Your grandfather was on the Committee for the annual Kowloon Dock Dance promoted by the staff of the Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Company held at the temporary ballroom on the Dock premises on 29th December 1911.
There is a description of the event in TheChina Mail the next day
An excerpt:
“…Once again the secretarial duties were ably discharged by Mr. W.M. Johnston, whose efforts were admirably supplemented by Messrs W. Stewart (chairman), W. Brown (treasurer), R.J. Brown, F.C. Coleman, D.S. Cooper, W. Davison, S. Gray and W. Hedley, who, as members of the committee, did all in their power to make the event the success it was.”
Mr. F. C. Coleman departed Gravesend, London, England 10th April 1909 for Colombo, Ceylon (arrived 6th May 1909) on the S.S. Matiana, travelling 2nd Class, Profession stated as ‘Gentleman’, Marital status: single and English nationality. This is via Port Said (arrived 22nd April 1909), Suez Canal (departed 24th April 1909) and Aden (departed 28th April 1909).
I can send you the digitized passenger manifest if interested.
Well, that is one half of the journey.
I suspected he switched ships at Colombo (because he disembarked there) and later continued his journey to Hong Kong on a different ship.
F.C Coleman (eurasian_david)
Submitted by Susamartin51 on Sat, 03/08/2025 - 17:23
Thank you so much for all the information you gave me.
I can now proceed with further research. If it is no trouble I would be very pleased if you could send me the digitizes passenger manifest.
Hi Susan, I've sent the image to David Bellis who runs this website to forward on to you.
I haven't bothered to look yet but have you located your grandfather in the UK before 1909? This 1909 trip may not even be his first trip to HK - it's possible he could have arrived in HK even earlier and had returned to the UK and was now on a trip back to HK in 1909. For example have you found him in the 1901 UK census?
Comments
My grandfather's arrival in Hong Kong
[Admin: I've moved this here from a separate thread to keep all the information together.]
Submitted by Susamartin51 on Wed, 03/05/2025 - 09:31
I am looking for any record of my grandfather Fredrick Charles Coleman (1882-1928) arriving in Hong Kong between 1900 and 1910.
He married Dorothy Benson in 1922 in Hong Kong.
He worked for Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company as an electrician.
I would be very grateful for any help you can give me.
Thank you in advance..... Susan Martin.
Your grandfather was on the…
Submitted by eurasian_david on Thu, 03/06/2025 - 23:37
Your grandfather was on the Committee for the annual Kowloon Dock Dance promoted by the staff of the Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Company held at the temporary ballroom on the Dock premises on 29th December 1911.
There is a description of the event in The China Mail the next day
An excerpt:
“…Once again the secretarial duties were ably discharged by Mr. W.M. Johnston, whose efforts were admirably supplemented by Messrs W. Stewart (chairman), W. Brown (treasurer), R.J. Brown, F.C. Coleman, D.S. Cooper, W. Davison, S. Gray and W. Hedley, who, as members of the committee, did all in their power to make the event the success it was.”
Source: The China Mail, page 7, 30th December 1911
Mr. F.C. Coleman departed…
Submitted by eurasian_david on Fri, 03/07/2025 - 00:41
Mr. F. C. Coleman departed Gravesend, London, England 10th April 1909 for Colombo, Ceylon (arrived 6th May 1909) on the S.S. Matiana, travelling 2nd Class, Profession stated as ‘Gentleman’, Marital status: single and English nationality. This is via Port Said (arrived 22nd April 1909), Suez Canal (departed 24th April 1909) and Aden (departed 28th April 1909).
I can send you the digitized passenger manifest if interested.
Well, that is one half of the journey.
I suspected he switched ships at Colombo (because he disembarked there) and later continued his journey to Hong Kong on a different ship.
F.C Coleman (eurasian_david)
Submitted by Susamartin51 on Sat, 03/08/2025 - 17:23
Thank you so much for all the information you gave me.
I can now proceed with further research. If it is no trouble I would be very pleased if you could send me the digitizes passenger manifest.
Thank you once again.
Susan.
Hi Susan, I've sent the…
Submitted by eurasian_david on Mon, 03/10/2025 - 23:03
Hi Susan, I've sent the image to David Bellis who runs this website to forward on to you.
I haven't bothered to look yet but have you located your grandfather in the UK before 1909? This 1909 trip may not even be his first trip to HK - it's possible he could have arrived in HK even earlier and had returned to the UK and was now on a trip back to HK in 1909. For example have you found him in the 1901 UK census?