Lamont’s Lane/Ta Tit Hong (Second Location) [????- ]

Submitted by EthanCK on
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Lamont's Lane was a short alley in Causeway Bay named after Scottish shipbuilder John Lamont, who built early Western ships in HK, including the first steamship in 1853, and established the Aberdeen dry docks in 1859.  

Ta Tit Hong (Blacksmith's Lane) was a short alley in Causeway Bay, the name in Chinese translation literally means "Hit Metal Lane". 

This is the second location of Lamont's Lane after the first location was taken over by the extension of Jardine's Crescent in 1950. 

This is also the second location of Ta Tit Hong after the first location, which was slightly south of it, was taken over by buildings from 1957 to 1961.

I am intrigued by these two lanes appearing on the same streets, the history around them, and what causes them to be forgotten on maps now. 

1. From maps (hkmaps.hk references):
1.1 Lamont’s Lane ran northwest from Fuk Hing Lane (“1897”, “1901”).                                     See https://gwulo.com/node/62190
1.2 Ta Tit Hong (Blacksmith's Lane) ran southeast from Fuk Hing Lane (“1922”, “1936”, ”1950”, “1958”, “1959”, “1960”).  And also the following maps but probably not updated in the region of interest: (“1961”, “1962”, “1964”, “1965”, “1966”, "1967"). 

2. Lamont’s Lane in pt.1.1 and the street nearby was renamed as “Jardine’s Crescent”  
From HK Government Gazette No. 29 of 9th June 1950:

Proposed Name: Jardine’s Crescent

Description: Road extending from its west junction with Jardine’s Bazaar near Yee Wo Street, to its east junction with Jardine’s Bazaar near Pennington Street as shown colored red on plan No. R.H. 116 signed by the Director of Public Works and dated 5th June, 1950.

3. Between 1958 and 1961, new buildings started to appear on the south side and above Ta Tit Hong. Only a narrow alley, which later maps show no name, was left to the north of the original Ta Tit Hong.

4. On "HK Guidebook 1977 1st issue reprint", the word "林文巷" was printed over the narrow alley in pt.3

5. On "1980 Sun Sun's latest street map of Hong Kong", the word “林文巷” was printed over the narrow alley in pt.3 (“Gwulo: Map of all Places”). 

6. In the 1980 Hong Kong Year Book, Ta Tit Hong was found printed over the narrow alley in pt.3

7. On "1957 Hai Kwang Press New Map of Hong Kong", the words "Blacksmith Lane" alongside "打鐵巷" were found printed over parts of Jardine's Crescent. (“Gwulo: Map of all Places”)

Comments

Looks like the location pin is on Ta Tit Hong (Blacksmith's Lane), which is on the southeast of Fuk Hing Lane? Ta Tit Hong and Lamont's Lane both appeared on 1901 map (hkmaps, "1901 Plan of Victoria"). On the maps from hkmaps, Lamont's Lane ran from Fuk Hing Lane, towards northwest, roughly to Capitol Centre (previously Capitol Theatre).

Yes, I agree with that. But in the maps of the 1970s and 1980s, such as the newly uploaded 1980 map on Gwulo, in Chinese 林文巷 is placed near the location pin of Lamont's Lane. 
The original location of Lamont's Lane was taken over by the extension of Jardine Crescent on 9th June 1950, found from the Hong Kong Government Gazette No.29 of 9th June 1950 No. 712. 
You said that the location pin is on Blacksmith's Lane, and maps after Hong Kong & Kowloon Survey Sheets Ref: 1968 showed Sung Lan Middle School and 4 other buildings occupied the lane. 
The second location of Lamont's Lane appeared on maps after Blacksmith's Lane disappeared. 

Thank you for the info. No doubt that the name “林文巷” appeared on the “1980” map. 

If it is your suggestion that this is the “second location”, and seemingly the alley still exists, you may add a new location on the map to distinguish it from the “first location” that is already demolished / no longer exists. 

There may be a story behind why an alley would be renamed with something that was removed in 1950. 

From what is posted above: 

1. From maps (hkmaps references): 

1.1 Lamont’s Lane ran northwest from Fuk Hing Lane (“1897”, “1901”). 

1.2 Ta Tit Hong (Blacksmith Lane) ran southeast from Fuk Hing Lane (“1922”, “1936”, ”1950”, “1958”, “1959”, “1960”. And also the following maps but probably not updated in the region of interest: “1961”, “1962”, “1964”, “1965”, “1966”). 

2. Lamont’s Lane in pt.1.1 and the street nearby was named as “Jardine’s Crescent” (see pt.A). 

3. Between 1958 and 1961, new buildings started to appeared on the south side and above Ta Tit Hong. Only a narrow alley, which later maps show no name, was left on the north of the original Ta Tit Hong. 

4. On a “1980” map, the word “林文巷” was printed over the narrow alley in pt.3 (“Gwulo: Map of all Places”). A Gwulo member believes that this indicates “the second location” of Lamont’s Lane. 

A. From HK Gov Gazette No. 29 of 9th June 1950: 

“Proposed Name: Jardine’s Crescent 

Description: Road extending from its west junction with Jardine’s Bazaar near Yee Wo Street, to its east junction with Jardine’s Bazaar near Pennington Street as shown coloured red on plan No. R.H. 116 signed by the Director of Public Works and dated 5th June, 1950.”

Thanks for pointing that out. I was referring to government maps in my comment above.

I also checked Hong Kong Year Books.

In the street index in the 1977 copy, that name was “no longer used”. Lamont’s Lane appeared in the same index as well.

But in the 1980 copy, only Ta Tit Hong was used on maps.

That’s why government maps are the preferred official reference. Sometimes, like Ta Tit Hong and/or Lamont’s Lane (second location) in this case, maps by different publishers are inconsistent with each other.

May be what you said can be enumerated as pt.6, to be considered together with pt. 4&5 that are partly-edited by EthanCK.

Hi There,

Geoinfo Map left the back alley un-named at the moment.  A stroll along Fuk Hing Lane and Fung Un Street and confirmed there had not been any street name plates at the moment.  I did not check the short alley between Pennington & Jardine's Cresent, however.

T

ps   I grew up in the area and didn't even aware that alley had a name.

Checked from Pennington Street.  Also no signs/name plates.  One side of the building (south) was numbered on Yan Ping Road while the other end got its street number on Pennington Street.

When looking at government maps from the 1970s to the 1980s, neither Lamont's Lane nor Ta Tit Hong were found printed on this area, but other maps by different publishers showed them, even nowadays when we walk past it, no signs or marking of a street sign were visible. Since official government maps didn't show the streets, it is safe to assume the following:

  1. Both Lamont's Lane and Ta Tit Hong past 1970s were Trap Streets, which were fake streets or features intentionally added by cartographers to catch plagiarism.

  2. They are local names only called by local residents.

    I don't know if this is true, but correct me if I'm wrong in any aspects. Thank You.

yes safe to make those “assumptions”.

We only need to be careful about the existence of hints / factual support of those “assumptions” and not to forget about other possibilities. for example, to make a guess that some maps in point 4-6 used problematic references so it’s possible that they are wrong, it at least has to come with the hint that the map in point 5, next to the unnamed street, it marks the west part of Jardine crescent as Kai Chiu Road and east part as Fung Un Street.

 

From the list of facts, we may say with certainty that it was Ta Tit Hong 60 years ago. Yet government map is a clear-cut way, but it of course cannot take care of all exceptions, if any.

With your “assumptions”, clearly that there are uncertainties on Lamont’s Lane / Ta Tit Hong after 1950-1960.      We should use the title “Unnamed alley? / Lamont’s Lane? (Second Location) / Blacksmith’s Lane? / Ta Tit Hong?” to acknowledge all the points above, especially to stay in line with the contradiction and uncertainties of point 4-6.