Current condition
In use
Glenealy was, of course, originally called Elliot's Vale - the only place in HK named after Captain (later Sir) Charles Elliot RN, who took the island of HK for the British in 1841. He was later dismissed by Lord Palmerstone for not taking something better than this "barren rock with hardly a house upon it!"
Still, he was later knighted (as mentioned) and served as Governor in no less than 3 Crown Colonies so I suppose he didn't do too badly! Not to mention serving as Chargé d'Affaires and British Consul-General to the Republic of Texas following his removal from HK.
Does anybody know when Elliot's Vale was renamed Glenealy?
Photos that show this Place
1899
1910s
1948
Comments
I did a quick search for
I did a quick search for Glenealy in HKGRO. The earliest result is dated 22-Aug-1857, and is an advert for a "SALE OF VALUABLE REAL ESTATE", "that Beautiful SUBURBAN LOT, No. 141, situate under Glenealy." See: http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkgro/view/g1857/724056.pdf
Has anyone seen any earlier use of the name?
Re: Glenealy
As I recall, Glenealy was named after a house that stood on the grounds of the present Roman Catholic Cathedral.
The place for the house
The place for the house 'Glenealy' is here. It existed from the mid 1840s until the mid 1920s so I believe Elliots Vale quickly became known as Glenealy.
Origins of the name Glenealy in HK
Some years ago I did some research on where the HK Glenealy name came from.
Glenealy was the name that Dent & Co gave to their residence built just above Elliot's Ravine/Vale at the eastern end of Caine Road in the late 1840s (IL57/59).
I believe that it was named after the little village of Glenealy near Wicklow, County Wicklow, Ireland. The link to Dents was probably Francis Chomley, sometime head of Dent & Co. His father was Rural Dean of County Wicklow, and Chomley grew up in Wicklow.
Dents went bankrupt in HK in 1867. They were forced to sell up completely and relocate to Shanghai. The residence Glenealy was sold to Gibb, Livingstone and Co. And in the 1880s they sold it onto the RC Church. The Cathedral and associated buildings now occupy IL 57/59.
It seems that the name Glenealy quickly superseded the name Elliot's Ravine/Vale and was in general use by about 185o.
Ian
Change of Name - Glenealy
Many thanks to everyone who has replied regarding when “Elliot’s Vale” became “Glenealy” and, of course, why the place was so named.
The general consensus of opinion suggests that the name “Glenealy” was in use with effect from a very early stage in HK’s Colonial history - possibly the 1840’s / 50’s. Most interesting.