Constance LAM [c.1904-1945] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Constance LAM [c.1904-1945]

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Submitted by brian edgar on Sun, 2014-12-28 23:59
Names
Given: 
Constance
Family: 
Lam
Sex: 
Female
Status: 
Deceased
Birth
Date: 
c.1904-01-01 (Year, Month, Day are approximate)
Death
Date: 
1945-11-30
Cause of death: 
Heart disease (probable)

Constance Lam was a member of the class of 1933 at the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina, graduating in Sociology before going on to obtain a qualification from the New York School of Social Work.

She was in Peking when the Japanese attacked China in 1937, and moved to Hong Kong where she became head of a camp of 2,000 female refugees from the war. Her talent for leadership was noticed by Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke, the Director of Medical Services. She became a close friend of the doctor and his wife. She was ill through overwork in 1939 and 1940 but her heart problems did not save her from playing an important role in the illegal network Selwyn-Clarke set up to provide medical relief during the Japanese occupation. However, the weakness brought on by her efforts meant she was unable to survive a second bout of illness.

http://archive.org/stream/alumnaenewsapr1946unse/alumnaenewsapr1946unse_...

Note: She might be the 'Dr. Lum' of Tom Hutchinson's Diary.

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Comments

Submitted by David on Wed, 2014-12-31 11:44.

I asked Barbara Merchant about this. She replies:

I found that mother had to get a medical reference from Dr Lum, and his note paper had this heading:

Dr K.C. Lam, 268-270 Lai Chi Kok Road, Kowloon

which is on http://gwulo.com/node/17209

The note is dated 7 March 1946, so that's after Constance Lam's death.

So they were different people.

Regards, David

Submitted by brian edgar on Wed, 2014-12-31 22:33.

Thanks David and Betty.

Submitted by brian edgar on Tue, 2016-07-05 16:49.

Before the war there was an 'ever-cheerful'  Dr. Lam who worked at the Government Dispensary at Taipo.

Source: Jil Doggett, The Yip Family of Amah Rock, 131

Submitted by Tideswell27 on Thu, 2017-11-30 09:22.

Under the heading for this person the gender is given as “male” under sex, yet she would very much appear to have been female.

I think a correction is required here!