Rene Auguste BUTTON [1899-1974]

I have been curious about a Mr Button, whose house is mentioned in 1913-14 correspondence between the Director of Public Works and the Governor, regarding an application by my grandfather, Charles Warren, to purchase a piece of Crown Land below I.L. 1911 in order to build retaining walls to prevent landslips before cutting away the hill to level the site. The Governor queries: "Is this not a prominent site near the convent below Mr Button's house?" The DPW replies: "This is the site below Mr Button's house." and then " Your Excellency. This is the face of the hill near the convent - a very prominent site and you may wish to consider the question of alienating any more land on the ridge or on the Happy Valley side of it." But the Governor replies: "I think there is no objection to building on the site to a fairly aesthetic design." As René Auguste would only have been about 14 at the time, the Mr Button in question would possibly have been his father. It sounds as if the Buttons were a long standing Hong Kong family, but I haven't so far discovered any more about them. 

Jill

If it helps - there were twins George and John Button who were good soccer players and attended KGV School in the mid 1950s. I think they claimed French nationality.

There was a Seychellois Skipper who was interned  in Ma Tau Wai.  He was married to a Cantonese lady    Madame Button whom I knew well in Seychelles in 1973.  She was quite old and the story was that she smuggled food to her husband at great risk.   She had a son for whom I bought chemistry books prior to his departure to study in UK.    A seychellois historian  Mr Durup may give more if indeed this is the Man.  Dr Bob Duncan

It seems as if Captain Button may well be the same René Auguste Button who was born in 1899 and who is the subject of brianwindsoredgar's query. Would you be in a position to ask Mr Durup if he has any more information about him and his family? It sounds as if there's an interesting story there.

Jill

I am not in the Seychelles now.  I suggest contacting the newspaper    TODAY   OR the  NATION  for which mr durup writes articles.The Seychelles archives may also turn up something.   In the meantime I will try some old friends there   Dr Duncan

Seychelles was a british colony until 1977    I have no doubt the Japanese in 1942 Hong Kong would have no idea where Seychelles was.   I have put feelers out in Seychelles and hope for some information.   William Mcateer has written several books on Seychelles but is out of thecountry just now.  Patience   Dr Duncan

A search for button in the newspaper turned up confirmation of Dr Duncan's notes:

SHIP'S OFFICER MARRIED AT THE REGISTRY

BUTTON - CHAU

At the registry, Supreme Court, yesterday, with Mr. T S Whyte-Smith officiating, Miss Mary Chau, residing at No. 220 Nathan Road, ground floor, was married to Mr Rene Auguste Button, mercantile marine officer, of s.s. St. Vincente de Paul.

From page 3, Hong Kong Daily Press, 1941-09-30

There are lots of other results, but that was the only one about a person named Button.

Regards, David

Thanks to George for the following email:

Hello David,

My name is George Button. I am the son of Captain Rene Auguste Button. I have a twin brother called John. And a younger brother, 16 years younger, called Michael.

Briefly, I would like to say:

My father, Rene Auguste Button was born on 29th April 1899 in Seychelles. He passed away in Seychelles in 1974.

My mother, Mary Chau was born on  24th May 1920 in China and passed away in Liverpool, England in 2003.

Prior to meeting my mother, my father was a Captain of the Coast Guards in Bombay, India. He also served as a mercantile officer on s.s. St. Vincente de Paul and on a few other ships.

My father met my mother, Mary Chau in 1938, when he walked into a general provisions store, which she owned, at 220 Nathan Road Kowloon, to buy a carton of cigarettes.

The facts of his internment by the Japanese at Stanley, and Ma Tau-wai Camps as mentioned are correct. I understand that he was later moved to the Argyle Street Camp. 

After the war, we all moved to Kidderminster, England in 1946 and returned to Hong Kong in 1950.

My father then worked for Butterfield and Swire on their ships travelling to Japan, Indonesia, Malaya, Penang, Singapore, Thailand, Ceylon, New
Zealand, Australia, China, Korea and to various ports in the Indian Ocean.

During the summer holidays, depending if the timing was right, my mother, my brother John and I would go on board my father's ship and sail with him to places like Japan, Malaya, Singapore and Thailand, etc. before returning to Hong Kong. My father retired in 1962.

In June, 1971, my father, mother and younger brother, Michael returned to Seychelles. I accompanied them, stayed with them for a while, then returned to Hong Kong to work.  

I went to England to study on a British Commonwealth Scholarship. In 1961, I began to work for the Hong Kong Government. Ten years in the Education Dept. ( Teacher/Lecturer/Inspector of Schools) and then at the Royal Hong Kong Police Training School in Aberdeen as Chief Instructor (Superintendent ) for 15 years.  I applied for early retirement in 1985 and emigrated to  Chicago, U.S.A. and worked for a legal publishing company for 16 years. I retired as Principal Editor in 2001.

In 1962, John, my twin brother, worked for the Hong Kong Govt. as Teacher/Executive Officer for six years and then emigrated to Toronto in 1968 where he worked as a teacher. He retired in 1997.

Our brother, Michael, who was 16  years younger, went to England to study on a Seychelles Govt. Scholarship in 1975 and is presently living and working in London as a computer specialist. 

Back in 1951, we were close friends with Mr. Cyril Durup, also from Seychelles, who lived on Mody Rd. in Kowloon. I wonder if the Seychellois historian, Mr. Durup, who was mentioned, is related to him?

If  anyone would like to get touch with me, I'll be happy to hear from you.

Best wishes for 2015,

George

If you'd like to contact George, please leave a comment here or send me an e-mail and I'll put you in touch.

Regards, David

David

Could you please delete BUTTON snr. From “People” to avoid confusing the story of René Auguste Button.  I’ve been doing some cross-checking over the New Year and have found a Mr G.’H’. Hall Brutton listed at 4 Broadwood Road (IL 2060) in 1916-17. This must in fact be Mr G.K. Hall Brutton, a solicitor and member of the Hong Kong Legal Community 1908, pictured in photo no. 10 at gwulo.com/atom/17503

I must have misread the name in the hand written correspondence between the Director of Public Works and the Governor. Deepest apologies to all! 

The Hall Bruttons must have preceded Vernon and Doris Walker as owners of 4 Broadwood Road.

Jill

Hi Jill, I've re-cycled that page to now show Mr Hall Brutton: http://gwulo.com/node/22611

Regards, David

So pleased to know that my Button red herring wasn't completely wasted information. I see from a post of annelisec's taken from the Ladies' Directory that Mrs Brutton was living at the Hong Kong Hotel in 1899. That would imply that George Hall Brutton was getting on by the 1940s. Does 'guaranteed out' mean that he never went in?

Jill

Thank you for the link to GK Brutton's background. Interesting that he preferred to stay in Hong Kong rather than retire back to Devon or Dorset. I'm also interested that the name of his house in Hong Kong is given as 'The Castle' and wonder if it became 4 Broadwood Road when more houses were built in the road, or if it was on the Peak and he moved there at a later date. In 1913 his house was obviously prominent enough to serve as a landmark, when the Governor was trying to pinpoint IL 1911. There were eventually several castle-like houses in Broadwood Road, including 'The Towers', built by my grandfather, Charles Warren, first numbered as 21 Broadwood Road, and then 20.

I didn't know about the possibility of being "guaranteed out" of Stanley. Thank you for enlightening me about that. The article, to which you give the link, about Chester Bennett's role in smuggling money into the camp is also very interesting.

Jill

After burrowing in my papers and lighting on a few photocopies of the Ladies Directory, I see I can answer my own question. In 1907 Mrs G.K.H. Brutton is listed at The Castle, Castle Road. Castle Road links Conduit Road and Caine Road. The Bruttons must have moved from there by 1913.

Jill

In response to a request for further information, George writes:

My father was mostly at sea as I grew up and he never talked about his internment each time he returned to Hong Kong and even after he retired in 1962, he totally avoided talking about it. It must have been a very bitter experience for him and I truly believe that he never really got over it.

I got the impression that this was a topic that he wanted to totally avoid as we were growing up. It was only through my mother who mentioned that he had lost over 40 pounds in weight at the end of the war. And that she smuggled food to my father at great risk. There was one particular occasion where a Japanese soldier wanted to shoot her at Ma Tau-wai. My mother did mention the Argyle Street Camp too.

Afraid that I do not know any further details as to why he went from camp to camp. Wish that I could be of more help.

Best wishes,

George

PS I forgot to mention that my father became very close friends with Dr. Perce Selwyn Selwyn- Clarke at Stanley and at Ma Tau-wai Camps who, later after the war, was appointed Governor of the Seychelles from 1947-1951. I understand that he was also awarded the MBE.

Dear george   I knew your mother well , she was a patient of mine in 1973 /4  and we used to speak cantonese together.  I obtained chemistry books for her son prior to his departure for UK.  Regards  Dr Bob Duncan    Dentist.

Dear George  It may be of interest that in my time in Hong kong there were a few seychellois.  The Low wai family, Two  dr Chans   One a govt anaesthetist and one inpractice at North Point. Bob Delpeche teaching french. Cyril Durup running the front Page club in wanchai.  robert Lai Lam   Hong Kong Standard. Later Sir george and Lady Souyave. I think Cyrils father was a teacher there also.    Regards  Bob Duncan