Stewart Lockhart
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Sir James Haldane Stewart Lockhart, (25 May 1858 – 26 February 1937) was a British colonial official in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
for more than 40 years. He also served as Commissioner of
British Weihaiwei Weihaiwei or Wei-hai-wei, on the northeastern coast of China, was a leased territory of the United Kingdom from 1898 until 1930. The capital was Port Edward, China, Port Edward, which lay in what is now the centre of Huancui District in the city ...
from 1902 to 1921. Additionally, he was a
Sinologist Sinology, also referred to as China studies, is a subfield of area studies or East Asian studies involved in social sciences and humanities research on China. It is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of the Chinese civilizatio ...
who made pioneering translations.


Early life

Born as James Haldane Lockhart in Ardsheal,
Argyllshire Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area now forms part of ...
,
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, his parents were Anna Rebecca Charlotte (Stewart) and Miles Lockhart of
Lismore, Argyll Lismore (, possibly meaning "great enclosure" or "garden") is an island of around in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The climate is damp and mild, with over of rain recorded annually. This fertile, low-lying island was once a major centre of ...
. His grandfather was banker James Lockhart. He attended
King William's College King William's College () is a co-educational Private schools in the United Kingdom, private school for pupils aged 3 to 18 near Castletown, Isle of Man, Castletown on the Isle of Man. It is a member of the International Baccalaureate and Hea ...
(1868–72),
George Watson's College George Watson's College is a co-educational Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a Scottish education in the eighteenth ...
, and the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
, and attempted to enter the civil service in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. Failing to do that, Lockhart took a
Colonial Service The Colonial Service, also known as His/Her Majesty's Colonial Service and replaced in 1954 by Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service (HMOCS), was the British government service that administered most of Britain's overseas possessions, under the aut ...
cadetship in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
in 1878.


Colonial service in Hong Kong

After joining the Hong Kong Government in 1882, Lockhart rose through the ranks of Hong Kong's civil service. He was
Registrar General General Register Office or General Registry Office (GRO) is the name given to the civil registry in the United Kingdom, many other Commonwealth nations and Ireland. The GRO is the government agency responsible for the recording of vital record ...
and Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong, and later became
Commissioner of Weihaiwei Weihaiwei or Wei-hai-wei, on the northeastern coast of China, was a leased territory of the United Kingdom from 1898 until 1930. The capital was Port Edward, China, Port Edward, which lay in what is now the centre of Huancui District in the city ...
(1902–1927), the British coastal
enclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is so ...
returned to
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
in 1930. He had a more positive relationship with Hong Kong Chinese due to this knowledge of
Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...
and was friends with
Ho Kai Sir Kai Ho (; 21 March 1859 – 21 July 1914), better known as Sir Kai Ho Kai and born Ho Shan-kai (), was a Hong Kong barrister, physician and essayist in colonial Hong Kong. He played a key role in the relationship between the Hong Kon ...
. Lockhart was made a member of the Hong Kong
Legislative A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...
and Executive Councils. Lockhart drafted the first English-language report on the
New Territories The New Territories (N.T., Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: ) is one of the three areas of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of H ...
after London's acquisition in 1898. He argued that the prevalent Chinese communal culture and organization would serve as a stabilizing force in the colony. Lockhart's preference for indirect and indigenized rule was a main factor leading to the official recognition of Chinese community organizations like
Tung Wah Hospital Tung Wah Hospital is a charitable hospital in Hong Kong under the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals. Located above Possession Point at 12 Po Yan Street in Sheung Wan, it is the first hospital established in colonial Hong Kong for the general pub ...
and
Po Leung Kuk The Po Leung Kuk, founded as the Society for the Protection of Women and Children, is a charitable organisation in Hong Kong that provides support for orphaned children, education and other services. History In the late 19th century, Ki ...
. He founded the
Hong Kong Football Club Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC; ), established in 1886, is a private members' club in Hong Kong. The name reflects the origin as a club for playing association football and Rugby football, rugby. The club is situated in Happy Valley, Hong Kon ...
in 1886, situated within the
Happy Valley Racecourse The Happy Valley Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing and is a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It is located in Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island, surrounded by Wong Nai Chung Road and Morrison Hill Road. The capacit ...
. The club now plays host to the Hong Kong 10s rugby tournament. In his many years in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
he became a sinophile and a convinced
Confucianist Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius ...
. His resulting contention that only a hard-line Chinese-style Confucian administration would be understood or respected, and his hard-line response to local resistance in the 1899 takeover of the new territories, has been proposed as one of the main causes of the
Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...
that lead to the deaths of over 500
punti ''Punti'' ( zh, t=本地, j=bun2 dei6, l=locals) is a Cantonese endonym referring to the native Cantonese people of Guangdong and Guangxi. In Hong Kong, ''Punti'' designates Weitou dialect-speaking locals in contrast to non-Weitou speaker ...
clansmen.


Sinological service

While they were both training in Hong Kong, Lockhart became friends with
Reginald Johnston Sir Reginald Fleming Johnston ( zh, s=庄士敦爵士, t=莊士敦爵士, p=Zhuāngshìdūn juéshì, l=Sir Johnston; 13 October 1874 – 6 March 1938) was a Scottish diplomat and colonial official who served as the tutor and advisor to Puyi, ...
, who made his reputation while serving in
Weihaiwei Weihai ( zh, t=, p=Wēihǎi), formerly Weihaiwei ( zh, s=, p=Wēihǎiwèi, l=Mighty Sea Fort, first=t), is a prefecture-level city and major seaport city in the easternmost Shandong province of China. It borders Yantai to the west and the Yellow ...
. Both men devoted great energy to their studies of Chinese language and classical literature, and both published scholarly works. Johnston was also a great emotional support to Lockhart and his family. Johnston later wrote that, as Lockhart had had a sound training in Greek and Latin at
Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the town council under the authority of a royal charter from King James VI in 1582 and offi ...
, he took easily to the study of Chinese, another classical language. ''
The China Review ''The China Review: Or, Notes and Queries on the Far East'' was an academic journal published in Hong Kong from 1872 to 1901 as an outlet for scholarly writings on China written by foreign scholars, mainly those living on the China coast. The jo ...
'', a journal for scholarly work by China coast foreigners, published Lockhart's early work, which mainly concerned linguistic questions. Lockhart was fluent in Cantonese, Johnston reported, and acquired a working knowledge of Mandarin when he was posted to Weihaiwei.


Numismatics and art collecting

Lockhart was particularly interested in collecting and studying Chinese coins, and he produced several publications on
numismatics Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also inclu ...
. He also made a thorough study of Chinese art and literature, and formed a large collection of paintings, ink rubbings and decorative arts, some of which was displayed in 1928. The collection was donated by his daughter, Betty Joel, to his ''alma mater'',
George Watson's College George Watson's College is a co-educational Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a Scottish education in the eighteenth ...
, and is currently on a long-term loan to the
National Museum of Scotland The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a museum of Scottish history and culture. It was formed in 2006 with the merger of the new Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, ...
. Lockhart's Chinese books were purchased by
Cambridge University Library Cambridge University Library is the main research library of the University of Cambridge. It is the largest of over 100 libraries Libraries of the University of Cambridge, within the university. The library is a major scholarly resource for me ...
; his photographs are on loan to the
Scottish National Portrait Gallery National Galleries Scotland: Portrait is an art museum on Queen Street, Edinburgh. Portrait holds the national collections of portraits, all of which are of, but not necessarily by, Scots. It also holds the Scottish National Photography Collec ...
.


Later life

After retiring from the Colonial Service, Lockhart returned to Britain. He became an honorary member of the
Royal Asiatic Society The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, commonly known as the Royal Asiatic Society, was established, according to its royal charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encourag ...
and member of the
School of Oriental Studies The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...
at the
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...
.


Honours and legacy

His appointment of CMG was signed by Queen Victoria on 21 May 1898, while his appointment of KCMG was signed by King Edward VII on 9 November 1908. He received an honorary LLD degree from the
University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is a public research university in Pokfulam, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese by the London Missionary Society and formally established as the University of ...
in 1918.
Lockhart Road Lockhart Road () is a street spanning the whole length of Wan Chai from east to west on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. It begins at Arsenal Street in the west and ends in East Point Road in East Point, Hong Kong, East Point. History The ro ...
in
Wan Chai Wan Chai (Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: 灣仔) is located in the western part of Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is bounded by Canal Road, Hong Kong, Canal Road to the east, Arsenal St ...
,
Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island () is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. The island, known originally and on road signs simply as "Hong Kong", had a population of 1,289,500 and a population density of , . It is the second largest island in Hong Kon ...
, is named after him.


Family

In 1889, Lockhart married Edith Louise Rider Hancock. They had one son and two daughters: Charles, Mary (known by her married and professional name Betty Joel), and Margaret. He returned with his family to England in 1927 and died in London in 1937.Johnston, "Obituary."


Notes

;Footnotes ;Citations


Selected publications

* Lockhart, James H. Stewart (1893).
A Manual of Chinese Quotations, Being a Translation of the Ch'êng Yü K'ao
'. Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh. * * * *


References

*Edinburgh City Art Centre (1982). ''An Ardent Collector: An Exhibition of the Stewart Lockhart Collection''. . * * Sonia Lightfoot (2008). ''The Chinese painting collection and correspondence of Sir James Stewart Lockhart (1858–1937)''. E. Mellen Press. . * "Sir James Haldane Stewart Lockhart: Colonial Civil Servant and Scholar", . {{DEFAULTSORT:Lockhart, James Stewart 1858 births 1937 deaths British Weihaiwei people Stewart-Lockhart, James Haldane Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George People educated at George Watson's College People educated at King William's College People from Argyll and Bute British expatriates in British Hong Kong British sinologists British numismatists Chinese numismatics