Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

Sir Charles Elliot (15 August 1801 – 9 September 1875) was a British Royal Navy officer, diplomat, and colonial administrator. He became the first Administrator of Hong Kong in 1841 while serving as both Plenipotentiary and Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China. He was a key founder in the establishment of Hong Kong as a British colony.Endacott 2005, p. 1 Born in Dresden, Saxony, Elliot joined the Royal Navy in 1815 and served as a midshipman in the bombardment of Algiers against

Barbary pirates The Barbary pirates, or Barbary corsairs or Ottoman corsairs, were Muslim pirates and privateers who operated from North Africa, based primarily in the ports of Salé, Rabat, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli. This area was known i ...

the following year. After serving in the East Indies Station for four years, he joined the

Home Station The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First W ...

in 1820. He joined the West Africa Squadron and became a lieutenant in 1822. After serving in the

West Indies Station The Jamaica Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed at Port Royal in Jamaica from 1655 to 1830. History The station was formed, following the capture of Jamaica, by assembling about a dozen frigates in 165 ...

, he was promoted to captain in 1828. He met Clara Windsor in Haiti and they married in 1828. After retiring from active naval service, Elliot followed a career in the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * Unit ...

. From 1830 to 1833, he was Protector of Slaves in

Guiana The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories: * French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France * ...

. In 1834, he went to China as Master Attendant to the staff of Chief Superintendent Lord Napier. He became Plenipotentiary and Chief Superintendent from 1836 to 1841. From 1842 to 1846, Elliot was

chargé d'affaires A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador ...

and consul general in the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...

. He served as

Governor of Bermuda The Governor of Bermuda (fully the ''Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Somers Isles (alias the Islands of Bermuda)'') is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Bermuda. For the purposes of this a ...

(1846–54), Governor of Trinidad (1854–56), and Governor of Saint Helena (1863–70). He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1856.

Early life

Elliot was born in Dresden, Saxony, on 15 August 1801Exmouth Museum Document Collection: Churchyard Monumental Inscriptions and Photographs St John-in-the-Wilderness, Exmouth. to Margaret and

Hugh Elliot Hugh Elliot (6 April 1752 – 1 December 1830) was a British diplomat and then a colonial governor. Education and early career Hugh Elliot was born on 6April 1752, the second son of Sir Gilbert Elliot, 3rd Baronet, of Minto, Sir Gilbert El ...

.Dod, Robert P. (1864).
The Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage, of Great Britain and Ireland for 1864, Including All the Titled Classes
'. London: Whittaker & Co. p. 251.Hoe & Roebuck 1999, p. 4 He was one of nine children. His uncle was Scottish diplomat Gilbert Elliott, 1st Earl of Minto. He was educated at Reading School in Reading, Berkshire, England. On 26 March 1815, Elliot joined the Royal Navy as a first-class volunteer on board HMS ''Leviathan'', which served in the Mediterranean Station. O'Byrne, William Richard (1849). "Elliot, Charles". For more on Elliot, Charles see: , ''A Naval Biographical Dictionary''. London: John Murray. p. 332. In July 1816, he became a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

on board HMS ''Minden'', in which he served in the bombardment of Algiers against

in August 1816.Endacott 2005, p. 2 He then served in the East Indies Station for four years under Sir Richard King. In 1820, he joined the

cutter Cutter may refer to: Tools * Bolt cutter * Box cutter, aka Stanley knife, a form of utility knife * Cigar cutter * Cookie cutter * Glass cutter * Meat cutter * Milling cutter * Paper cutter * Side cutter * Cutter, a type of hydraulic rescue to ...

'' Starling'' under Lieutenant-Commander John Reeve in the

, and HMS ''Queen Charlotte'' under

James Whitshed Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Hawkins-Whitshed, 1st Baronet, (1762 – 28 October 1849), was a Royal Navy officer. He saw action in command of a sloop at the Battle of Martinique during the American Revolutionary War. He went on to serve under ...

West Africa and West Indies

In 1821, Elliot joined under Sir Robert Mends in the West Africa Squadron. On 11 June 1822, he became a lieutenant while serving in HMS ''Myrmidon'' under Captain Henry John Leeke. He again served in the ''Iphigenia'' on 19 June, and in under Captain George Harris in the

. There, he was appointed to the

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

s on 19 June 1825 and ''Renegade'' on 30 August. On 1 January 1826, he was nominated acting-commander of the convalescent ship in

Port Royal Port Royal is a village located at the end of the Palisadoes, at the mouth of Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, it was once the largest city in the Caribbean, functioning as the centre of shipping and co ...

, Jamaica, where on 14 April, he served in the hospital ship . After further employment on board and , he was promoted to captain on 28 August 1828.

Guiana

After retiring from active naval service, Elliot followed a career in the

. In 1830, the Colonial Office sent Elliot to Demerara in

British Guiana British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana. The first European to encounter Guiana was S ...

to be Protector of Slaves and a member of the Court of Policy from 1830 to 1833. He was brought home to advise the government of administrative problems relating to the '' Slavery Abolition Act 1833''. In a letter to the Treasury in 1833, Prime Minister Lord Howick wrote:

Lord Goderich Frederick John Robinson, 1st Earl of Ripon, (1 November 1782 – 28 January 1859), styled The Honourable F. J. Robinson until 1827 and known between 1827 and 1833 as The Viscount Goderich (pronounced ), the name by which he is best known to ...
ecretary of State for the Coloniesfeels himself bound to acknowledge that His Majesty's Government are indebted to him lliot not only for a zealous and efficient execution of the duties of his office, but for communications of peculiar value and importance sent from the Colony during the last twelve months, and for essential services rendered at a critical period since his arrival in this country ... Elliot has contributed far beyond what the functions of his particular office required of him.

China

In late 1833, Elliot was appointed as Master Attendant to the staff of Lord Napier, Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China. His position was involved with British ships and crews operating between Macao and

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...

. He was appointed Secretary in October 1834, Third Superintendent in January 1835, and Second Superintendent in April 1835. In 1836, the office of Chief Superintendent was abolished and its duties were transferred to the newly created Chief of the commission. Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston appointed Elliot to this post, however Elliot continued to use the title of "Chief Superintendent" in his official correspondence. On 16 November 1839, Elliot wrote to Palmerston regarding the opium trade: "No man entertains a deeper detestation of the disgrace and sin of this forced traffic on the coast of China. I have steadily discountenanced it by all the lawful means in my power, and at the total sacrifice of my private comfort in the society in which I have lived for some years past." San Francisco Green

During the

First Opium War The First Opium War (), also known as the Opium War or the Anglo-Sino War was a series of military engagements fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty of China between 1839 and 1842. The immediate issue was the Chinese enforcement of the ...

, he was on board the East India Company steamer ''

Nemesis In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view. Etymology The n ...

'' during most of the battles. In January 1841, he negotiated terms with Chinese Imperial Commissioner Qishan in the Convention of Chuenpi. Elliot declared via a circular, among other terms, the cession of

Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...

to the United Kingdom. However, Palmerston recalled Elliot and, accusing him of disobedience and treating his instructions as "waste paper", dismissed him. Henry Pottinger was appointed to replace him as plenipotentiary in May 1841. On 29 July, HMS ''Phlegeton'' arrived in Hong Kong with dispatches informing Elliot of the news. Eitel, E. J. (1895).
Europe in China: The History of Hongkong from the Beginning to the Year 1882
'. London: Luzac & Company. p. 177. Pottinger arrived in Macao on 10 August, and announced two days later that Elliot's arrangements with Hong Kong would remain in place. On 24 August, Elliot left Macao with his family for England. As he embarked on the ''Atlanta'', a Portuguese fort fired a 13-gun salute. Historian George Endacott wrote, "Elliot's policy of conciliation, leniency, and moderate war aims was unpopular all round, and aroused some resentment among the naval and military officers of the expedition." Responding to the accusation that "It has been particularly objected to me that I have cared too much for the Chinese", Elliot wrote to Foreign Secretary Lord Aberdeen on 25 June 1842:

But I submit that it has been caring more for lasting British honour and substantial British interests, to protect friendly and helpful people, and to return the confidence of the great trading population of the Southern Provinces, with which it is our chief purpose to cultivate more intimate, social and commercial relations.

Later life

On 23 August 1842, Elliot arrived in the

, where he was

and consul general until 1846. He worked for the abolition of slavery, the establishment of free trade, and a peace treaty between Texas and Mexico. Since an independent Texas would be advantageous to the United Kingdom, Elliot campaigned against

annexation Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...

by the United States. However, the Texans voted for annexation and he was recalled to England. Elliot served as

from 1846 to 1854. He supported the implementation of the mark system by penal reformer Alexander Maconochie in the Bermuda

hulks The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book ...

. He later served as Governor of Trinidad from 1854 to 1856 and Governor of Saint Helena from 1863 to 1870. In St. Helena, Elliot supported botanist Joseph Hooker's plan to culture the

Cinchona ''Cinchona'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae containing at least 23 species of trees and shrubs. All are native to the Tropical Andes, tropical Andean forests of western South America. A few species are ...

plant on mountainous parts of the island. A gardener was sent from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Cinchona plantations soon sprang up near

Diana's Peak Diana's Peak is the highest point, at , on the island of Saint Helena, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is of volcanic origin. The mountain and its surroundings with a total area of 81 ha were proclaimed a national ...

. In the retired list, he was promoted to rear-admiral on 2 May 1855, vice-admiral on 15 January 1862, and admiral on 12 September 1865.Laughton, J. K.; Lambert, Andrew, rev. "Elliot, Sir Charles (1801–1875)". ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (2004 ed.). Oxford University Press. . Accessed 1 August 2018. In Sir Henry Taylor's play, ''Edwin the Fair'' (1842), the character Earl Athulf was based on Elliot. Taylor also mentioned Elliot in his poem, "Heroism in the Shade" (1845). Elliot was made a Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath in 1856. He died in retirement at Withycombe Raleigh, Exmouth, Devon, England, on 9 September 1875.Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, General Register Office, United Kingdom. He is buried in the churchyard of St John in the Wilderness, Exmouth. The weathered headstone inscription to his grave reads in worn lead lettering: "To the memory of / Adm Sir Charles Elliot KCB / Born 15th August 1801 / Died 9th September 1875 / The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God". This is the only known memorial to him anywhere in the world.

Marriage and family

During Elliot's naval service in the West Indies, he met Clara Genevieve Windsor (1806–1885) in Haiti, where she was born and raised.Hoe & Roebuck 1999, p. 11 They married in 1828, and had two daughters and three sons:Hoe & Roebuck 1999, pp. 257, 261–262 *Harriet Agnes Elliot (1829–1896); married

Edward Russell, 23rd Baron de Clifford Edward Southwell Russell, 23rd Baron de Clifford (30 April 1824 – 6 August 1877) was a British Whig politician. Russell was the son of Commander John Russell, third son of Lord William Russell, and Sophia Coussmaker, Baroness de Clifford. He ...

, in 1853; four children.Burke's British Peerage 2003, vol. 2, p. 2709 *Hugh Hislop Elliot (1831–1861); Captain

1st Bombay Light Cavalry First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: * World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

; married Louise Sidonie Perrin on 15 March 1860 in Byculla, Bombay; no known children; died at sea and memorialised in St James Cathedral, St Helena.Genealogical Society of South Africa: memorial inscriptions of St Helena. *Gilbert Wray Elliot (1833–1910); Bombay Civil Service; married three times, one child to each marriage; studied at the East India Company College; weightlifter Launceston Elliot was his son by his third marriage. *Frederick Eden Elliot (1837–1916); Bengal Civil Service; married in 1861; four children. *Emma Clara Elliot (1842–1865); married George Barrow Pennell in 1864 in St Helena, where her father was governor; one child. She died in St Helena where she is memorialised in St James Cathedral. Elliot's wife accompanied him to Guiana from 1830 to 1833, and to China from 1834 to 1841 as well as to all of his subsequent postings around the world. After ten years of widowhood, she died on 17 October 1885, aged 80, at The Bury, the home of her husband's nephew Captain (RN retired) Hugh Maximilian Elliot in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. She is buried at the Heath Lane Cemetery, Hemel Hempstead, where a stone cross bears a worn inscription to her memory.

Namesakes

*Elliot's Vale; renamed Glenealy, Central, Hong Kong *Elliot Island, Chusan Archipelago, China (the name endured in maps into the 20th century) * Port Elliot, South Australia, AustraliaPort Elliot
. ''The Sydney Morning Herald''. 8 February 2004. Accessed 1 August 2018.

Notes

References

* Endacott, G. B. (2005) 962 ''A Biographical Sketch-book of Early Hong Kong''. Hong Kong University Press. . *Hoe, Susanna; Roebuck, Derek (1999). ''The Taking of Hong Kong: Charles and Clara Elliot in China Waters''. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon Press. .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Elliot, Charles 1801 births 1875 deaths 19th-century British diplomats 19th-century Hong Kong people 19th-century Royal Navy personnel British people of the First Opium War Governors of Bermuda Governors of British Trinidad Governors of Hong Kong Governors of Saint Helena British colonial governors and administrators in Africa British colonial governors and administrators in Asia British colonial governors and administrators in the Americas Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath People educated at Reading School Royal Navy admirals Officers of the West Africa Squadron Royal Navy personnel of the Bombardment of Algiers (1816)