John Thomas COTTON [1864-1943] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

John Thomas COTTON [1864-1943]

Primary tabs

Submitted by Dr Anthony Ablong on Wed, 2018-01-17 18:04
Names
Given: 
John Thomas
Family: 
Cotton
Sex: 
Male
Status: 
Deceased
Birth
Date: 
c.1864-01-01 (Month, Day are approximate)
Birthplace (town, state): 
Yorkshire
Birthplace (country): 
England
Death
Date: 
1943-08-31

In further research, I found an undated newspaper item written in the South China Morning Post sometime in 1937 in the column "From the Files 25 years ago" observing that 'Mr John Thomas Cotton (my mother's father) who will shortly be celebrating his 50th year of residence in HongKong told reporters that when he first came to HongKong as a corporal in the Royal Artillery, the only main thoroughfare was Queen's Road which extended from Wanchai to the Gas Works at Weat Point.  There were no trams, only rickshaws.  The Rope Factory was the first in West Point.  He also revealed that Murray Parade Ground used to slope but was levelled by the military authorities. Mr Cotton formerly with Prisons Department, the Customs and finally the HongKong Hotel Company said the Commodore was the first to build on the Peak, thenMr Belilios and then Sir Robert Ho Tung.  He recalled the building of the Peak Tramway when every brick was carried up by women and small children......'. More information followed and mainly related to the house I spoke about earlier.  My grandfather later returned in 1939 to UK on Home Leave, and was killed in one of the German bombing raids on Coventry.

Connections: 
  • Log in or register to post comments

Comments

Submitted by David on Wed, 2018-01-17 18:12.

There's a John Thomas Cotton listed in the 1921 Jurors List, though he doesn't appear in the lists for 1920 or 1922:

c Cotton John Thomas Barman HK. Hotel Co., Ld.   Hongkong Hotel

Submitted by Dr Anthony Ablong on Thu, 2018-01-18 08:59.

Thanks again for the information which I will note on the family records regarding the electoral anomaly as pointed out.  

Submitted by David on Thu, 2018-01-18 18:14.

Possible explanations for someone not appearing in the Jurors List include their being out of Hong Kong, or that they had moved to a job in the civil service.

There are also several people surnamed Cotton in the 1941 Jurors list:

c   Cotton, John Thomas Manager, Central Radio Service 27 Kimberley Road, Ground floor, Kowloon.
c   Cotton, Joseph Albert Engineer, John Manners & Co., Ld. 26 West Terrace, Kowloon Docks.
c   Cotton, Percy MacDonald Freight Solicitor, American President. Lines, Ld. 24 Kadoorie Avenue, Kowloon,

The original J T Cotton would have been aged around 70 by then, so I wondered if this was him in the 1941 list, or perhaps a son / grandson? 

Submitted by Dr Anthony Ablong on Sat, 2018-01-20 12:45.

To clarify your query.  My mother's father returned to UK in 1939 as pointed out earlier and was killed in Coventry.  He left his family behind residing at 27 Kimberley Road which was a three storied building. The names of those shown are his sons. His other daughter Sarah was married to Hose Costa and their family occupied the 3rd floor.

Submitted by msieler on Sat, 2018-04-28 05:44.

John Thomas Cotton was my great-great-grandfather. He was born in Yorkshire, England in 1864. His son, also John Thomas Cotton was born in Plumstead, England in 1883.

He left England in about 1887 and was working, as a probationary tidewaiter, at Pakhoi for the Chinese customs service. He married Ignacia Maria Pereira on  14 Jan 1890 at Kiungchow, Hong Kong. I have their marriage certificate. 

On 6 Sep 1934 he arrived back in London aboard the ship Yasukuni Maru. He returned to Coventry where his family, originally from Yorkshire, were then living. He was not killed in Coventry.

He was living in Ipswich where his first son's family were living. He died on 31 Aug 1943 at Number 1 Flat, Black Horse Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk. His death certificate shows him as being a retired sanitary inspector in the Colonial Service. In his will he left all his effects, £82, to my great aunt, Kate Pickett (nee Cotton). 

I would be very interested in seeing the full newspaper article you have from the South China Morning Post and if you can contact me I can send you any documents I have relating to John.

I only have a couple of photos of him, but one matches one that Doreen Cotton gave me so I know we definitely have the same John Thomas Cotton.

Regards

Malcolm Sieler

malcolm@sieler.co.uk

Submitted by Dr Anthony Ablong on Sat, 2018-04-28 12:06.

Good morning Malcolm,

such a pleasure to get more background information on John Thomas Cotton.  May I suggest we dialogue off-line by email?

Submitted by msieler on Sat, 2018-04-28 17:37.

Looking forward to hearing from you. Regards, Malcolm

malcolm@sieler.co.uk

Submitted by David on Mon, 2018-04-30 14:43.
Surname: Cotton
Forename: J.T.
Chinese name:
Date of first appointment: 1887/Feb
Position on first appointment: Watcher 
Date withdrew: 1892/Feb
Port on withdrawal: Hankow
Position on withdrawal: Second Class Tidewaiter
Mode of withdrawal: Resigned

Source: https://www.bris.ac.uk/history/customs/resources/servicelists/britishc.p... 

Submitted by msieler on Tue, 2018-05-01 05:50.

Thank you for the link.

I also have some images from the Imperial Maritime Customs of Service Lists for the years 1887, 1888, 1889 & 1890, each listing JT Cotton.

Apparently the National Archives at Kew, England may have more comprehensive documentation relating to these records so I am going to visit soon to see if I can find exactly when he signed up to work in Hong Kong, as I do not know exactly when he left England.

Submitted by Dr Anthony Ablong on Wed, 2018-05-02 05:39.

Thanks David, the immeasureable benefits of historical research are coming to fruition, and clarifying.

Interesting positions of 'watcher' and 'tidemaster': any idea what functions were performed in these roles>

Submitted by Dr Anthony Ablong on Wed, 2018-05-02 05:44.

Thanks Malcolm,

I will be visiting the National Archies at Kew on my visit to Westminister Abbey to view my father's entry in the Commonwealth War Graves Roll of Honour. Possible to catchup then?

Submitted by David on Thu, 2018-05-03 12:36.

When he left the customs he was a "Second Class Tidewaiter". Here's the Oxford dictionary definition:

historical 
A customs officer who boarded ships on their arrival to enforce the customs regulations.

Submitted by Dr Anthony Ablong on Thu, 2018-05-03 13:42.

Thanks a million David for clarifying the definition of 'tidewater:': the recent data on grandfather JTC is immeasurable.