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Armenian and Chater Genealogy
website
Click
here for information regarding the 300th
Anniversary Celebration of the Armenian Church, Kolkata
in November 2008
The most famous CHATER of us all - unless you
know better.......then please let me know!
"……I
have never been in a place that I have loved more than Hongkong,
and in fact, the longer I stay here the more I like it………."
C.P. Chater, 1881.
NOT TO BE
REPRODUCED, CITED OR COPIED
FOR PRIVATE
RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY
THIS WORK HAS
BEEN ASSEMBLED OVER A SIX YEAR PERIOD BY
LIZ CHATER
TO ASSIST
OTHERS WITH THEIR OWN PERSONAL RESEARCH.
This is an extract from my research into the
CHATER’s of India
INTRODUCTION
“And
so, at 5a.m. on 27 May 1926, Sir Paul was called from labour here to
refreshment….. above, full of years and human honours, and cared for by a
devoted wife..........”
Eighty years earlier, a young
woman called Miriam gave birth to a baby boy, that boy was named Catchick
Paul Chater, inheriting the family name of Catchick from his great
grandfather Agha Catchick Arrakiel. Agha Catchick Arrakiel was a man whose
contribution to commerce at the time was rewarded by King George III with a
handsome miniature portrait and a valuable sword, for Catchick’s loyalty and
generosity in releasing all the prisoners in the Court of Requests jail in
1790 on the occasion of the joyful recovery of the King from his unfortunate
madness in 1788. Miriam, clearly was never to forget the type of
man her grandfather was, and no doubt had hopes that her new born son would
one day make his mark in life as Agha Catchick had. Little did she
know how her new born son would change the lives of so many. Sadly she was not to
see him grow up into the man that he was to become.
Miriam’s husband and Catchick
Paul’s father, Chater Paul Chater was in the Indian Civil Service.
Born in 1804, Chater and Miriam married in 1827. C.P. Chater is listed
in the Bengal and Agra Directories for 1850, 1851 and 1852 as an assistant
in the Secretary’s Office for the Government of Bengal based at No. 1
Council House Street, Calcutta. In January of 1853 when Catchick was
just 6 years old, Chater Paul Chater tragically drowned in the Hooglie
River. Catchick was one 14 children but was not the youngest
child as had been previously recorded. There was no Government pension
associated with the post that Chater Paul Chater had before he died, Miriam must have constantly
struggled with such a large family and with so many mouths to feed.
Tragically, two years later on the 24th July 1855 Miriam died,
(cause unknown). She must have realised that she was dying as she made
her Will
one day before she died.
Who cared for the 14 children
after the death of their parents, can only be speculated at. Catchick was
orphaned at 7 years of age, just two months before his 8th
birthday. Apparently influenced by the family physician, Catchick was
admitted to La Martiniere School as a Foundationer. He left at 18 and,
on the advice of his sister Anna who, by then lived in Hong Kong with her
husband Jordan Paul Jordan, went to stay with them in April 1864.
The Jordan family and their children were to play a significant
role in the life of Sir Catchick Paul Chater as he developed many of his
business ventures, and he became a loyal and dedicated uncle to each of his
nephews who assisted him with his various dealings.
He soon secured a
probationary position with the bank of Hindoostan as a clerk. From
small acorns mighty oaks grow.
In 1867 it is known that he was
a broker operating from 59 Wyndham Street
In 1868-1869 he operated from
Chancery Lane
from 1870 through to 1872 he
worked out of Seymour Terrace.
From 1873 right through to 1876
he used his own residence at 17 Caine Road as his brokering office. It
appears that he and his brother, Joseph Theophilus Chater were brokers at
the same time and Joseph also worked from Sir Paul's residence at 17 Caine
Road. This is a clear indication that they were indeed very close
brothers.
When Joseph
Theophilus died in 1886, Sir Paul was the sole beneficiary of Joseph's
estate inheriting HK$ 214,600. The fact that Joseph left his whole
estate to his brother, Sir Paul Chater, would indicate that he was not married
when he died.
Sir Paul was appointed as Consul for Siam in Hong Kong
in 1890, a post he held until 1907. He was confirmed as Consul on 20
January 1891.
In 1892 it is listed that the residence at 17
Caine Road of Sir Catchick Paul Chater continued to be his work base and his
assistant was a John Malcolm George Manuk. John Manuk continued to be
Sir Paul's assistant thru to 1895. They worked between 1893 and 1894
from an address in Peel Street and then in 1895 from an address in Alveston
Terrace. At the time of his death in 1927 his office was at No. 11 Queens
Road Central and his clerk was a Mr. E. Sadick.
It is interesting to note that when Sir Paul
died Mr. Sadick had a debt owing to Sir Paul of HK$57,388.09. However, in a
second Codicil to Sir Paul's
Will
signed and dated the 25th May 1926, one
day before he died, Sir Paul bequeaths to Mr. Sadick the sum of HK$50,000.00
free of all death duties. On the schedule of debts listed in the Will
owing to the late Sir Paul, that figure of HK$57,388.09 has been crossed out
and cancelled.
It appears exactly the same exercise took
place for the debt owed by his nephew Joseph Theophilus Bagram. Again,
in the second Codicil to Sir Paul's
Will signed and dated 25th May 1926, one
day before he died, Sir Paul changed the figure to be bequeathed to Joseph
Theophilus Bagram from HK$300,000 to HK$700,000. On the schedule of
debts listed in the Will owing to the late Sir Paul the figure of
HK$215,647.97 has been crossed out and cancelled. That figure of
HK$215,647.97 is later on listed as a Charitable Donation, so J.T. Bagram
and his family got to keep the whole HK$700,000.
A couple of things have struck me which
looking through the schedules attached to the
Will
(which are now
transcribed). One being that only HK$170.00 was raised from the sale
of his Race Ponies. This is quite a remarkable figure for a man who
owned a famous stable and several winning horses in Hong Kong. Another
thing that caught my eye, was that although in his will said he bequeathed
"........all his motor cars and garage furniture to my wife....." only one
car - a Sunbeam - is listed on the schedule on which a value of HK$6,000 is
placed.
However, I digress.........let us now follow the growth of the man who
indeed, became one of the greatest men Hong Kong would ever know.
The most famous CHATER of them
all:
Sir Catchick Paul CHATER
born:
8 Sep 1846, Calcutta
baptised:
3 Oct 1846, The Armenian Church, Calcutta
married:
17 August 1910, London
died:
27 May 1926, Hong Kong
buried:
Happy Valley Cemetery (Protestant), Hong Kong (along side his brother Joseph
Theophilus Chater)
Significant dates in the life
of Catchick Paul Chater
|
Arrived in Hong
Kong went to live with his sister Anna and her husband |
1 April 1864
|
Obtained a
position with the Bank of Hindustan, China and Japan
|
1864 |
|
Moved to a cheap
boarding house in Wyndham Street |
End 1864 |
Attended his
first ever race meeting and never missed one meeting for the next 60
years
|
1865-1925 |
|
Initiated in the
Perseverance Lodge of Hong Kong No. 1165 |
20 February 1869 |
Perseverance
Lodge: pass
|
16 April 1869 |
|
Perseverance
Lodge: raised |
16 July 1869 |
Aged 23, he
built his first house in Caine Road
|
1869 |
|
Selected to play
for Hong Kong Cricket Club first eleven |
1869-1879 |
Exalted in the
Victoria Chapter No. 525
|
5 August 1871 |
|
Set up a stable
with a business colleague called Mody racing under the name of Mr Paul |
1872 |
Elected to the
Chair of the Perseverance Lodge
|
1873 |
|
Joined Victoria
Lodge |
11 November 1873 |
Appointed a
steward at the Hong Kong Jockey Club
|
1874-1924 |
|
Appointed
Senior Justice of the Peace in Hong Kong |
1876-1926 |
Elected
Chairman of the Board of Stewards of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
|
1880-1910 |
|
Acquired and
developed several property sites in Central District |
1880 |
Installed as
District Grand Master of Hong Kong and South China
|
1882 |
|
Appointed a
director of Dairy Farm Co. Ltd set up by Patrick Manson |
1886 |
Appointed a
member of the Legislative Council
|
1887 |
| |
|
Was the Consul for Siam in Hong Kong.
Confirmed in the post on 20 Jan 1891 |
1980-1907 |
|
Appointed
Treasurer and Chairman of the Queen Victoria Jubilee Committee |
1887 |
Appointed a
member of the Legion d’Honneur by the French Government at Tonkin
|
1892 |
|
Appointed member
of the Public Lighting Committee |
1896 |
Appointed a
member of the Governor’s Executive Council
|
1896 |
|
Appointed
Chairman of the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Committee |
1897 |
Created a C.M.G.
(Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. John)
|
1897 |
|
Donated $35,000
to build St. Andrews Church, Kowloon |
1899 |
The site for
Marble Hall was leased from the Crown for seventy-five years on
renewable terms. The annual rent was $970 and the date of
execution of the lease was 27 May 1918.
|
16 October 1899 |
|
Built Marble
Hall designed by Leigh & Orange (Orange went on to write the Chater
Collection book)
|
1901-1902 |
Knighted. Became
Sir Paul Chater |
1902 |
|
Attended the
coronation in London of Kind Edward VII as representative of Hong Kong |
9 August 1902 |
Attended all the
royal functions at Buckingham Palace, St James’ Palace and Westminster
Abbey as the representative of Hong Kong
|
1902-1926 |
|
Built his
“Bungalow” in Austin Road adjacent to St. Andrews Church. |
Prior to 1904 |
Foundation stone
laid for St. Andrews Church
|
1904 |
|
Retired after 28
years as District Grand Master, Masons Hong Kong |
1909 |
Married Maria
Christine Pearson in London
|
17 August 1910 |
|
Appointed an
honorary degree of LL.D. by University of Hong Kong for services as
the Honorary Treasurer |
1923 |
Sir Catchick
Paul Chater died at Marble Hall
|
27 May 1926 |
|
At the time of
his death was Consul General for Siam |
1926 |
At the time of
his death was a Director of over 20 public companies in Hong Kong
|
1926 |
|
Following the
death of Sir Paul Chater, the Chater Collection of paintings and
porcelain is broken up by Cecil Clementi, Governor HK.
|
1926 |
Lady Chater died
at Marble Hall |
11 March 1935 |
|
Following the
death of Lady Chater, Marble Hall assigned to Hong Kong Government
|
17 August 1935 |
Marble Hall
finally occupied by the Admiralty
|
15 October 1935 |
|
Marble Hall
taken and occupied by Japanese officers of World War II
|
1942-1945 |
Marble Hall
modifying by the Japanese
|
1942 |
|
Following
Japanese surrender, Marble Hall re-occupied by the Royal Navy
|
23 September
1945 |
Marble Hall
destroyed by fire
|
11 May 1946 |
|
Marble Hall
handed back to HK Government as just a burnt shell
|
5 July 1948 |
Marble Hall
stood empty and derelict
|
1946-1953 |
|
Marble Hall
demolished to make way for Government flats
|
November 1953 |
Chater Hall
Flats completed |
October 1955 |
|
|
|
|
|
Brief Biography
Catchick
Paul Chater’s parents were Chater Paul Chater, born in 1804 and Mariam Zorer
born 17 September 1811. Throughout her married life it appears that
she was always known as Miriam Astwachatoor Paulus Astwachatoor the Armenian
spelling of Miriam Chater Paul Chater. Miriam descended from a very
long line of illustrious Armenian merchants. Chater Paul Chater died
accidentally on 31 January 1853, drowning in the Hooghli River between
Chinsurah and Calcutta, and it is thought that he too, was Armenian. Miriam
died on 24th July 1855, two years after her husband.
Interestingly, she made her last Will and Testament on the 23rd
July 1855, so clearly she was unwell, and wanted to ensure her estate was in
order. They were both buried in the Colootollah cemetery in Calcutta.
So far, no information has been found about Paul Chater’s father’s family
and this is an area I am particularly interested in and am actively
pursuing.
Following my trip to Kolkata,
and viewing the Armenian church records, I have now been able to name all of the 12 siblings.
Sarah Amelia, Paul, Mary, Sophia Matilda, Joseph Theophilus, Anna, Elizabeth, Victoria, Marcar, Teodoros Dzober, Hovhannes Shahmir and Hosannah
Margaret. Catchick, it would appear, was named after his great
grandfather Agha Catchick Arrakiel.
Catchick
was one of 13 children, when he was orphaned after the death of
his parents he was admitted into the La Martiniere School and after
completing his education he moved to Hong Kong and lived with his one of
his sisters (thought to be Anna) for a while before moving to a cheap
boarding house in Wyndham Street. Soon after his arrival in Hong Kong he
obtained a probationary position with the Bank of Hindoostan writing up the pass-books of clients. One particular client, the Sassoons,
were won over by his frank and willing ways and he soon made many friends.
One day he plucked up the courage to ask the head of Sassoons whether they
would help him if he started as an Exchange broker. They said yes and
Catchick resigned from the bank. In his first month of trading he
cleared $600 and very quickly he rose to be the greatest financial magnate
of the Colony.
A journalist named, T.P.
O’Connor M.P. who met Sir Paul Chater at Vichy in September 1924 wrote in
the Sunday Times (London) “Sir Paul Chater is perhaps the least known and at
the same time one of the most powerful and, what is more important, one of
the most beneficent figures in the Empire. The young Armenian from
Calcutta and everything in Hong Kong have been indissolubly associated.
He is at the head of everything there; no enterprise gets on without asking
his assistance. Shipping, banking, international companies with their
heads in London or in Paris – he is in them all. And he has
accumulated one of the largest fortunes in the Empire. He is the
father of everything in Hong Kong, by long residence and service. He
is the oldest British settler, he is the oldest member of the Executive
Council. From his immense wealth he has given most generously to every
good cause; he is thus the chief philanthropist as well as the oldest
settler in that very prosperous and go-ahead Colony, one of our proudest and
best creations in the Empire.”
A
Shanghai journal wrote of him after his death:
“Sir
Catchick Paul Chater’s career was in every way a modern romance, for he rose
from a poor boy to be the financial king of the Colony, its greatest
landowner, one if its most generous benefactors, a leader in its
administration and probably one of the six best known men in all China, with
a reputation that has made him famous in many countries.”
Additional reports
from
an unknown source are:
“.........the years after his knighthood, conferred at the aged of
fifty-six, seem quiet by comparison to his early years............However
this picture of rural retreat.................portrays a new side of Sir
Paul’s life. Indeed, he appears at last to have developed the first signs of
domesticity in that he had been happily living with a female companion since
abut the turn of the century. Indeed, one recent writer suggests that she
was the gracious hostess of the dinners of the Public Lighting Committee,
but she would have been but seventeen when it was meeting. The Scandinavian
girl in question had been travelling out to Hong Kong to get married when
her affianced died (or she changed her mind), and she was stranded,
penniless. Rumour has it that she was about to enter the service of Bella
Emmerson - by then the Madame of the most prosperous house in town - when
she was selected as a suitable companion for Bella’s former beau. She and
Sir Paul became devoted to each other, despite a thirty-three year age
difference, and their relationship was a matter of public
knowledge......................
Sir Paul’s retirement as District Grand Master perhaps marked a change in
attitude to life. He had already become less active since the turn of the
century, but still had his many major company directorships to keep him
occupied. Indeed, he was still a director of twenty companies at his death. He
immediately embarked upon one major change: one that Masonic grass-widows
could use as evidence high office in the craft and the estate of
matrimony are incompatible. He got married to the young Scandinavian girl
that had been his companion for some years, and she became Maria Christine,
Lady Chater. Prior to her marriage, Lady Chater had accepted that she was
not welcome in polite society. Her husband fully expected that as a
married, and indeed titled, lady the attitudes of so called polite society
would change toward his new wife. To his chagrin, invitations from
Government House, were still issued to him alone. In retaliation, he
(for the remainder of his life) invited only the Governor, with the result
that no Governor's wife stepped inside Marble Hall until after Sir Paul's
death.
And so, at 5am on 27 May 1926, Sir Paul was called from labour here to
refreshment in the Grand Lodge above, full of years and human honours, and
cared for by a devoted wife..........Sir Paul caused considerable confusion
by leaving instructions that he was to be buried within twelve hours of his
death. The stock exchange opened only to declare itself closed for the day.
After much frantic telephoning, at 11am an impressive service at St. John’s
Cathedral was very well attended, its porch overflowing with floral
tributes. Hundreds of inhabitants of all races lined the route from the
Cathedral to Happy Valley [Hong Kong], where Sir Paul was duly buried before
5p.m. Hong Kong mourned the death of its “Father” - as many tributes called
him - with genuine regret.......................”
Marble Hall [Sir Paul’s home in
Hong Kong] remained Lady Chater’s property until her death in 1935. Although
she had left Hong Kong for good in 1927, she returned in death to be buried
next to her husband in a simple grave. She left a legacy in her Will to the
Cathedral to maintain the grave in good condition. The inscription on
the grave reads:
IHS
IN
LOVING MEMORY OF
SIR
CATCHICK PAUL CHATER, KT., CMG., LL.D.,
BORN 8TH
SEPTEMBER 1846
DIED 27TH
MAY 1926
AND
ALSO OF HIS BELOVED WIFE
LADY
MARIA CHRISTINE CHATER
BORN 6TH
MAY 1879
DIED 11TH
MARCH 1935
“IN
GOD’S KEEPING”
Perhaps
she was finally accepted. The report of her death (The Times 12/3/1935)
noted “Lady Chater
died yesterday at Hong Kong. She was the wife of the Hon Catchick Paul
Chater C MG who died in 1926 and would have been created KBE had he
survived. His widow was accorded the rank which would have been hers.”
The
Marriage Certificate.
In the
course of my research a copy has been obtained from the General Register
Office in the UK, this is the transcription.
Marriage solemnized at the
Parish Church in the Parish of St. George, Hanover Square in the County of
London.
Date:
17 August 1910
Name:
Catchick Paul Chater
Age:
64 years
Condition:
bachelor
Profession:
a member of the Executive Council Hong Kong
Residence at time of marriage: Hotel Metropole
Father: Chater Paul Chater
(deceased) Indian Civil Service
TO
Name:
Maria Christine Pearson
Age:
36 years
Condition:
spinster
Profession:
NIL
Residence at time of marriage: Grosvenor Hotel
Father: Lars Pearson,
merchant
Married in the Parish church according to the Rites and
Ceremonies of the Established Church by Licence. Signed: Catchick Paul
Chater and Maria Christine Pearson Witnesses: William Gunn and Sophie M.
Gunn [Catchick’s sister and her husband who had married 10 years earlier
in the same church]
The Hotel Metropole
where Sir Catchick stayed
before he married
|
 |
The Grosvenor Hotel,
where Maria Christine stayed
before she married
|
| |
St. Georges, Hanover Square,
London |
|
In his
Will he bequeathed to Hong Kong his house, Marble Hall, his
marvellous collection of porcelain and his historical series of pictures
of Hong Kong from the days of its infancy. His unique collection of
old Chinese porcelain, of which a descriptive catalogue has been compiled
entitled The Chater Collection, is one of the finest in the world.
It was valued in the 1920’s at $2,500,000. James Orange the author of this
book was an English architect, and, as it happens, a long standing friend
of 40 years of Sir Paul Chater.
Sir
Paul’s wife, Lady Maria Christine Chater (nee Pearson) whom he married in
London in 1910 died in 1935 in Hong Kong. Their palatial home, Marble Hall was left to
the Government of Hong Kong and after various legacies and bequests to
members of the family, the residue of the Estate was left to the Armenian
Holy Church of Nazareth, Calcutta where he had been christened
.
MARBLE
HALL, ITS LIFE, HISTORY AND DEMISE
Sir Paul
Chater’s Home
Marble Hall
Marble
Hall was a very fine private residence at No.1 Conduit Road, Hong Kong,
designed by James Orange and built by Sir Catchick Paul Chater. It has
since disappeared, but the photographs which this note supplements reveal
how imposing and sumptuously furnished a home it once was.
The owner
Sir
Paul Chater, born on 8 September 1846 of Armenian parents from Calcutta,
arrived in Hong Kong in 1864. His career began in a bank, but he soon went
into business as an exchange and bullion broker and later ventured into
various successful commercial enterprises. He established the Hong Kong
and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Company, having been authorised by two
ordinances in 1884 to construct piers and wharves in Victoria harbour, and
was a co-founder (with Jardine, Matheson & Co) of the Hong Kong Land
Investment and Agency Co Ltd (now better known simply as “Hong Kong
Land”); later he formed the Hong Kong Mining Company to exploit deposits
of iron ore in the New Territories and operated coal mines in Tonkin. He
was a public-spirited gentleman who initiated the praya reclamation scheme
in 1887 and campaigned vigorously for acquisition by Britain of the
territory where he later discovered iron. Chater served as an unofficial
member of the Legislative Council for nearly twenty years, elected to that
position by his fellow Justices of the Peace, and was one of the first
unofficials to be appointed to the Executive Council .
He won
his knighthood in 1902. His activities also extended to religion (he built
St. Andrew’s church in Kowloon), sport (he presided over the Jockey Club
for many years) and the arts (the “Chater Collection” of porcelain,
pottery and paintings was highly valued) .
The house
Marble
Hall was built towards the end of the nineteenth century . About five
hundred feet above sea level, it was said to command excellent views of
the harbour and stood amidst two acres of shrubs and tropical plants . A
Public Works Department memorandum noted that its external walls were of
“stuccoed brickwork finished in the Classic Style through which runs a
strong Jacobean tendency”; the main staircase was “of monumental design
executed in polished Italian marble.” The house was flanked on three sides
by wide verandahs and contained a spacious hall, drawing room, card room,
dining and billiard rooms, four bedrooms (each with its own bathroom and
easy access to a drying room), a large kitchen, pantry, scullery, silver
and wine closet, and ample servants’ quarters. Internal materials included
mahogany from England and stained and polished teak.
Admiralty House
Sir
Paul Chater died on 27 May 1926 and, in his will, bequeathed Marble Hall
and its furniture, fixtures and household effects (including pottery,
paintings and all his racing cups but excluding some china and curios) to
the government of Hong Kong. The gift was to take effect when his widow,
Lady Maria Christine Chater, ceased to live in the house. She apparently
left the colony in 1927 with no intention of returning, but the house did
not become the property of the government until her death on 11 March
1935. Governor Sir Cecil Clementi had suggested in 1926 that Marble Hall
be offered to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for use by the
Naval Commander-in-Chief of the China Squadron, and in 1935 the gracious
residence became the colony’s “Admiralty House.” The Admiral found other
accommodation after Christmas Day, 1941, but following expulsion of the
Japanese from Hong Kong in 1945 he once again took residence in Marble
Hall. Soon afterwards, however, the house was damaged by fire. It
apparently stood derelict until demolition commenced in November 1953 and
a block of government flats was erected. This more modern and far less
attractive building was originally to be known as “Marble Hall Flats” but
is now called Chater Hall. What seems to be some of the brickwork
associated with Sir Paul Chater’s home can still be seen near the site .
The site
In
1953 the Public Works Department was considering two possible sites for
additional Government quarters to be built. One site was the old
Peak Hotel but this was quickly discounted, the one that met with approval
was that of Marble Hall. Initially it was thought that two blocks of
10 storey flats with a total accommodation of 94 two, three and four room
flats should be built. However it was decided not to proceed with this as
further investigation showed that it would have been impossible to
accommodate that number of flats. Revised plans were prepared for
one ten-storey block with total accommodation for 59 two, three and four
room flats. The 4 room flats consist of a living-dining room, 3
bedrooms, bathroom, toilet, 2 servants rooms and servants yard. The
3 and 2 room flats were similar, but were to have fewer bedrooms and only
one servants room. Garages were to be provided in the basement and
around the perimeter of the site. The whole block was to be designed
with reinforced concrete load bearing walls and would include two high
speed lifts to serve the flats. The block was completed in October
1955.
Hong Kong, June 1979
PETER WESLEY-SMITH
A Note on Sources
The
photographs were contained in the Governor’s despatch to the Colonial
Office written when the gift of Marble Hall to the Hong Kong Government
seemed to be about to take effect . See Clementi to Amery, No. 475, 23
Nov. 1926 : C.O. 129/498. Also included with the despatch were extensive
plans of the house and a description provided by the Public Works
Department, Hong Kong. Short biographical notices of Sir Paul Chater
appear in Arnold Wright (ed.), Twentieth Century Impressions of Hong Kong,
Shanghai etc. (London : Lloyd’s Greater Britain Publishing Co., Ltd.,
1908), pp. 107-8 (there is a photograph of Marble Hall at p. 156) and W.
Feldwick (ed.), -Present Day Impressions of the Far East etc. (London :
The Globe Encyclopaedia Co., 1917), pp. 518-20. See also Nigel Cameron’s
brief history of The Hong Kong Land Company Ltd., published in 1979.
Further (though scanty) information can be discovered in the various
reported cases on Chater’s much-litigated will : see (1927) 22 H.K.L .R .
80; (1927) 22 H.K.L.R. 89; (1930) 24 H.K.L.R. 43 ; (1936) 28 H.K.L.R. 1 ;
(1937) 157 T.L.R. 376 (on appeal to the Privy Council); (1949) 33 H.K.L.R.
283. Chater was authorised to embark on pier and wharf schemes by
ordinances Nos. 4 and 19 of 1884. After his death, the Chater Masonic
Scholarship Fund Ordinance (No. 25 of 1929, now cap. 1007, L.H.K. 1975
ed.) was passed. His collection of pictures is catalogued in James Orange,
The Chater Collection : Pictures Relating to China, Hong Kong, Macao,
1655-1860 (London : Thornton Butterworth Ltd., 1924).
I am much
indebted to Mr. J. F. G. Marshall, of the Public Works Department, Hong
Kong, for information he painstakingly gathered several years ago on the
postwar history of Marble Hall. Hong Kong, September, 1979
PETER
WESLEY-SMITH
Transcription of a document
held by the Hong Kong archives
regarding Marble Hall
Marble Hall : I.L. 1568 and
G.L. 22, 1 Conduit Road
The site was leased from the
Crown by Sir Paul Chater on 16 October 1899 for seventy-five years on
renewable terms. The annual rent was $970 and the date of execution of
the lease was 27 May 1918.
Marble Hall was probably built
in 1901/1902 – the 1903 Street Directory contains a reference to “Sir C.P.
Chater’s house” on I.L. 1568. Chater died on 27 May 1926 and under the
terms of his will the house passes to his wife. On her death, or on
her decision to reside elsewhere, the house was to be bequeathed to the Hong
Kong Government. Lady Chater died on 11 March 1935 and the property
was assigned to the Hong Kong Government on 17 August of that year. It
appears that Lady Chater decided to vacate Marble Hall in 1926 as it was at
that time offered to the Admiralty for use as the official residence of the
Commander-in-Chief, China Station. The offer was accepted in March
1927 and the Admiralty agreed to maintain the building and to return it to
the Hong Kong Government in good order and condition should it cease to be
used as “Admiralty House”. Lady Chater subsequently decided to remain in
residence and it was not until 15 October 1935, seven months after her
death, that the Admiralty occupation began.
The House was apparently used
as quarters for Japanese officers during the war and at least one bedroom
was extensively modified in Japanese style. The premises were
re-occupied by the Royal Navy on 23 September 1945. On 11 May 1946 a
fire broke out in one of the bedrooms and the house was severely damaged and
became uninhabitable. Several proposals to reinstate the building as
the Commander-in-Chief’s residence were considered but none was adopted.
The building was handed back to the Hong Kong Government on 5 July 1948.
Following the Marble Hall fire, No. 37 Conduit Road (Buxey Lodge) was
allocated to the navy as “Admiralty House”.
References: BL/2/2101/46
HKRS 156, D & S 1/423,
HKRS 265, D & S 11A/1842
HKRS 144, D & S 4/4056. 4/9202
MARBLE HALL FLOOR PLANS AND ELEVATIONS
C O 129/4898 p. 734, 735, 736
Photographs CO 129/498. p. 737-749
Crown lease Registers: Vo. IXXI fol. 69
Designed:
Leigh & Orange
Written by Assistant Archivist
Ms. Robyn H. McLean
18 October 1983
Transcription of the report
made by The Commodore-in-Charge, Hong Kong, of the Marble Hall Fire, 1946
H.M. Dockyard
Hong Kong
20th May 1946
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