Harry Mason Hillier was born on the 17th February 1851 at Hongkong and joined the Customs Service at Shanghai on the 17th August 1872 as a 4th Assistant. He served at Shanghai, Hankow, and Newchwang before being transferred on the 1st March 1880 to the Inspectorate at Peking, where he acted as Assistant Audit Secretary till the 30th June 1882, when he was transferred to the London Office, remaining there till the 31st July 1884. He subsequently served at Hankow, Tientsin, and Shanghai, where he was promoted Deputy Commissioner on the 1st June 1887. On return from his second long leave he was again appointed to Shanghai, and afterwards to Pakhoi and Kowloon as Acting Commissioner. He remained at the latter port for four years, and was promoted Commissioner while there on the 23rd April 1896. From April 1901 to April 1903, he officiated as Chief Secretary at the provisional Inspectorate at Shanghai, and was subsequently Commissioner at Nanking, Kiukiang, and Chinkiang. From September 1908 to February 1909, he was Chief Secretary at Peking, after which he was Commissioner at Tientsin till the 31st March 1911.
He resigned from the Service on the 30th September 1913. Hillier, like his two brothers, the late Sir Walter Cane Hillier, sometime Chinese Secretary to the British Legation, and E. G. Hillier, Peking agent of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, was recognised as a man of outstanding ability. He held Civil Rank of the 4th and the 3rd Classes, and the Decoration of the Imperial Order of the Double Dragon, 1st Class of the 3rd Division.
Died 25 Aug 1924 at age 73 in Wimbledon, London, England
Sources:
Harry Mason Hillier (1851-1924) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree
Harry Mason Hillier lived in the No. 4 Cameron Villas for a few years around 1900.
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