in Bath on 20 February 1875, the son of Isaac ELLY and his wife Elizabeth. As a teenager Bertie became an errand boy which bought in a few pennies for the family coffers, then at the age of 18 he enlisted with the Royal Marines in Cardiff - Private 6669. He stated his occupation to be “Collier” and getting away to sea had to be better than working in the mines. He was described as being 5ft. 6ins in height with brown hair, grey eyes and a fair complexion.

For a little over a year Bertie was land based at Walmer, Gosport and Plymouth learning all there was to know about being a Royal Marine. It was in January 1895 that he embarked on HMS Hibernia and in May transferred to HMS Hebe for service in the Mediterranean. It was here that something went dreadfully wrong - whether he was wounded or struck by illness is not known but for some reason he was hospitalised in Gibraltar & Malta and remained on the invalid list for most of the year. In August he returned to Plymouth and six months later began an eighteen month posting on HMS Impregnable, the school ship at Devonport.

HMS Impregnable 

At the end of 1899 he was one of 40 Royal Marines to volunteer for service with the Hong Kong Police. The volunteers embarked in London on the Glen Line Steamer “Glenfarg” and arrived in Hong Kong at the end of March. The afternoon following their arrival saw the Governor inspecting the whole of the Police Force in the compound at Central Police Station. The new recruits could be seen lined up at the rear of the European contingent - it was reported that they had signed on for a period of 5 years on pay of $75 per month.

At this time the Superintendent of the Gaol was also the Captain Superintendent of Police so perhaps it is not surprising to find Police Constables transferring from one department to the other. Bertie was one of 6 Royal Marines/Constables to transfer to the Gaol as Warders on 7 September 1901.

Central Police Station and Victoria Gaol formed part of the same complex - imposing edifices situated on Hollywood Road and Old Bailey Street. Space was always an issue and the year 1900 saw yet another wing being added to the gaol. The annual report mentions that so many prisoners were confined during 1901 that it was frequently necessary to put 3 prisoners together in small cells which were intended for just one person. The overcrowding meant that it was a particularly unhealthy place during the hot, humid summer months. During 1902 there were 91 staff employed at the gaol and of these 86 had to be admitted to hospital at some point during the year - two had to be invalided because of rheumatism whilst a third left with TB. The following year saw an outbreak of plague within the gaol - 6 Indian officers and 1 European contracted the disease. Indian Assistant Warder Isher Singh died on 21 May - fortunately the others survived.

Bertie’s name disappears from the staff lists about this time so maybe he was the officer who was invalided with TB. His name reappears in 1905 when he can be found working for the Godown and Tally Department of the Taikoo Sugar Refinery in Quarry Bay. By 1908 he had married and it was then that he left for Singapore to work for the Tanjong Pagar Dock Board which in 1913 was retitled the Singapore Harbour Board.

Victoria Dock Tanjong Pagar 

Crocodiles in the location of the docks were a problem but with his military background Bertie was a fair shot and was often reported as having bagged himself another speciman.

By 1916 Bertie had moved to Malaya and was working for the F.M.S. Railways as wharfinger at Port Swettenham. 

F.M.S. Railways and Port Swettenham 

 Much of his time was spent collecting funds for the European War Effort to benefit the British Red Cross and St. Johns Ambulance. However, life was not without excitement for at dusk one evening he managed to bag himself another crocodile. This one was reported as being 12 ft in length with a girth of 5ft. 7 ins - a veritable monster.

During 1918 Bertie was elected a Fellow of the Royal Colonial Institute in London.

In 1931 Bertie and Alice Maud made their final voyage home to England. From then on Bertie can be found as a member of the Bath Anglers’ Association. He was always listed with those who managed to catch the biggest fish but I wonder whether any of them ever believed his story about bagging a 12ft. crocodile!

In 1949 the Bath & District Royal Marines Association made a visit to Plymouth and Bertie, as a 74 year old veteran, joined the party. This particular adventurer lived to the ripe old age of 83. He passed away on 31 December 1958 leaving the grand sum of £1622 15s to his widow, Alice Maud. 

PC 99 James Edward NEW

 

1898 saw the New Territories being ceded to Britain for a term of 99 years and with the expansion of the Colony came the expansion of the Police Force.  In 1899 38 Europeans were recruited with a further 49 being recruited in 1900.  Included in these figures were two intakes from the Royal Marines who were to go down in history under the nicknames of “The Twelve Apostles” and “The Forty Thieves”.  As with all intakes there were some who left or were discharged after a short period of time but in the main these two intakes produced men of substance who made Hong Kong their home and who had long and very successful careers.  In the coming months this blog will relate all their stories but let us start with those men whose remains lie within the former Hong Kong Colonial Cemetery in Happy Valley and who are, in the true sense of the words, Hong Kong Souls. 

James Edward NEW

James was born in the East End of London in February 1875, the third son of Samuel Kearly New and his wife Mary Ann (nee Damon).  James never knew his father who died when he was an infant.  His mother remarried and after a few years in her home county of Dorset the family returned to the East End.  As a young man James became a dock labourer and at the age of 19 enlisted with the Chatham Division of the Royal Marines – Private 8076.  Within a few months he had obtained the 2^nd. Class School Certificate. Fifteen months later he embarked on the “Theseus” for Africa and took part in the Benin Punitive Expedition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benin_Expedition_of_1897

James  received Good Conduct badges in 1896 and 1900 and was also awarded the West Africa medal with 1897 Benin clasp.   In February 1900 James was one of 40 marines to transfer to the Hong Kong Police. 

The group embarked on the Glen Line Steamer “Glenfarg” at London on 2 February and arrived in Hong Kong on 27 March.  The following day at 3.30pm the Governor inspected the whole of the Police Force in the compound at Central Police Station.  The new recruits lined up at the rear of the European contingent and it was reported that they had signed on for a period of 5 years on pay of $75 per month. 

James was posted to the New Territories as PC 99.   After taking over the New Territories in 1899 temporary matsheds were constructed at Taipo, Au Tau, Sha Tin and Fu Ti Au for use of the police.  By 1901 several  new police stations had been built but some of these were found to be very unhealthy and the local Chinese declared them to have bad “Fung-shui”. 

Summer months in Hong Kong are hot and very humid – think of a steamy sauna and you will not be far from the mark.  On 22 June 1901 James went on duty as normal but by the evening he was feeling decidedly unwell.  He was attended by Dr. HO Nai-hop the Medical Officer stationed in the New Territories but over the next couple of days he became very ill and his temperature rocketted to 107 degrees.  He died at 10pm on 24 June having been in Hong Kong for just 15 months.

Mr. E.R. Hallifax, Assistant Superintendent of Police in charge of the New Territories, arranged for James’ body to be sent to Hong Kong.  Dr. Bell, Assistant Surgeon, pronounced that death was due to sunstroke.  James was reported to have an irreproachable character.  He was the first of “The Forty Thieves” to die in the Colony.

James was unmarried but he did have family in England – his mother and a sister.  The Hong Kong Government sent notification of the death to the authorities in London but instead of despatching the news by telegram a letter was sent by sea-mail – not arriving until early August.  Before the family could be notified officially they received a private letter from one of James’ colleagues in Hong Kong.  Both sister and mother complained bitterly about the lack of information.  As a result it was agreed that  future notifications would be sent by telegram rather than by the “slow boat from China”!

James was buried at 7am on Wednesday 26 June 1901 in Section 2 of the Colonial Cemetery – Grave 6404.

Hong Kong Police History

"From British Bobby to Hong Kong Copper"

 

Vignettes from the History of the Hong Kong Police

 

Talk and Presentation at

The National Archives (TNA), Kew, London

at 2pm on Thursday 18th. September 2014 

 

To reserve your place please visit TNA's webpage:

The National Archives Events 

 

Stories will include: 

 

The establishment of the Hong Kong Police when Charles MAY, Thomas SMITHERS, and Hugh McGREGOR were recruited from the Metropolitan Police in the East End of London in 1844.

 

The tale of George BRIARLY dismissed in 1873 without setting one foot on his beat.

 

Plus stories of a constable recruited from the Edinburgh Police and another from the Royal Irish Constabulary.

 

They came from far and wide to join the Hong Kong Police.

 

Interested in the History of the Hong Kong Police?

Interested in the History of Hong Kong?

Interested in researching Hong Kong Police Ancestors?

Then reserve your place

I look forward to seeing you there

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Earnshaw Brothers

For my latest story of two members of the Hong Kong Police in the 1920s please follow this link to my Hong Kong Cemetery Blog:

http://hongkongcemetery.blogspot.co.uk/

William Henry Cobeldick RYAN

William Henry Cobeldick RYAN was born in Devon in 1880.  At the age of 20 he journeyed to the capital and joined the London & India Dock Police.  In 1902 he was recruited by the Hong Kong Police and arrived in the Colony on 19 November.

During the next couple of years he was reported as making excellent progress and his future looked bright but then tragedy struck.  Early one morning whilst walking along Wyndham Street he suddenly found that he was being attacked.  The China Mail later reported that:

An Indian rushed out at him and almost before he was aware of his presence made a slash at him with a sword.  The blow was aimed at the Constable’s head but fortunately did not strike him fairly but instead caught the base of his helmet from the back.  This broke the force of the blow and undoubtedly saved the Constable’s life for even after striking the helmet and knocking it off there was still sufficient force left in the blow to send the blade of the sword into the flesh at the back of the Constable’s neck and fell him to the ground.

He quickly got on his feet again and commenced to blow his whistle which attracted the attention of an Indian Sergeant who was in the vicinity.  The would be assassin had made off along  Lower Albert Road but the Sergeant gave chase and succeeded in capturing him.

Constable Ryan was by this time almost covered in blood which flowed freely from the wound in the back of his neck but he accompanied the Sergeant and his prisoner to Central Police Station.  He was then sent to Government Civil Hospital to have the wound attended to.

Ryan spent months in hospital and then sadly had to be invalided from the service.

He returned to England for a short time but in March 1905 set off on his travels again and emigrated to New Zealand.   A few years later he crossed over to Australia and travelled to the interior prospecting for gold.  It was at the Cotter River, some 200 miles from Sydney, that tragedy struck for a second time.  A friend got into difficulties and Ryan jumped into the river to rescue him.  He succeeded in getting the drowning man out of the river but died himself as he reached the bank.

One of his friends had the sad job of writing to Ryan’s brother in Plymouth:

Both my mate and I are grief stricken with sorrow at his loss and cannot express our admiration of him.  A better mate or a more noble hearted man it would be impossible to imagine, a man who sacrificed his life for his mate.

Who knows what Ryan might have gone on to achieve if that tragic blow had not been struck in Wyndham Street  back in 1904.

If you would like any help with your Hong Kong Police Ancestor Research then please contact me at

(You will need to type this into your e-mail as it is not a direct link - this is to prevent spammers picking up the address)

The Case of George Briarly

George Briarly was born in Tullamore, Kings County in the mid 1840s. As a young man he joined the Royal Irish Constabulary and served for seven years before resigning on 15 November 1870. George travelled to London and six months later joined the Metropolitan Police as a 4th. Class Constable. He was issued with warrant number 54384 and posted to “T” Hammersmith Division – his collar number was T470. The following spring he was passed over for advancement to 3rd. Class Constable. Towards the end of the year Metropolitan Police Orders called for volunteers to serve in the Hong Kong Police and twenty constables, including George, resigned and set sail for the Far East.

During the recruitment process George asked to see a copy of the Regulations governing the Hong Kong Police but they were not available and he was simply told that they were similar to those that he was serving under with the Met. During the long sea voyage the constables became aware that all European and Indian police in HK were obliged to undergo a monthly examination for what we now refer to as STDs. To make matters worse they heard that the examination was normally conducted with the assistance of a Black Turnkey at the Gaol – or sometimes even convicts – I think we all know how facts can come become distorted!

However, the new recruits were horrified and when they arrived in the Colony they refused to submit to the examination on the grounds that they hadn’t been made aware of this prior to leaving London. They were all told they would be up on charges if they didn’t have the examination and so they gave in. But George had been the ring leader and it was his head that was to roll. He was instantly dismissed and refused the cost of his passage back to the UK. Fortunately the press came to his rescue but that meant that the whole nasty incident received a lot of publicity. A public subscription was raised and this brought in enough money to pay for his passage back to London. As he had been dismissed from the HK Police the Met. refused to take him back but fortunately he managed to find a job as an Inspector with the Water Works.

A few months after Briarley’s dismissal two of his colleagues from the same Met. intake caused another stir by asking to resign. They cited lots of reasons one of which was that they were compelled to learn a language which they saw as being completely useless and which they had absolutely no interest in acquiring. They were dismissed for Gross Misconduct.

George served for many years with the Water Works and earned himself a nice pension. He retired to Bedfordshire where he died in 1913. I wonder if he ever told his grandchildren of his adventures overseas !

Service details of officers who served with the RIC, Metropolitan Police and Hong Kong Police can all be found at The National Archives - although coverage is not necessarily complete for all years.

If you would like some help please contact me (you will need to type this address into your e-mail as it is not a direct link)

Scandal & Disaster for a former Police Officer

William Jordon UNWIN had been born in London in the early 1880s and at the age of 20 he joined the Metropolitan Police. A couple of years later volunteers were needed to serve in the Hong Kong Police and W.J. took up the challenge. Shortly after arriving he found that the European Rank & File were waging battle with the government for higher pay. He put his name to the petition. There are indications that W.J. served with both the Water Police and at the Supreme Court. After a few years life outside of the Police seemed to be a more attractive proposition and he transferred to the Hong Kong Land Office as a Bailiff.

Talking of more attractive propositions poor W.J. took a shine to the wife of Mr. Clarke who worked in the Import and Export Department – or perhaps she took a shine to him. Things went from bad to worse in September 1913 because W.J. fled the Colony with Mrs. Clarke in tow !!!

Quite what happened on his return is unclear but what is known is that he stayed with his brother in Kennington and spun some yarn about suffering from malaria and being sent home on sick leave.

The cold, dark month of January 1914 proved too much for W.J. and one night he travelled to Epsom Common and shot himself. The press reported that he had once served at Epsom as a Constable. The inquest returned a verdict of suicide.

If you want to trace the Metropolitan Police Service record of this officer you will find it at The National Archives.

If you want to trace his career in Hong Kong these records will also be found at The National Archives.

However, I am always here to help !!!