Introduction
I am researching a potential historical link between Mr. Fung Fu (馮扶, aka Fung But-sen 馮拔臣)—the first headmaster of Saiyingpun School (precursor to King's College, HK) in 1879—and the early Tongmenghui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance) network in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya.
Central to this research is whether Yuen Ying Fong (阮英舫), a celebrated early supporter of Sun Yat-sen's revolution, is the exact same person as Yuen Yik Chun (阮亦峻/阮亦焌), whose son married Fung Fu's eldest daughter. Resolving this identity confusion has deep implications for whether Fung Fu's family was actively involved in revolutionary political marriages.
The Evidence: Two…
The Yellow Flower Mound (Huanghuagang) Paradox
Official Kuomintang history notes that a "Yuen Tuck Sam" (阮德三) was posthumously added to the Huanghuagang Martyrs' registry in 1932 for dying in the April 27, 1911 Guangzhou Uprising. However, family records show that Yuen Ka-luk (who also went by Tuck Sam) survived 1911 and died much later in Malaya.
Cover, by lausanching
Conclusion: They were indeed the same person
We have reached a compelling conclusion that Yuen Yik Fong and Yuen Ying Fong refer to the same individual.
Yuen Yik Fong was connected to Fung Fu through the marriage of their children. Specifically, Fung Fu's eldest daughter, Fung Sui King, married Yuen Ka Tseung. At the time of this marriage, the Yuen family was not affluent.
Yuen Ka Tseung was an intelligent young man. He received a traditional Chinese education under his father, who operated a private school, and also studied English in Sai Ying Pun(English), tutored by Fung Fu. Notably, he passed the Oxford University School Certificate Examination, a significant achievement for the era. He likely obtained this certificate around 1890, at the age of 16. At that time, it is estimated that fewer than twenty individuals in Hong Kong had achieved this qualification.
Yuen Ying Fong (also known as Yik Tseun) was approximately ten years Fung Fu's senior. When Yuen Ying Fong migrated to Hong Kong in 1869, Fung Fu had recently been rescued and was residing at the Industrial House of Five Points in New York. Yuen Ying Fong earned his living as a teacher. His strong patriotic convictions likely made a significant impression on Fung Fu when they met. They should met around 1880, when Fung Fu returned to Hong Kong for teaching.
This conclusion is supported by multiple historical accounts:
1. **Lee Kuan Pui's Genealogy Book (1906):** The earliest corroboration comes from the Genealogy Book written by Lee Kuan Pui in 1906, which states: "MR. YING FONG (英舫), as the preface writers relate, is of the twenty-second generation of the YUEN Clan. He was well-versed in classics and possessed a spirit of adventure. He traveled thousands of li to Hong Kong in 1869 and West Kwangtung, and eventually to the South East Asia (南洋) in 1898."
2. **Tham Fung Tho's Account:** A second account, penned by Tham Fung Tho a few years later, identifies him as "YIK TSUN 亦焌 (YING FONG 英舫), born 1839, died 1911, age 72 years. Imperial scholar, migrated to Kuala Lumpur in 1898." This account also mentioned his son, Yuen Ka Tseung, with all details aligning perfectly.
3. **Ho Chung Chi's Testimony (1905):** A third testimony from 1905 by Ho Chung Chi further supports this: "My good friend YING FONG (英舫) of the YUEN 22nd generation on record was versed in learning and classics since a tender age, much admired and respected by fellow villagers. He was one of the first to take advantage of China's open-door policy and migrated to Hong Kong and later to Kuala Lumpur. After a decade or more of gaining prosperity, his thoughts turned to his roots in the old country. In 1901, he journeyed thousands of miles back to his old village, where he consulted the elders, poring over the original genealogy copy available at the clan headquarters there to ensure that all records covering the previous 22 generations were complete, which were then rewritten into a separate register."
4. **Yuen Ying Fong's Own Writings:** Finally, Yuen Ying Fong himself contributed to this understanding by writing extensively as the father of Yuen Ka Tseung, providing a detailed account of his life. He also authored an autobiography in Chinese. These self-written accounts leave no doubt about his identity. Furthermore, the identity of Yuen Ying Fong and Yuen Yik Tsuen is unequivocally confirmed by a historical event in 1906: the first 30 members swore an oath in front of Sun Yat-sen after a well-known theatre speech event, with a man holding an axe standing next to Dr. Sun on stage for protection.
Given this overwhelming evidence, one might wonder why Yuen Mo-ting, Ying Fong’s granddaughter and a prominent figure in her own right, wrote about her grandfather in what appears to be an ambiguous manner. Born after 1906, she would not have personally witnessed the earlier events. However, given the Yuen family's evident pride in their grandfather and the widespread recognition of Sun Yat-sen's achievements (whom she surely knew about), her apparent ambiguity is puzzling. The explanation lies in her two-page handwritten document being a translation of an extract from the *Sin Chew Jit Pao* (星洲日报) Special Supplement dated November 29, 1986, commemorating the 120th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Founder of the First Republic of China. It is plausible that the duplication of names was merely a personal note or clarification intended solely for her own reference during the translation process.
Finally, it is important to address the identity of "Yuen Tuck Sam" (阮德三), who appears in "The Yellow Flower Mound (Huanghuagang) Paradox" and might cause confusion. This "Yuen Tuck Sam" was from a different, northern county and is distinct from the primary subject of this analysis. Yuen Mo-ting explicitly clarified this by writing about her uncle: "In 1927 my father's only and younger brother KA LUK 嘉祿 alias TUCK SAM 德三 died suddenly in CANTON, CHINA. My father traveled all the way there, brought back his brother's second and third wives together with about 8 of their children." This testimony definitively clears any potential confusion regarding the different individuals bearing the name Tuck Sam.