I believe that the original name for Glenealy was “Elliot’s Vale,” the latter being the one and only place in Hong Kong named after Captain Charles Elliot.
He, of course, was the chap who seized the island of Hong Kong in the name of the British Crown, and who was sacked by the Foreign Secretary for his pains! The British Government wanted the island of Chusan up the coast near Shanghai - and not this “barren rock with hardly a house upon it.” Ironically the British had seized (and occupied) Chusan during the Opium War, but returned it to the Chinese afterwards.
Although Elliot went on to better things later, (2 Governorships, promotion to Admiral), it must have been galling to him not to have had anywhere in the Colony named after him. I’m not sure when Glenealy acquired that name; can anybody assist?
Some years ago I did some research on where the HK Glenealy name came from.
Glenealy was the name that Dent & Co gave to their residence built just above Elliot's Ravine/Vale at the eastern end of Caine Road in the late 1840s (IL57/59).
I believe that it was named after the little village of Glenealy near Wicklow, County Wicklow, Ireland. The link to Dents was probably Francis Chomley, sometime head of Dent & Co. His father was Rural Dean of County Wicklow, and Chomley grew up in Wicklow.
Dents went bankrupt in HK in 1867. They were forced to sell up completely and relocate to Shanghai. The residence Glenealy was sold to Gibb, Livingstone and Co. And in the 1880s they sold it onto the RC Church. The Cathedral and associated buildings now occupy IL 57/59.
It seems that the name Glenealy quickly superseded the name Elliot's Ravine/Vale and was in general use by about 185o.
I've copied Ian's comment over to https://gwulo.com/node/37747 to keep all the conversation about this topic on one page. I'll delete the comments on this page in a few days time.
Comments
Glenealy
I believe that the original name for Glenealy was “Elliot’s Vale,” the latter being the one and only place in Hong Kong named after Captain Charles Elliot.
He, of course, was the chap who seized the island of Hong Kong in the name of the British Crown, and who was sacked by the Foreign Secretary for his pains! The British Government wanted the island of Chusan up the coast near Shanghai - and not this “barren rock with hardly a house upon it.” Ironically the British had seized (and occupied) Chusan during the Opium War, but returned it to the Chinese afterwards.
Although Elliot went on to better things later, (2 Governorships, promotion to Admiral), it must have been galling to him not to have had anywhere in the Colony named after him. I’m not sure when Glenealy acquired that name; can anybody assist?
Origins of the name Glenealy in HK
Some years ago I did some research on where the HK Glenealy name came from.
Glenealy was the name that Dent & Co gave to their residence built just above Elliot's Ravine/Vale at the eastern end of Caine Road in the late 1840s (IL57/59).
I believe that it was named after the little village of Glenealy near Wicklow, County Wicklow, Ireland. The link to Dents was probably Francis Chomley, sometime head of Dent & Co. His father was Rural Dean of County Wicklow, and Chomley grew up in Wicklow.
Dents went bankrupt in HK in 1867. They were forced to sell up completely and relocate to Shanghai. The residence Glenealy was sold to Gibb, Livingstone and Co. And in the 1880s they sold it onto the RC Church. The Cathedral and associated buildings now occupy IL 57/59.
It seems that the name Glenealy quickly superseded the name Elliot's Ravine/Vale and was in general use by about 185o.
Ian
I've copied Ian's comment…
I've copied Ian's comment over to https://gwulo.com/node/37747 to keep all the conversation about this topic on one page. I'll delete the comments on this page in a few days time.