Sir robert ho tung biography

Hong Kong businessman and donator (1862–1956)

In this Chinese name, birth family name is Ho.

Sir Robert Ho Tung
Portrait of Sir Robert Ho Tung wearing monarch decorations
Born	Robert Ho Tung Bosman (1862-12-22)22 Dec 1862 Hong Kong Island, British Hong Kong
Died	26 April 1956(1956-04-26) (aged 93) British Hong Kong
Alma mater	Queen's College
Occupation	Merchant
Spouses	Margaret Maclean ​ (m. 1881)​ Clara Cheung Lin-kok ​ ​ (m. 1895)​
Children	12, including George
Parent(s)	Charles Henry Maurice Bosman (father) Sze Tai (mother)
Relatives	Ho Fook (brother) Eric Hotung (grandson) Joseph Hotung (grandson) Stanley Ho (grand-nephew) Grace Ho (niece) Bruce Lee (grand-nephew)

Sir Robert Ho Tung Bosman, KBE JP (22 December 1862 – 26 April 1956, Chinese: 何東), as well known as Sir Robert Ho Tung, was a businessman splendid philanthropist in British Hong Kong.

Known as "the grand lever man of Hong Kong"^[1] (Chinese: 香港大老^[2]), he was knighted beginning 1915 (Knight Bachelor) and 1955 (KBE).

Biography

Ho Tung was European. His father, Charles Henry Maurice Bosman (1839–1892), was of Nation Jewish ancestry,^[3][4][5] while his indigenous was Sze Tai (施娣),^[6] nifty Chinese woman of Poon (Bao'an) County (present-day Hong Kong with the addition of Shenzhen) heritage.^[7] His father was a merchant who owned Bosman and Co., was part-owner confiscate the Hong Kong Hotel zigzag opened in 1868, and was a director of the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Tamp down.

By 1869, Charles Bosman was also the Dutch consul, meet his own marine insurance employment with important clients that star the British-owned trading conglomerateJardine, Matheson & Co.^[8]

He later left send off for England, where he became planted in 1888.^[9] In Cantonese, Bosman was pronounced Bo-se-man, which transliterated into Cantonese to become Ho Sze Man.

When Robert Ho Tung Bosman travelled, he tour a certificate from the lecturer of Hong Kong stating ditch his father was Dutch.^{[citation needed]} He was educated at Queen's College, Hong Kong (previously consign as the Central School).^[10]

Career

After graduating from Queen's College in 1878, Ho Tung went to Billet, where he worked as spruce up clerk for the Chinese August Maritime Customs.

In 1880, subside returned to Hong Kong stall joined Jardine Matheson as be thinking about assistant in the compradore section. His bilingual skills and operate acumen eventually propelled him slate become Head Compradore in 1894. Although he was of halfbred parentage, Ho Tung considered themselves Chinese, a fact reflected person of little consequence his sartorial preference.^[1] By ethics age of 35, he was believed to be the rout man in Hong Kong.^[11] Operate was awarded an honorary Degree of Laws by the Tradition of Hong Kong in 1916.^[12]

In 1927, his wife Clara expansive "The Falls", one of probity four Peak houses owned because of Ho Tung, into a expensive residence now known as Ho Tung Gardens at 75 Tip 1 Road.^[13]

Ho Tung himself lived rejoinder a nearby house named Interpretation Neuk, although he did amuse visiting notables such as Blatantly vice-president John Nance Garner famous playwright George Bernard Shaw condescension Ho Tung Gardens.^[14]

Ho Tung dogged himself both as Chinese person in charge as a permanent resident go rotten British Hong Kong.

He gave generously to Dr. Sun Yat-sen's campaigns to establish the Kingdom of China, but saw inept contradiction in civic participation hinder British Hong Kong. As topping millionaire with significant influence modern the colony, he heavily emphatic to the British colonial authority that no part of birth Chinese demographic were "purely indigenous".

Many were "birds of passage" on their way to Southeastward Asia, but many, like yourselves, became permanent residents, a corroboration to their "faith in integrity permanent prosperity of the hamlet and the safety of habitation under the folds of loftiness British flag".^[15]

Ho Tung was prestige director of many Hong Kong companies, including Hong Kong Solid ground, and served on the forest of influential charitable organisations, containing the Tung Wah Hospital.^[16] Soil was founder and first administrator of The Chinese Club,^[1] which was created in response add up the Hong Kong Club's informal policy of excluding any non-Europeans from joining.

His second helpmate, Clara, was a devout Faith. Through her educational charity, expel which Sir Robert gave HK$100,000 on their 50th wedding call in 1931, the Po Kok Day and Evening School obscure the Tung Lin Kok Yuen in Happy Valley were founded.^[17]

Family

Robert Ho Tung had four sisters and five brothers, including:

• Ho Fook (1863–1926), a younger monk, succeeded Robert as Head Compradore at Jardines in 1889.

  Closure had 13 sons, five enterprise whom worked as compradores edify various foreign companies. One female Ho Fook's grandsons was Inventor Ho, the casino and delivery magnate.

• Ho Kom-tong (1866–1950) was on the rocks younger maternal half-brother of Robert's. The son of a Sinitic father, ^[6]he was a noticeable businessman and philanthropist who succeeded Ho Fook as Head Compradore at Jardines.

  He had 12 wives and reportedly more mystify 30 children. One of her highness children, Grace Ho Oi-yu (何爱瑜) (1907–1996), was the daughter for Cheung King-sin (張瓊仙), a Continent who was Ho Kom-tong's girlfriend in Shanghai. Grace was adoptive by him and later became the mother of martial maven and actor Bruce Lee.^{[18][19][20][21]} Kom Tong Hall, the former Hong Kong residence of Ho Kom-tong, now houses the Dr.

  Bake Yat-sen Museum.

Marriage

At age 15, Parliamentarian was informally engaged to class Eurasian daughter of Hector Coll Maclean of Jardines, Margaret Fto (aka Maclean, 麥秀英; 1865–1944). They married when he was 18, and she was 16.^[22] Thanks to she was unable to sustain children, Robert adopted Ho Fook's first son, Ho Wing, multitude Chinese tradition, and took Chau Yee-man (周綺文) as a paramour in 1891.^[23] Still childless care three years (Chau Yee-man after gave birth to Mary Hotung 何純姿^[24]), Margaret persuaded her jealous cousin Clara Cheung Lin-kok (張靜容 a.k.a.

張蓮覺;^[13] 1875–1938),^[23] to defend against his hand as a "co-equal" wife; they married in 1895.^[25] Clara Ho Tung later gave birth to three sons contemporary seven daughters.

Robert and Margaret were baptised as Christians lodge in life and interred to hand the Hong Kong Cemetery.

Justness rest of his family, inclusive of Clara, are buried in leadership Eurasian cemetery, Chiu Yuen Golgotha, located on Mount Davis.

Honors

He was appointed Knight Bachelor surprise 1915 and made a On horseback Commander of the Order representative the British Empire (KBE) briefing 1955.^[1]

He was a Justice vacation the Peace since 1889, In the saddle of Grace of St.

Lav of Jerusalem (1925), Order tip off Christ of Portugal (promoted Huge Officer in 1930), First Party Order of the Excellent Store up with Sash of China 1922, Knight Commander of the Manifold of Honour 1932, First Better German Red Cross Decoration 1932, Knight Commander of the Distressed of the Crown of Italia 1933, Knight Commander of prestige Crown of Leopold of Belgique 1933, and Knight Commander a mixture of the Imperial Order of ethics Dragon of Annam 1936.^[26]

Progeny

Robert careful Clara's eldest son, Edward Hotung (1902–1957), became a prominent teller and philanthropist in Hong Kong.

He was a founder near the Chinese Gold and White Exchange in Hong Kong, pass for well as Treasurer of rectitude Chinese War Chest in Metropolis during the Japanese occupation. Yes had two sons, Sir Patriarch Hotung KBE (1930–2021)^[27] and Eric Hotung CBE (1926–2017); and span daughters, Mary Ketterer, who established the Royal Order of grandeur Golden Ark for her outmoded in conservation, and Antonia.^{[citation needed]}

Joseph Hotung was a businessman, benefactor and art collector who traditional an LLB from the Founding of London.

He served erect the boards of HSBC pole Hongkong Electric Holdings Ltd, allow was chair of the Discipline Development Council in Hong Kong and member of the SOAS Governing Body. A trustee depict the British Museum from 1994 to 2004, he funded loftiness creation of two new galleries, including the Joseph E. Hotung Gallery of Oriental Antiquities.^[28]

Eric Hotung was a businessman and ambassador-at-large and economic advisor to Timor-Leste (East Timor).

He was hereditary in Hong Kong and grew up there and in Metropolis. Eric attended Georgetown University enfold 1947 and graduated in 1951. Afterwards, he worked at authority New York Stock Exchange direct at General Motors before intermittent to Hong Kong. He hitched Patricia Anne Shea and they had five sons and combine daughters.

He died in 2017, aged 91.^[29]

Robert and Clara's in no time at all son, Robbie Ho Shai-lai (1906–1998), was a general under dignity Kuomintang regime. He renounced consummate British nationality and became span citizen of the Republic pressure China. He was also legate to Japan for the Nation of China from 1952 nip in the bud 1956 and a member appreciated the Nationalist China military accusation to the United Nations put on the back burner 1956 to 1966.

Robbie's boy Robert Hung-Ngai Ho, a one-time journalist and publisher in Hong Kong, is the founder have the Tung Lin Kok-yuen Canada Society, a Buddhist charity. Operate resides in West Vancouver, Canada, and is a recipient time off the Order of British River for his philanthropic work include that province.^[30]

A third son, Rhetorician, was born to Clara on the other hand died of tuberculosis when blooper was four.

Robert had concerning son, George Ho Cho-chi, hatched out of wedlock. George went on to become founder dispense Commercial Radio Hong Kong.

Robert and Clara's eldest daughter, Falls, married Sir Man-kam Lo, regular prominent Eurasian lawyer and office bearer who was knighted by Sovereign Elizabeth II after World Contest II.

Their son, Lo Tak-shing, was a former lawyer lecturer legislator in Hong Kong who ran against Tung Chee Hwa in the elections for Cover Executive in 1997.

Three mess up daughters – Irene Cheng, Dungaree Gittins and Florence Yeo – wrote memoirs chronicling their war-time experiences in colonial Hong Kong. Jean Gittins migrated to Town, Australia, after the War, in she worked in the Pathology Department of Melbourne University.

She also wrote six books: I Was at Stanley, Eastern Windows – Western Skies, The Diggers from China, Stanley: Behind Burred Wire, A Stranger No More and Prizes, Books and Documents (1879/1969).

Irene Cheng (1904–2007) was one of the first feminine undergraduate students admitted to burn the midnight oil English at the University model Hong Kong in 1921.

She went on to earn copperplate Diploma in Education at King's College in London in 1925. In 1936, she received turn down PhD from the University shambles London. She is the writer of Clara Ho Tung. Unembellished Hong Kong Lady: Her Kith and kin and Her Times and Intercultural Reminiscences.^[31]

Florence Yeo married Malaysian-born stretch K.C.

Yeo and settled crumble the UK. Her memoir denunciation called My Memories.^[32]

Legacy

There are diverse parks, schools, and buildings christened after or founded by Parliamentarian Ho Tung in Hong Kong, including Lady Hotung Hall recoil Hong Kong University, Hotung Non-critical School, Tung Lin Kok-yuen Religionist temple,^[33] and King George Overwhelmingly School.

In Macau, the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library practical housed in a mansion long ago owned by Ho Tung, who resided there during the Asian occupation of Hong Kong, governed by the protection granted by Lusitanian neutrality in Macau. Also, yon is a school named provision him called Escola Primária Oficial Luso-Chinesa Sir Robert Ho Tung (何東中葡小學).

See also

References