Edwin Richard HALLIFAX [1874-1950]

Submitted by David on Mon, 06/03/2013 - 10:47
Names
Given
Edwin Richard
Family
Hallifax
Sex
Male
Status
Deceased
Born
Date
Birthplace (town, state)
Darjeeling
Birthplace (country)
India
Died
Date
(Day & Month are approximate.)

I'm looking for photos / sketches / portraits of him for the CPS project's history book.

Details of birth & death taken from descendant's message, see below.

He joined the civil service as a Cadet in 1897. A search for Hallifax in HKGRO finds several mentions of appointments connected to the CPS:
1. GA 1899 no. 514 E. R. Hallifax, Magistrate and Justice of the Peace, New Territory
2. GA 1899 no. 685 E. R. Hallifax, police Magistrate
3. GA 1901 no. 28 Appointment of E. R. Hallifax as an Assistant Superintendent of Police
4. GA 1902 no. 489 Appointment of E. R. Hallifax as Magistrate in New Territory
6. GA 1909 no. 679 E. R. Hallifax to act as First Police Magistrate
7. GA 1911 no. 146 E. R. Hallifax to act as Deputy Superintendent of Police and of Fire Brigade

His time in the New Territories wasn't all good:

Mr. E. R. Hallifax, Police magistrate in the New Territory, Hongkong, has met with a distressing accident. While out shooting near Taipo the unfortunate gentleman's gun went off accidentally. Some of the shots entered his hand. From: The Straits Times, 14 Dec 1908, page 6.

I searched for hallifax in

He served in Legco, and they have a photograph: http://app.legco.gov.hk/member_front/english/library/member_detail.aspx?id=358

Another photo at: http://www.archives.presbyterian.org.nz/missions/cvmphoto9.htm

No relevant results for edwin hallifax in the UKNA.

I found a descendant mentioned at:

  • http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/HONG-KONG/2008-02/1203445378. He writes: "The fifth ex-Balliol boy was my step-father's father, Edwin Richard HALLIFAX. He bucked the trend by going to Hong Kong, where he joined the Civil Service as Colonial Cadet in 1897. He became Transvaal-Chinese Emigration Agent in Chinwongtao in 1905; District Officer North Territory in 1907; Secretary for Chinese Affairs from 1912; Private Secretary to the Governor; and acted as Colonial Secretary on many occasions."
  • http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/HONG-KONG/2006-02/1140842167: " Edwin Richard Hallifax was born on 17 February 1874 in the Assam/Darjeeling area of India, where his father Benjamin Wilson Hallifax, was a tea planter. Benjamin, from Tiverton in Devon, had probably gone to India to make his fortune sometime in the 1850s. His mother was Mary Anne Cox, also believed to be from Tiverton, and she and Benjamin married in Callcutta in 1860. Edwin, their 7th son, was educated in England, attending Blundell's, where he was a Blundell Scholar; and Balliol College, Oxford (1892-96), where he obtained a 2nd Class Moderations in 1894 and a 3rd Class finals in Literae Humaniores and BA in 1896. He was a member of the college Rugby XV 1893-4-5 and was captain of the XV.
    He went to Hong Kong as a Colonial Cadet in 1897. He was Transvaal Chinese Emigration Agent at Chinwontao in 1905; became a District Officer for the Northern Territory, Hong Kong in 1907 and Secretary for Chinese Affairs in 1912. He was Private Secretary to the Governor 1914-15, and Secretary for Chinese Affairs, Government of Hong Kong, in 1918. He was awarded an OBE in 1918; CBE in 1922 and CMG in 1925. He was Commissioner for Hong Kong for the British Empire Exhibition 1924-25. Acted as Colonial Secretary, Hong Kong on various occasions between 1926 and 1932.
    In 1906, he married Eveline Wilson, daughter of John Wilson, and had two sons and one daughter. He died in 1950. One of his sons was Richard Hilliard Hallifax (my step-father). Does anyone know the names of his other son and the daughter? Does anyone know who the Wilsons were? I know very little of my step-father and his father. Approaching my 70th year, I've a lot of catching up to do!"
  • And lots more about the broader famioy tree at: http://boards.ancestry.com.au/thread.aspx?m=1&p=surnames.hallifax&dc=50

References:

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Comments

The Hon E.R. Halifax CMG, (note spelling), in 'A History of The Royal Hong Kong Golf Club', by Spencer Robinson, 1989, is given much of the credit for the founding of the golf course at Fanling. Unfortunately there is no photograph.

Ian

Denis Way writes:

David, my historical works include along the sports road - 'The Hong Kong Football Club, It's Personalities and Environs 1886-2011', published January 2011. ERH was a fine rugby player and President of the Club in 1913. Copies available at HKFC.

Am currently working on a history of the (Royal) Hong Kong Golf Club, founded 1889; ERH could be called the founder of the course at Fan Ling and the godfather of the Club during his time in Hong Kong.

Chris Duff send these updates to the details about E R Hallifax's mother and father:

ERH’s father, Benjamin Wilson Hallifax, came from a line of Hallifaxes based in Islington, North London.  Benjamin’s father was a woolen warehouseman.  Benjamin Wilson Hallifax went to India where he got a job as an assistant in the Bengal Secretariat.  He met Mary Anne Cox in India and they were married at St. John’s, Calcutta on 20th October 1860.  Mary Anne came from Tiverton, Devon and we can only assume she was one of many young ladies of the time who went to India in search of an army officer of good standing to marry.  Instead, she married Benjamin and they went tea-planting in Darjeeling.  All their children were born in Darjeeling, including ERH, and they were all sent back to Devon to be educated.