David Ford (civil servant)
Sir David Ford John Martin Rowlands | |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Harnam Singh Grewal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 February 1935 |
| Died | 10 September 2017 (aged 82) London, England, United Kingdom |
| Spouses | Elspbeth Anne Mucker
(m. 1958; div. 1987)Gillian Petersen (m. 1987) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Royal College of Defence Studies |
| Occupation | Army officer, civil servant |
Sir David Robert Ford,
Biography
Ford was born on 22 February 1935 and educated at the
Ford left the army in 1972 and began working in the Hong Kong government, holding a number of appointments as a senior civil servant . He became the Director of the Information Services Department in 1974 where he engaged in propaganda warfare with the communists in Hong Kong. He was Under Secretary in the Northern Ireland Office between 1977 and 1979 during the resurgence of the Irish Republican Army in the period known as The Troubles. Pro-Beijing newspapers believed Ford was an MI6 agent due to his portfolio.[2]
Ford returned to Hong Kong in 1979 and studied at the
Ford retired from public service in 1997, focusing on breeding rare cattle and sheep in Devon. He was a director of the
Ford died on 10 September 2017, at the age of 82.[6] His wife, Lady Gillian Ford was a founder and subsequently patron of the Hong Kong Children's Cancer Foundation from 1987 to 1992.[7]
Personal life
In 1958, Ford married Elspeth Anne (née Muckart). Together they had four children; two sons and two daughters. Their marriage was dissolved in 1987, and the same year he married Gillian Petersen (née Monsarrat).[8] One of his daughters is Mandy Ford, an Anglican priest who has been Dean of Bristol since 2020.[9]
References
- ^ "G.N. 440 of 1987". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 129: 667. 13 February 1987.
- ^ a b c "David Ford, the last British chief secretary in Hong Kong, dies aged 82". South China Morning Post. 11 September 2017.
- ^ "Former chief secretary David Ford passes away at age 82". ejinsight. 11 September 2017.
- ^ "David Robert FORD – Personal Appointments". Companies House. HM Government. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ "'Progressive on democracy' but 'colonial and aloof': officials, lawmakers reflect on life of Hong Kong's last British chief secretary". South China Morning Post. 11 September 2017.
- ^ "FORD, Sir David Robert, KBE, LVO". Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ Lo, Wei (18 November 2012). "Gloria's so grateful for charity that saved her life". South China Morning Post.
- ^ "Ford, Sir David (Robert), (22 Feb. 1935–10 Sept. 2017), Chief Secretary, Hong Kong Government, 1986–93; Chairman: PCCW (Europe), since 2003; UK Broadband, since 2004". Who Was Who. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- Who's Who 2022. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2022.