In business, as in everything in life, it isn't necessarily what you know, as who you know. Sir Thomas Jackson and his wife Amelia Lydia Dare were masters of entertainment. Their gatherings not only included banquets in their own home and elsewhere, but also included various outings. Jackson was known for his physical prowess, and clambering up mountains with wife and children and friends was part of how they all lived. This page includes photos of a few of their outings in Hong Kong in the late 1800s.
Sharon Oddie Brown. February 22, 2011
NOTE: The identifications of the people in these photos was possible to the extent that it was thanks to some clues from from Gwulo, as well as the archives of HSBC, London as well as the help of a number of family members. The first photo is from Gilford Castle, while the others are held in the collection of Pat Roberts in England. |
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It seems that at least one of the women in the late 1800s or early 1900s in my extended family could be as wild and crazy as some of us were in our youth in the mid-20th Century.
The negative from which I scanned this photo was included in an envelope containing six other negatives. Unfortunately, the faces of those people in these pictures were too dark to discern.
These photos were part of Mary Menary's collection retained at Gilford Castle, so whether it was Mary, or one of her friends and/or relations, I can't say. Given the other pictures in the envelope, I suspect that the picture was taken from a nearby dock. |
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Sandlewood Mills.
From left to right, in the back row is R.T. WRIGHT, Amelia Lydia JACKSON and Henry E.Ranson HUNTER aka "Harry" (b. 1857 - d.1923. worked at HSBC 1882-1912, and was a cousin of James GREIG, Chief Manager HSBC. His niece, Kathleen HUNTER, married Walter David Russell JACKSON, son of TJ). In the front row, John THORBURN (Manager of the Hong Kong branch of the Mercantile Bank), Amy Oliver JACKSON, TJ, aka Sir Thomas Jackson - clearly the focus of attention, Charlie ANTON (I would suspect that he was related to James R. ANTON, who held shares in HSBC as well as P.W. ANTON who was an accountant with HSBC), Mrs. COXON (This may be Louisa COXON, wife of Atwell COXON - both of them keen on acting, and residents of Seymour Terrace. He was an exchange broker and was appointed consul at Hong Kong by Leopold II of Belgium, a post later confirmed by Leopold's niece, Queen Victoria, in 1879. SOURCE: National Archives), Kathleen JACKSON.
The Sandal Wood Mills, as described in 1899, were near Tsun Wan, and the mills were set up for manufacturing powder to use in the making of joss sticks. There were six water wheels there, used to pound the fragrant sandal wood into a powder. Hayward's book adds more details: In the Valley running up into the hills to the southwest of Tai Mo Shan there is a village consisting entirely of water mills, where the wood is ground up for the manufacture of joss sticks. This picturesque place is easily reached from the road; the path starts of the bridge about half a mile beyond Tsun Wan, near the ninth milestone, and follows a stream upwards, first on one bank and then on the other. The first watermill is reached in five minutes walk from the road, and beyond are a dozen more little houses perched on the sides of the valley, each with its waterwheel busily turning. For small tip the owner one of these Mills will show you inside; the atmosphere stick with fragrant dust, and through it you can dimly see great stone headed hammers pounding away at the aromatic wood. G.S.P. Hayward, Rambles in Hong Kong, Kelly and Walsh Ltd., Hong Kong, second edition, 1951, p.19.
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Castle Peak Bay 1894
I can only positively identify a few people here. TJ is the tallest person wearing a bowler and is in the centre of the back row, his wife Amelia is seated, 3rd from right in a dark dress, and it is probably R.T. WRIGHT who is in the back row, 2nd from the right.. NOTE: Not having been there, all I can tell from the internet is that this area is now wall to wall hotels. |
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Maratoon
This has several recognizable faces. I suspect that R.T. WRIGHT is 2nd from the right in the back and that TJ is seated in the front middle. His wife Amelia is seated behind him to our right, facing right. There are at least 2 if not 3 of their daughters in this picture - the faces of their cousins being often so similar leaves me a little unsure who is who. NOTE: The photo clearly has Maratoon written beneath it, although I have not got a clue where this might have been |
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Junk Bay 1895
Front Row L-R: Mrs. PALMER (possibly the wife of Mr. Clement PALMER of Messrs. Palmer & Turner, architects in Hong Kong.). STEVENSON, Mrs. [probably Louisa] ANTON, Eva Unnamed, Kathleen JACKSON. The man behind Eva & Kathleen is Mr. GORDON. In the back row, TJ, LANSBAND (?), Percival. In front of Percival is SASSOON. In front of LANSBAND, Ella Unnamed & Amy Oliver JACKSON, daughter of TJ & Amelia. BUZZARD, Amelia JACKSON, wife of TJ, F.H., STEWART.
The handwriting that identified these people appears to be that of Amy Oliver JACKSON. It is possible that the young woman identified as "F.H." is Mary Frances Cunliffe HUNTER. I do not know if "Percival" is a first name or a last name. Perhaps others can add to this. This photo is in the collection of Pat Roberts, England. NOTE: Junk Bay - known as Tseung Kwan O, is also called Cheung Kwan O. The bay is near the eastern mouth of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour. SOURCE: Wiki. |
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Beneath this photo is written "Opening of L.R.A.", although the "L" may be a "J" or a "Q". |
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Beneath this photo, "Macamoca" [or "Macamore"] 1895. NOTE: I have no idea where this is. The face of the man is familiar, but I can't yet place him. |
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This is young Dorothy JACKSON, Prince Henry & Kathleen JACKSON. The photo was taken March 30, 1998 - the year of Germany's annexation of Tsintao. Prince Henry (1862-1929), was the only brother of the Kaiser of Germany, and grandson of Queen Victoria. He was a frequent visitor at the Jackson's and shared their love of sport as well as their unpretentious style. |
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The Holland's Picnic Deep Bay - 1898
NOTE: The local Cantonese name of the bay is Hau Hoi Wan (後海灣), which mean the back (sea) bay. It is opposite to another bay, Tsin Hoi Wan (前海灣), which means front (sea) bay, on the other side of Nantau Peninsula. SOURCE: Wiki |
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I suspect that one of the Jackson daughters is second from the right, and a sister is just to our left, beside her. The picture was likely taken in 1898. |
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Amy Oliver Jackson is standing at the trunk of the tree. The woman to the right of her is also in the previous picture, in that case on our extreme left. |
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Two Jackson sisters are in middle row, extreme right, and possibly a 3rd sister extreme left. I believe that it is Amelia Jackson, their mother, 3rd from the left in the middle, and TJ is in the back wearing a charcoal top hat. It would help if I could identify the bearded naval officer in the middle. |
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It looks as if the joke was good. I wonder what was in the tea? |
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The irrepressible Dorothy Jackson, daughter of Thomas and Amelia JACKSON - age about 12, hence late 1890s. I do not know who the men are. I wonder if they were on the Wayfoong, the HSBC boat, |
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