Joseph Edward ARTINGSTOLL [1864-1945]

Submitted by Ripley01JEA on Wed, 08/30/2023 - 04:07
Names
Given
Joseph Edward
Family
Artingstoll
Sex
Male
Status
Deceased
Born
Date
(Day & Month are approximate.)
Birthplace (town, state)
Manchester
Birthplace (country)
United Kingdom
Died
Date
(Day & Month are approximate.)
Died in (town, state)
Chester
Cause of death
old age

born 1864 died 1945

in British Army from aged 21 to 1918.  Served in Hong Kong from 1901 to 1904

his son Richard Alfred was born in Hong Kong 1902 - women's hospital Queens road - I cant find out which hospital that was  

they lived in army quarters at the top of a hill near a sugar refinery - not sure where 

Photos that show this Person

Comments

Extra notes from Ripley01JEA:

On the birth cert it says 'command 25 company royal engineers' in Hong Kong, that is the description of the person registering the birth I believe whereas the father of the baby was 23 Co I think - I can't find it at the moment!  I have an audio from my great uncle which talks a little about his life as a child in HK but there is also a mention of the Boxer Rebellion, nothing substantial.

I know that my great grandfather - Joseph Edward Artingstoll was in HK 1901-1904 inc. I had thought that he was a warrant officer although he had been demoted just before the posting to HK, his records show Staff Sergeant.

My learned friends at Gwulo

I have submitted a few questions before about my great grandfather who was in Hong Kong with the Royal Engineers 

I am in Asia at the moment and spent a week in Hong Kong when I did some research and I am going back there for a few days in October and I want to use those days efficiently if there is work on the ground to be done 

 

If I may I will recap on the story… 

Joseph Edward Artingstoll who may have need a staff sergeant in the RE was posted to Hong Kong in October 1901, he seems to have returned to UK with his family in 1903 but was again in Hong Kong 1904-5. His work in HK and before and after was said to be as a ‘clerk of works’ which later on in his career involved him being in charge of a fort - Northern Ireland and Worcester and others.

 

What I have is the military records which only give a summary - the most useful part is his medical record- Malaria, Dengue …..

I also have a few family stories / pieces of information 

  • That his second son was born in Hong Kong in Nov 1902. I have the birth certificate issued by the colonial military officials 
  • Name of hospital is women’s hospital queen’s road
  • I came up with hospital that was previously on hospital road 
  • Someone said female hospital wellington barracks I’m not sure when that was operational
  • Where was he baptised? - only place I can see is St John would there be a chapel on barracks? Also one near Quarry Bay?
  • Tape - I have an audio of his eldest son would have been six in Hong Kong - recorded when he was an old man
  • Mention of father’s friend (ran/owned) sugar refinery- up a hill 
  • Just a bit further up from where ‘we’. lived 
  • So did they live mount Parker ?
  • There was also Jardine sugar elsewhere in Hong Kong 
  • There was a row of houses, ‘married quarters up a hill’ there was a ‘train’ 
  • So where did he work -
  • Not Victoria barracks or wellington barracks ?
  • Led me to Leyman 
  • Was a fort - so did he work there as clerk of works ??
  • Have been to the Coastal museum - all very interesting but no links

1. In the 1900s, the three main barrack accommodations I can think of at this juncture were Victoria Barracks, Murray Barracks (both were in town and near each other) and Lyemun Barracks (a Fort up a hill that was out of town).

2. Wellington Barracks is opposite to Victoria Barracks. Queen's Road (main road) divides Wellington Barracks from Victoria Barracks. 

3. The second son may have been born at a military hospital on Queen's Road. A suggestion had been made previously of the Women's Hospital at Wellington Barracks.

4. St. John's Cathedral is close to Victoria Barracks/Murray Barracks. Suggest to request the Church for any Baptism records for the second son. Likely, there was a small Garrison Church/Chapel on barracks but not sure if they performed baptisms.

5. The friend probably worked at the Taikoo Sugar Refinery in Quarry Bay which is not far from Lyemun (sounds like Leyman) Barracks.

6. Married quarters for the friend was up the hill called Mount Parker that was connected by an aerial ropeway (perhaps the "train") to the Taikoo Dockyard. The Dockyard was not far from the Sugar Refinery.

Hope this helps to form a better picture. Place names and the aerial ropeway mentioned above can be found by using the search function on Gwulo.

Thanks so much that’s really helpful 

one detail 

any ideas how I can find out if the female hospital at Wellington Barracks was operational  in 1902? 

Does anyone know how to get hold of records of Masons in Hong Kong at about the turn of the 19th/20th Century? I really just want names, I think that my relation was a member and I am looking also for someone from the Swire family although I have no idea if he was a mason

many thanks