John Pope Hennessy
Sir John Pope Hennessy Governor of the Gold Coast | |||||||||
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| In office 1872–1872 | |||||||||
| Monarch | Victoria | ||||||||
| Preceded by | Herbert Taylor Ussher | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Charles Spencer Salmon, acting | ||||||||
| 6th Governor of Labuan | |||||||||
| In office 1867–1871 | |||||||||
| Monarch | Victoria | ||||||||
| Preceded by | Hugh Low (acting) | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Sir Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer | ||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||
| Born | 8 August 1834 County Cork, Ireland | ||||||||
| Died | 7 October 1891 (aged 57) Rostellan Castle, County Cork, Ireland | ||||||||
| Political party | Irish Parliamentary Party | ||||||||
| Other political affiliations | Conservative (1859–1865) | ||||||||
| Spouse |
Catherine Elizabeth Low
(m. 1868) | ||||||||
| Domestic partner | A. M. Conyngham | ||||||||
| Children | 2 daughters, 3 sons | ||||||||
| Alma mater | Queen's University of Ireland | ||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 軒尼詩 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 轩尼诗 | ||||||||
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Sir John Pope Hennessy
Early life
John Pope Hennessy was born in
In May 1855 he went to London to further his studies at Charing Cross Hospital. He then entered public service.[2]
Public service
He started his Public Service career as the
Early colonial service
Hennessy eventually joined the
Although Hennessy was born into the Anglo-Irish landowning gentry, his status as a Roman Catholic made him something of an outsider, particularly in his dealings with Protestant British colonial elites, whether in Barbados, Hong Kong, or Mauritius. Indeed, his earliest contributions as a Member of Parliament in 1860 pertained to the temporal power of the Pope, and unfolding events in Italy.[5] Coming into colonial administration, he was among a cohort of "new thinkers" whose ideas gained ground following the Sepoy Mutiny in India in 1857. Speaking at length in the House of Commons on 26 July 1860 about British civil and military forces in India, Hennessy urged a shift in policies so that "the military administration of India would be conducted with greater skill, with more economy, and, as a natural result of a higher educational standard, with a greater regard for the feelings and interests of the Native population. Indeed, recent events furnished us with the most conclusive evidence that many of the British officers, entrusted with grave authority in India, had, from an ignorance of popular customs and a disregard of national habits and traditions, given great cause of complaint and encouragement to disaffection. As long as we send out officers to India who seem inclined to treat the Natives as slaves, who seem unable or unwilling to appreciate the noble qualities, of that unfortunate people, and who add the grossest military outrages and insults to the civil misgovernment and financial burdens we have imposed upon them, so long will our rule in India be a blot upon civilization".[6]
Governor of Hong Kong
Immediately after his tenure in Barbados, Hennessy was appointed as Governor of Hong Kong, a position from which he served until 1882.
During his tenure, Hennessy realised that the Chinese people, who were treated as second-class citizens up to that time, had developed an increasingly important influence on the Hong Kong economy. With that in mind, he lifted the ban that forbade Chinese people from buying lands, constructing buildings, and operate businesses in the Central District. This caused a development boom in the Central District. Also, he allowed Chinese immigrants in Hong Kong to naturalise as British subjects. He appointed the first Chinese member (
In 1878, Hennessy also mandated that English be taught in all government schools in Hong Kong.
Due to his progressive attitude he was known by the Chinese as "Number One Good Friend".[7]
Also, during his rule, he established the first Grant-in-Aid system, a milestone in the educational history of Hong Kong.
Soon after arriving in Hong Kong, in April 1877, Hennessy set out to implement the "separate system" in Victoria Gaol, meaning separate cells for prisoners, during the night if not also during the day. This plan hinged upon sending long-term prisoners to Labuan, for convict labour.[8]
Governor of Mauritius
After his tenure as Governor of Hong Kong was over, Hennessy went on to become the 15th
Personal life
Hennessy had two illegitimate daughters with his mistress, Miss A. M. Conyngham, before, on 4 February 1868, marrying Catherine "Kitty" Elizabeth Low (1850–1923), daughter of
His personal motto was "Three Grand Qualifications to Success", which he described as "The first is audacity, the second is audacity, and the third is audacity".
Hennessy died of heart failure on 7 October 1891 at his residence, Rostellan Castle, near Cork, Ireland.
Honours
- KCMG(1880)
Memorials
As he was not popular among the European community of Hong Kong, there were no contemporary memorials there. However, on 14 June 1929, a main road located on the new reclamation was called Hennessy Road, and there is now also a crowded commercial and shopping area at Wan Chai and Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island named after him. In Port Louis, capital of Mauritius, there is both a major street, Pope Hennessy Street, and a statue by M. Loumeau erected in 1908.[12] Hennessy Road, a street in civil lines, Nagpur, Maharashtra state, India is also named after him.
Notes
- ^ "In the United Kingdom" (PDF). City University of Hong Kong.
- ^ "Papers of Sir John Pope-Hennessy - Archives Hub". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Leigh Rayment's House of Commons pages: K". Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Hansard 1803–2005". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).
- ^ "Commons Sittings in the 19th century (Hansard)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).
- ^ House of Commons debate, 26 July 1860, Hansards, Vol. 160, cc. 231-59, 235
- OCLC 1193065927.)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ Hong Kong Government Gazette, 23 February 1878
- ^ Napal, D. (13 October 2017). "The Alleged Indian Peril (Glimpses of History 1956)". Mauritius Times. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
- ^ "Mauritian democracy: a caesarean birth". Lexpress.mu. L'Express. 2 June 2005. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- ^ "Mauritian democracy: a caesarean birth". L'Express. 2 June 2005. Retrieved 2 June 2005.
- ^ . Accessed 2 August 2018.
Sources
- "Sir John Pope Hennessy dead" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
- Pope-Hennessy, James (1964). Verandah: Some Episodes in the Crown Colonies: 1867–1889. London: George Allen and Unwin.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by John Pope Hennessy
- Sir Walter Raleigh in Ireland (1883) via archive.org
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