Sex
Male
Status
Deceased
Hi David,
I have been trying to find out details about my husbands great-grandfathers brother who we knew died in Hong Kong in 1889 and I came across your amazing site by accident! I have now found his grave in Happy Valley Cemetery and have a photograph of it - fantastic! Can't believe we've had 3 trips to HK and did not realise we had a relative buried there. Next is to find out a bit more about why ~Thomas left Denny in Scotland to join the Hong Kong Police and what his life in HK was like in the 1880's. Keen also to find out the cause of his death at the young age of 23. Any suggestions where I can go to find this out?
Regards
Shirley
Comments
re: Thomas LOUDON
Patricia's book, Policing Hong Kong, would be an excellent place to start and get a feel for the policeman's life in Hong Kong around that time.
Here are some resources if you'd like to do your own research: https://gwulo.com/node/9374
Please let us know what you discover,
Regards, David
Thomas Loudon 1866 - 1889
Scotlands People shows only one birth record of a Thomas Loudon in Denny between 1862 and 1868. That is a birth in 1866. The 1871 census shows Thomas Loudon living in Denny with parents Thomas Loudon a cooper and Agnes Loudon nee Baird. Baptism of Thomas Loudon 27 April 1866 in Denny parents Thomas Loudon and Agnes.
Thomas Loudon died intestate 1 August 1899 and on 13 January 1890 an inventory of his assets was presented at Stirling by Thomas Loudon, Cooper, Bankier Distillery, Stirling, executor dative qua father.
Poverty was the main reason that so many Scots emigrated.
Thanks for that, I have all
Thanks for that, I have all this information on the family tree.
Keen to understand what the recruitment process would have looked like, his life as a policemen in HK and how he died. It's sad to think that he left for a better life and his was cut so short.
Recruitment
https://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/british-bobby-hong-kong…
https://www.police.gov.hk/offbeat/777/eng/f03.htm
Died of fever
As we have an accurate date of his death, it's worth checking the newspapers around that date to see if there is any mention. Luckily there is, on page 2 of The China Mail, 1889-08-01:
THOMAS London [sic.], a constable in the Hongkong Police, died in the Government Civil Hospital this morning from fever. London, who was a Scotchman, joined the force a little over two years ago.
Oh that's great - thanks for
Oh that's great - thanks for sourcing that David - much appreciated!
By the way we are enjoying reading the book
Thomas Loudon
Shirley, my husbands great grandparents were Thomas and Agnes Baird Loudon. It appears that the Thomas Loudon that passed in his twenties was their son? So I'm not sure how this would make him your husband's great grandfather's brother. All very interesting! I have not done any ancestry research. I was very close to Agnes Baird Loudon Hillman (my husband's grandmother) who was the daughter of Thomas and Agnes Baird Loudon.
I thought I'd reach out to see if we might connect via email to tease out the details of who is who! It sounds like you've done a great deal of research. I only googled Thomas Loudon as I found a poem that was about Thomas & Agnes Loudon written by a Vastmistress. Please comment here as I should be notified by email if you do! Thanks and I hope you receive this : )
(correction: Agnes Baird Loudon Hillman, who I knew was the GRAND Daughter of Thomas and Agnes Baird Loudon.