St John's Cathedral Records

Submitted by David on Mon, 11/01/2010 - 17:37

The Cathedral library has copies of their 'Review' magazine from 1929 onwards. Each month's issue had details of weddings and baptisms. I've compiled a sample list for 1929 - you can click on it below.

The library is upstairs in the administration building, which is just downhill from the Cathedral on Garden Road. You'll need to visit the cathedral office to get the key for the library door.

The Public Records Office has a larger collection of Cathedral archives. Their fact sheet says:

Private Archives: Several private institutions have
transferred their records to the PRO custody, the most
significant of these, from a research point of view, being
the archives of St. John’s Cathedral and Minutes of
Meeting (1861-1970) of the Hong Kong General Chamber
of Commerce.

Has anyone used them? What sort of information is contained there?

Comments

The actual baptismal records

The actual baptismal records are in the PRO. Since these can be used as proof of identity, you need the permission of St. John's Cathedral to look at the documents.

The also have the pre-decessor of the St. John's Review -

the "Cathedral Notes" from 12.1896 - 12.1928

"The publication comprising this series includes the monthly church calendar, appeals for funds and lists of subscribers, arrangements for special services, statements of accounts, details fo baptisms, burials and marriages, lists of seatholders and letters. The Cathedral staff and members of the Church Body are listed at the beignning of each issue."

http://search.grs.gov.hk/PRO/srch/english/show_detail.jsp?recordkey=614…

St John's Cathedral records at PRO

The PRO online catalogue gives a good description of the material held.

http://search.grs.gov.hk/PRO/srch/english/sys_archive.jsp?language=engl…

Enter St John's Cathedral in the search box labelled Creating Agency Search.

1928?

Hello,

I'm trying to find the page for 1928, as I think Veronica Joyce Walker should appear as a baptism sometime that year (she was born on the 30th of October 1927). Has that year been transcribed? If not, I can transcribe if I could see the original image.

Best,

Douglas

Found the 1928 one!

http://gwulo.com/atom/20437

I don't know why it doesn't look like the 1929 one though?

http://gwulo.com/atom/14157

Baptism records

Hi Douglas,

I believe the one you've shown us is what Annelise calls "The actual baptism records" above:

1928 (Sept. 1927-March 1928) Baptisms - St John's Cathedral

It's the first time I've seen them, so thanks for posting. They show a lot of useful information.

The 1929 records were copied from the cathedral's magazine, so just show the date and name:

Regards, David

Is there a gap for 1900-1903?

Could I confirm whether there is a gap in the St John's records for the years 1900-1903 inclusive and that they don't actually exist anywhere?

Jill

re: Is there a gap for 1900-1903?

The PRO's list shows they have copies of the CHURCH/CATHEDRAL NOTES for 1900-1902:

http://search.grs.gov.hk/PRO/srch/english/search_fields.jsp?a=10&o=T_SO…

St John's Cathedral Notes

Thank you very much for finding these PRO catalogue references for me, David. I was told a few years ago that the PRO didn't have custody of the records from 1897-1928. I've now put in an Application to access the closed record for the relevant files. I'm actually interested in a possible funeral notice for the first child of my grandparents, Charles and Hannah Warren, who died in an accident in 1900. Although my grandfather baptised all his subsequent children in the Catholic Church and must have converted around this time, this first child is buried in the Protestant Cemetery and no doubt had a Protestant baptism as well as a Protestant funeral. The registers of the other Protestant churches that I've contacted don't appear to have survived anywhere, so I'd like to eliminate St John's if possible.

Update on applying for access to the St John's Cathedral Notes

My application for access to the St John's Cathedral Notes for 1897-1900 was approved and I received a notification that they would be held for me for 10 days. I wanted to double check the marriages and baptisms for 1897-1898 when my Warren grandparents were married and their first child born. But in particular, the funerals for 1900 when this child died and was buried in the Protestant Cemetery. The years 1900-1903 are currently missing from Annelise's otherwise splendid list. I've now been notified that the PRO can provide me with photocopies of the documents in question, but only the full 644 pages at a cost of HK 2.10 per page - so HK$1352.40 excluding postage, payable by bankers draft - when the relevant information would only be on 3 pages. I would like to eliminate the possiblility of my infant uncle being buried from St John's, as my Olson great-grandfather buried his brothers from St John's and may have taken charge of the funeral of this, his first grandchild - especially as my grandfather had by this time converted to the Catholic faith. I've asked if the PRO can keep my permission for access on record, in case I have the chance to visit Hong Kong again.