Monthly Archives: April 2021

Diocesan Boys School 

The Diocesan Boys School (DBS) was a boarding school/orphanage that began about 1870 in Hong Kong. While it did take in orphans, it was also a paid tuition school for the ex-pat community. I found my grandfather on the list … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Diocesan Boys School 

Choa, Chua, Choy, Choi

I’ve found something in common with the names above.蔡 Cài, which  is apparently not a widely used name in China overall, being something like 41st usage, but in Fujian Province, as Choy it becomes 7th. As one moves south, the name … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Choa, Chua, Choy, Choi

 Who was at the funeral?

When my great aunt Emma Hunter passed away in 1933 her funeral was posted in the newspaper. It seems to have been a well attended affair and as there were a list of attendees, I thought I might find a … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on  Who was at the funeral?

 11 Shelley Street

A change of tack. When I keep drawing blanks in my search for relatives, I turn to the neighborhood, the street, and the people who lived nearby for clues. Shelley Street was in the heart of a what was a … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on  11 Shelley Street

Fok Shuk Wah

The family name “FOK” is shown below. This is a simplified text version. This is an explanation of the name I received from a friend:  Both Fok and Huo refers to  the same Chinese surname 霍 only the spelling for Cantonese ( … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Fok Shuk Wah

 The Industrial History of Hong Kong

 This is an amazing website with absolutely the best collection of information on the industries of Hong Kong. Hugh Farmer is the man who compiles all this and is he’s also the Archivist for the Swires Group. The site is … Continue reading

Posted in Recommended reading | Comments Off on  The Industrial History of Hong Kong

 A brother from another mother?

It seems there were four children fathered by William Leyland Hunter during his time in China. My grandfather Tobias and his sister May I knew first hand as they were both alive until 1970. My grandfather I saw regularly until … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on  A brother from another mother?

 One more hint of Chinese heritage

My grandmother Maud was a Thomson. Her father, William Mitchel Thomson was career military, having joined the Royal Engineers at 14 years of age. There were eight children in the Hong Kong family. Five were girls and three boys. Only … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on  One more hint of Chinese heritage

A case for Coutes?

After what seems like irrefutable evidence that my mysterious great grandmother was “Anne Hunter alias Kot Choy” there is one more little snippet of evidence that can’t be ignored.    A photocopy of a typed “Carl Smith card” from way … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on A case for Coutes?

 Tobias and Maud Hunter Wedding

The wedding took place at St Andrews Church on Nathan Road in Kowloon, April 14, 1909. I think the wedding photos were done at their home, 4 Humphrey’s Ave, Kowloon. Most of the women in the photo are sisters of … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on  Tobias and Maud Hunter Wedding