Charles Vandeleur CREAGH [1842-1917] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Charles Vandeleur CREAGH [1842-1917]

Primary tabs

Submitted by Admin on Mon, 2013-06-10 13:11
Names
Given: 
Charles Vandeleur
Family: 
Creagh
Sex: 
Male
Status: 
Deceased
Birth
Date: 
1842-10-04
Death
Date: 
1917-09-18

Notes from Adam:

Charles Vandeleur Creagh is also worth adding to the list of Police Magistrates, although he only fulfilled that duty in an acting role from time to time. He was an important but negelected figure in Hong Kong's history, having brought the first Sikh policemen to HK from India, worked as Walter Deane's number two and led the Fire Brigade for some years. He was later Governor of British North Borneo.

NB: He is misnamed "Giles" instead of "Charles" by many historians (e.g. Crisswell and Watson in their history of the RHKP) thanks to an error dating back to, I believe, Norton-Kyshe.

He has a Wikipedia page, but, curiously, it neglects to mention his time in Hong Kong.

Tags: 
Police Magistrate
  • Log in or register to post comments

Comments

Submitted by David on Thu, 2013-06-13 14:14.

Looks like the muddle started with the Government Gazette. In the Gazette for 8th June 1867, there's:

No. 87.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint Giles Vandeleur Creagh, Esquire, to be Deputy Superintendent of Police, his Service as such to commence from the First Day of January in the current Year.

By order,

HENRY JOHN BALL,
Acting Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 1st June, 1867.

Then the next Gazette on 15th June has:

Erratum. – In Notification No. 87 of 1st Instant, for "Giles Vandeleur Creagh, Esquire," read "Charles Vandeleur Creagh, Esquire."

There's also a brief mention of his career in the Legco minutes from 3rd October, 1918:

There are doubtless old residents in this Colony who will note with regret that by his death the portion of his pension paid by this Colony to the late Mr. Charles Vandeleur Creagh has ceased. He served with distinction, after leaving Hongkong, as Secretary to the Government of Perak, and as Governor of British North Borneo.

Regards, David

Submitted by Adam on Thu, 2013-06-13 15:50.

Good work on the source of the name mix up, David. It's funny how these things can perpetuate for so many years. It highlights the dangers of historians relying on secondary, rather then primary, sources.

A minor point of interest, but perhaps worth mentioning anyway, is that Creagh's brother, Garrett O'Moore Creagh, earned a Victoria Cross in 1879, during the Second Anlgo-Afghan War. (China Mail, January 17, 1880)

Submitted by Chinarail on Sun, 2013-06-16 11:12.

Strictly speaking, Creagh did not serve as "Governor" of North Borneo.

North Borneo was , until 1946, under the control of the British North Borneo (BNB) Chartered Company. This of course excludes the period during the war under Japanese occupation.

The BNB Company was under the control of the Chairman of the Board of Directors although from about 1910 onwards it was customary to refer to the territory's chiefs as the 'President' . It was only after the war when BNB was declared a Crown Colony  that the Colonial authorities officially appointed a 'Governor'.

The Wikipedia list of "Governors" of North Boreo is therfore in error and needs editing. Any volunteers to do that out there?

Submitted by Adam on Sun, 2013-06-16 14:17.

Old Straits Settlements newspapers contain dozens of references to him as Governor of North Borneo, such as:

“…Mrs and Mrs Creagh sailed for Europe, Mr Creagh having completed a term of rather more than seven years as Governor of North Borneo, which since 1st Jan. 1890 has also carried with it the appointment of Governor of Labuan.”

Singapore Free Press, July 4, 1891.

 

Just type in something like “creagh governor borneo” at http://newspapers.nl.sg/Default.aspx?source=digitised