Missionary societies operating in China in the early 20th century found it was not economical for their missionaries to keep returning home for holidays each year, and sought somewhere closer to China for them to escape the sweltering summer heat of the interior. The island of Cheung Chau was settled on as one suitable spot. It offered all the advantages of The Peak of Hong Kong for a fraction of the cost.
In 1909, building plots and labour were cheap on Cheung Chau, and there was a flurry of building activity. House #22 was built at this time. It certainly appears in a Missions photo of 1911 (qv).
Built of locally sourced granite, it was one of the largest villas on Cheung Chau and had two storeys. It was south-facing and had a small domestics' cabin at the rear. There were a number of windows on both floors protected against the typhoon season by top-hinged shutters.
On top was a timber hip roof. Hip roofs offer superior stability, durability, and wind resistance due to their four-sloped design, making them ideal for high-wind or hurricane-prone areas.
The Rev Robert Jaffray (Zhai Fumin in Chinese), was recorded as the owner of this house in 1938. He was a missionary working for The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Wuzhou, Gwangxi and Indonesia.
Jaffray was later referred to as 'one of the pioneers of the Cheung Chau settlement' by the China Mail (see post below), so he must have been there from the early years.
The villa may have been funded by Robert Jaffray's wealthy Canadian father, Robert, who owned Canada's Toronto Globe. It was really far too large as a pied à terre for a small family of three, but the Jaffrays were hospitable and allowed others to use/ share the property.
For example, in 1930 the China Mail announced a large party of about 30 were to spend the weekend on Cheung Chau and most of them would be accommodated in 'the Jaffray House'. (To the Chinese it was known as the Zhai Fumin House).
In the 1930s, the Reiton family, who were based in Kowloon, also used it when they had to overnight on Cheung Chau.
In 1940 the Directory of Protestant Missions has three members of the Christian and Missionary Alliance living here, or having their postal addresses here – Rev and Mrs M B Birrel, Rev C B Carter, and Miss M E Whitney. Robert Jaffray may have been elsewhere by this time.
Robert Jaffray died in a Japanese prison camp in 1945, and it appears from the 1950 colour photo of houses 22 and 23 (qv) that they suffered the fate of other western-owned houses in the war and were partially destroyed by the Japanese.
Robert Jaffray may have bequeathed his house to the Christian and Missionary Alliance, because when his Wuzhou Bible School was expelled from China in 1949/50, it moved to Cheung Chau and based itself in House #22.
When they rebuilt the house, they named it the Zhai Fumin Memorial Hall after Robert Jaffray. It served as a female students' dormitory, classrooms, a canteen, and teachers' quarters. Two small houses were built nearby for male students. These were named after Isaac L. Hess and Philip L. Hinkeyto commemorate these two missionaries' many years of service to the CMA.
In October 1950, ten male and ten female 'battle-scarred' students from Wuzhou began at the new college. Life was very basic. They arrived from mainland China without family support, struggling to meet basic needs like food and clothing. Water was fetched by male students from a well by the sea for the entire faculty and student body.
In 1955 the Alliance Bible College became the Alliance Bible Seminary.
At some point*, the Seminary purchased European House #23 next door and gained a good-sized campus for its operations.It has gone on from there and today has a large campus on Cheung Chau with additional sites in Wanchai and Kowloon.
*Possibly 1958, when the owner, Sir C G Alabaster, died.
"We bade farewell to one of the pioneers of the Cheung Chau settlement, Rev. R. A. Jaffray, owner of House 22, who sailed on the Empress of Japan for Canada, where he will join his wife and daughter, later he and Mrs. Jaffray will return to their work in the Celebees and other parts of the D. E. I.." China Mail 8 July 1932 refers.
Comments
House #22 Origins
[Updated 20/Apr/2026]
Missionary societies operating in China in the early 20th century found it was not economical for their missionaries to keep returning home for holidays each year, and sought somewhere closer to China for them to escape the sweltering summer heat of the interior. The island of Cheung Chau was settled on as one suitable spot. It offered all the advantages of The Peak of Hong Kong for a fraction of the cost.
In 1909, building plots and labour were cheap on Cheung Chau, and there was a flurry of building activity. House #22 was built at this time. It certainly appears in a Missions photo of 1911 (qv).
Built of locally sourced granite, it was one of the largest villas on Cheung Chau and had two storeys. It was south-facing and had a small domestics' cabin at the rear. There were a number of windows on both floors protected against the typhoon season by top-hinged shutters.
On top was a timber hip roof. Hip roofs offer superior stability, durability, and wind resistance due to their four-sloped design, making them ideal for high-wind or hurricane-prone areas.
The Rev Robert Jaffray (Zhai Fumin in Chinese), was recorded as the owner of this house in 1938. He was a missionary working for The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Wuzhou, Gwangxi and Indonesia.
Jaffray was later referred to as 'one of the pioneers of the Cheung Chau settlement' by the China Mail (see post below), so he must have been there from the early years.
The villa may have been funded by Robert Jaffray's wealthy Canadian father, Robert, who owned Canada's Toronto Globe. It was really far too large as a pied à terre for a small family of three, but the Jaffrays were hospitable and allowed others to use/ share the property.
For example, in 1930 the China Mail announced a large party of about 30 were to spend the weekend on Cheung Chau and most of them would be accommodated in 'the Jaffray House'. (To the Chinese it was known as the Zhai Fumin House).
In the 1930s, the Reiton family, who were based in Kowloon, also used it when they had to overnight on Cheung Chau.
In 1940 the Directory of Protestant Missions has three members of the Christian and Missionary Alliance living here, or having their postal addresses here – Rev and Mrs M B Birrel, Rev C B Carter, and Miss M E Whitney. Robert Jaffray may have been elsewhere by this time.
Robert Jaffray died in a Japanese prison camp in 1945, and it appears from the 1950 colour photo of houses 22 and 23 (qv) that they suffered the fate of other western-owned houses in the war and were partially destroyed by the Japanese.
Robert Jaffray may have bequeathed his house to the Christian and Missionary Alliance, because when his Wuzhou Bible School was expelled from China in 1949/50, it moved to Cheung Chau and based itself in House #22.
When they rebuilt the house, they named it the Zhai Fumin Memorial Hall after Robert Jaffray. It served as a female students' dormitory, classrooms, a canteen, and teachers' quarters. Two small houses were built nearby for male students. These were named after Isaac L. Hess and Philip L. Hinkey to commemorate these two missionaries' many years of service to the CMA.
In October 1950, ten male and ten female 'battle-scarred' students from Wuzhou began at the new college. Life was very basic. They arrived from mainland China without family support, struggling to meet basic needs like food and clothing. Water was fetched by male students from a well by the sea for the entire faculty and student body.
In 1955 the Alliance Bible College became the Alliance Bible Seminary.
At some point*, the Seminary purchased European House #23 next door and gained a good-sized campus for its operations. It has gone on from there and today has a large campus on Cheung Chau with additional sites in Wanchai and Kowloon.
*Possibly 1958, when the owner, Sir C G Alabaster, died.
Source:
Alliance Bible Seminary website
European House #22
"We bade farewell to one of the pioneers of the Cheung Chau settlement, Rev. R. A. Jaffray, owner of House 22, who sailed on the Empress of Japan for Canada, where he will join his wife and daughter, later he and Mrs. Jaffray will return to their work in the Celebees and other parts of the D. E. I.." China Mail 8 July 1932 refers.