Tobias HUNTER (aka The Colonel) [1877-1970] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Tobias HUNTER (aka The Colonel) [1877-1970]

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Submitted by seemex on Sat, 2013-11-23 07:27
Names
Given: 
Tobias
Family: 
Hunter
Alias / nickname: 
The Colonel
Sex: 
Male
Status: 
Deceased
Birth
Date: 
1877-09-18
Birthplace (town, state): 
Hong Kong
Birthplace (country): 
China
Death
Date: 
1970-09-28
Cause of death: 
Compications following a stoke suffered two years prior
Tags: 
Jardine Matheson
Geddes Trading & Dairy Co
Connections: 
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1930
1960
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Comments

Submitted by David on Sat, 2013-11-23 22:02.

There's a Tobias Hunter mentioned in the Jurors Lists. If it's the same man, he was a long-term resident of Hong Kong:

  • 1899 - 1904: Assistant @ Jardine Matheson, Address: Old Bailey Street
  • 1905: Assistant @ Jardine Matheson, Address: 4, East Terrace
  • 1906 - 1912: Assistant @ Jardine Matheson, Address: 4, Humphreys Avenue
  • 1913 - 1914: not listed
  • 1915: Commission Agent @ Tobias Hunter, Address: Hotel Mansions
  • 1916: Shipping, Estate and Commission Agent, Address: 26 Nathan Road

That's as far as we've got, but we're looking for help transcribing 1917: http://gwulo.com/node/15790

What else can you tell us about him?

Regards, David

Submitted by 1314 on Sat, 2013-11-23 23:21.

In 1918 and 1919 List of Common Jurors,resident Carnarvon Road,Kowloon.

Submitted by seemex on Thu, 2014-01-16 11:29.

Tobias Hunter was my grandfather. I am looking for info on him and other HK family members. I also have some info already.

I am also looking for a Mr Ross who was with the water dept in the 1920s.

Brian Hunter Beesley

Submitted by seemex on Sun, 2014-07-06 08:20.

Tobias Hunter moved to Shanghai with his wife and two daughters in abt 1919.

He partnered with is sister's husband Thomas Cock in the food supply business which later became Geddes Trading and Dairy Co. They imported such items as butter and dairy products from Australia, along with foods from the USA and Britain.

Tobias was interned during the Japanese occupation at Linclon Road Camp but was released in 1945. His brother George and sister May were also interned but came through their ordeal relatively unharmed, other than financially.

Submitted by kctlau on Tue, 2016-07-19 17:55.

Found a boy named "Toby Hunter" registered at Diocesan Home and Orphanage (now called Diocesan Boys' School) in 1883, the same year when Dr. Sun Yat-sen (registered as Sun Tui-chew) was admitted to the same school.

Submitted by seemex on Tue, 2021-09-07 07:53.

I was aware that Toby Hunter is listed at DBS in 1883 but the Sun-Yat-Sen age didn''t seem to me to be a match ( SYS was born in 1866 which would make him 17 or so in 1883 which sounds a bit old to be admitted that same year, but I suppose anything is possible ) As for Toby Hunter, I wonder if there is any school record of his family, guardians, mother or father? If he attended alone it makes me wonder where his brother and sister were? Toby was only 6 in 1883 which I've been told was very young to be admiited to the DBS. His brother would have been 2 years older, so should have also ben there and his sister 2 years younger, would still be at home.

I've also discovered a connection to the name "CHOY" as well. Is there any way to check that name at DBS? Were there any Choy children listed around that same time? I would appreciate any info on the Choy, Choi, or Choa families in Hong Kong.

 

Submitted by jill on Tue, 2021-09-07 19:03.

There are two Choy Ka-Pok boys listed in the DBS - Register for 1881 and 1882 uploaded by annelise at https://gwulo.com/node/44277

There are other Choys listed a bit later.

Worth looking.

 

 

Submitted by seemex on Tue, 2021-09-07 23:51.

Hi,

     Yes, as a matter of fact I was looking at the list last night. I had trouble finding it. I thought there was a link to it, but I guess not. I've saved it now. I looked into both the Choy students but got nowhere. I also checked a few Caucasian names from 1883 who were there when my GF attended, Goodridge brothers, Thomas Gifford and Rodney Powers, all to no avail. I'd initially questioned my GFs age as he was born in 1877 so six is very young, but I actually found a quote from a letter he wrote to my mother in the 50s where he said he'd been sent to boarding school at 5 1/2.

I found a friend of his who was mentioned in later correspondence; Harry Hastings, a student in 1885 and a friend of my GF who ended up in Victoria, Canada and became an advocate for Asian and Eurasian immigrants there. His family had been in the sugar business in Formosa. 

Submitted by jill on Wed, 2021-09-08 06:02.

David, might it be a good idea to add the DBS Register to the links for "Where to find Hong Kong's history? I found it very useful myself for confirming the dates that my (half-) uncles had been there. It was also useful to see who their contemporaries were in terms of their future careers and their contacts. One often stays in touch with school friends, and that would be especially true of a small community like Hong Kong. 

Submitted by Admin on Tue, 2021-09-14 02:16.

Good idea - I've added it.