Peter GRANT [1862-1950]

Submitted by John A. Green on Sat, 02/21/2015 - 02:58
Names
Given
Peter
Family
Grant
Sex
Male
Status
Deceased
Born
Date
(Day & Month are approximate.)
Birthplace (town, state)
UNKNOWN
Died
Date
(Day & Month are approximate.)
Cause of death
HEART FAILURE

Peter Grant was my father.   He was for a time Chief Inspector of Police in Hong Kong (unsure of district) and was awarded a Kings Police Medal in 1933.    He returned to UK in 1937 married to Laura Joyce Dobbin some many years younger than himself.   My sister was taken with him into a second marriage, and I was adopted at birth a year later in 1940.    She and I only got to know about each other in 2011 and are not linked and in contact.    Neither of us has been able to trace any family on our father's side and we would be glad of any information that might assist us.

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Nothing on family circumstances but the following may be of interest - B 20.4.1883,enlisted as PC A93  1.11.1906,Sub Inspector 6.6.1919,awarded HKP Merit Medal 3rd Cl in 1928 as Inspector,awarded Kings Police Medal vide HK Govt Gazette Gen Notice 3 of 2.1.1933,promoted to Assistant Superintendant 24.2.1933,awarded Coronation Medal 1937,Retired to pension 1937.Died 20.07 1950 Tomintoul,Scotland.Illustrated article in HKP Magazine Offbeat Number 598 of July-August 1996.

Very grateful for this information which fills in a few gaps re my father's police service in Hong Kong.

Any further information such as his marriage to my mother Laura Joyce Dobbin, and even a photograph - indeed anything that might add to an appreciation as to the kind of man he was would be very apprecited.

 

In the Civil Service list for 1928 he's given as an Inspector, gaining this rank 24th Dec 1923, (pay between £400 - £450 p.a.) and in the1932 Staff List he is one of 2 Chief Inspectors, rank from 27th March 1928, salary betwen £600-£700

 

A search for Peter Grant in the old newspapers returned five results:

  • The Hong Kong Telegraph, 1933-01-03, page 10: Covers him being awarded the King's Police Medal. "... drafted from the Glasgow Police in 1906 at the age of 24 after he had already seen four years' service with that force. ..." 
  • The Hong Kong Telegraph, 1933-02-24, page 12: Reports his promotion to Assistant Superintendent. "... A native of Banff, in the parish of Invernaven, Scotland, the new Assistant Superintendent of Police will have reached his fiftieth year on April 20. Quiet and unostentatious, genial and ever ready to give a helping hand to those who need it, the private life of Mr. Grant has always been admired by those who know him intimately. Needless to say, he is extremely well liked by all ranks in the Force, not to mention the large circle of friends he has outside. ..." (This also confirms the later date of birth given by contributor 1314.) 
  • The China Mail, 1934-06-16, page 1, continuing on page 9: "... A popular police wedding took place at the Registracy Office, Supreme Court, this morning when Mr. Peter Grant, Assistant Superintendent of Police was married to Miss Joyce Lorna Dobbin of London. ...". (The other two results of the search are other newspapers' reports of the wedding.)

There are some more ideas for how to find information about people who've lived in Hong Kong at: http://gwulo.com/node/9374

Regards, David