The British Crown Colony of Hong
Kong sat on the edge of the mighty Chinese Empire so it will not be surprising
to hear that the colony was used as staging post. British Consulates were located at strategic
points along the China Coast Kew .
Many of the early consulate staff
had previous service in Hong Kong . One such man was Henry Fletcher HANCE who
joined the Hong Kong Government as a clerk in 1844. A few years later, in a move aimed at
furthering his career, he was successful in obtaining a post in Canton
as Fourth Assistant with the Superintendent of Trade for China . Henry went on to become the Keeper of the
Archive whilst his leisure hours were spent in pursuit of his favourite science
– Botany. Henry’s full story can be found on
my China Interlude Blog:
For those interested in exploring
the lives of those employed in the British Consular Service in China I can do
no better than recommend “The China Consuls:
British Consular Officers in China 1843 – 1943” by P.D. Coates.
