Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Caine, William

Updated October 12, 2014

William Caine, judicial official, later civil servant, was listed as a resident of Hong Kong from 1841 to 1859. He was Chief Magistrate between 1841 and 1844. He held the positions of Colonial Secretary and Auditor General between 1846 and 1854. He was appointed Sheriff of Hong Kong in 1846. He was an ex officio member of the Legislative Council between 1843 and 1845, and of the Executive Council in 1850 He was a Justice of the Peace (official) between 1843 and 1850[1]. He was a member of the Royal Asiatic Society, China Branch in 1850. Hollywood Road was listed as his address in 1850. He retired and left Hong Kong in 1859. He received his first pension payment of £1,060 from the Hong Kong Government on January 16, 1860. Caine died on September 10, 1871.

Military records, British Army, Rank: Captain; Brevet Major; Service: 26th (Cameronian) Regiment of Foot.

Caine had four sons: George Whittington Caine (born in Inida in 1832)[2]; Henry Monteith Caine (born in Calcutta in 1838); William Hull Caine (born in Hong Kong); and Charles Henry Fearon Caine (born in Hong Kon in 1846)

[1] He was one of the first 44 Justices of Peace ever to be appointed in Hong Kong. Their appointments were announced by Henry Pottinger on the fifth day after he had sworn in as the first Colonial Governor. The date was June 30 ,1843.

[2] George Whittington Caine entered the British Consular Service in Hong Kong in 1851 at the age of 19. He became the first British Consul in Swatow in 1860, a position he held on until 1868. He was given by the Qing government an official Chinese name of 堅佐治. After Swatow, G.W. Caine was appointed British Consul in Hankow and remained in that post until 1872 whereupon he resigned from the Consular Service. He moved to Sydney, Australia in early 1873, and was joined by his wife and their eight children in April 1873. A few weeks following the arrival of his family, he was arrested on charges of embezzlement of money belonged to the Crown when he was in charge of Britain's affairs in Hankow. The amount he was charged for was 9,137 Mexican dollars. He was sent back to China and was brought to trial at the British Consular Court (probably in Hankow) on August 6, 1873. The jury returned a general verdict on the whole indictment that stated, “We find that the prisoner took the money without any fraudulent intention.”. Instead of dutifully acquitting G.W. Caine according the verdict, the judge charged the jury afresh and describing to them what their verdict should be, and in fact suggesting that the verdict should be on the several counts. The jury at last delivered a verdict of guilty with a recommendation to mercy. None was given, George Whitington Caine was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.

G.F. Caine had three children: William Henry Attwood Caine, Guy Caine and Lillian Caine. W.H.A. Caine, who was born in Hong Kong on December 19, 1859, was listed as the manger of a large ranch in north-western South Africa owned by a London-based company at the time of the Anglo-Boer War.

Selected Bibliography: Hong Kong's First [internet]. Hong Kong Government, Pensions Payable out of the Revenues of the Colony, 1871. Richard W. email Oct. 2 & 3, 2013. Tarrent, William, The Hong Kong Almanack and Directory for the Year 1850, Hong Kong: China Mail, 1850.

5 comments:

psyops said...

Correction for the sons of Lt-Col William Caine are as follows: George Whittingham, born 1832 in India; William Hull, born 1836 in India; Henry Monteith, born 1838 in India; Charles Henry Fearon, born 1846 in Hong Kong.
Children of George Whittingham Caine, Consul, are: George William Leslie, born 1858 in Hong Kong. William Henry Attwood, born 1859 in Hong Kong; Harold Eager How, born 1861 in Swatow; Guy Whittingham, born 1862 in Swatow; Lillian, born 1864 in Swatow; Lionel Edward, born 1865 in Swatow; Emily Gertrude, born 1867 in Swatow; Sophia Mary, born 1869 in Swatow.

rudi butt said...

Thank you psyops for the information.

psyops said...


34. Lieut. Colonel Caine served in the Nepaul campaign of 1815 and was present in action at Jeetghur. In the Deccan war of 1817 and 18, including the action at Jhubbulpore, were he carried the regimental colour of the 17th in the attack of the heights defended by Arabs. He was Major of Brigade at the assault and capture of Bhurtpore, and was present during the whole of the siege; wounded by a grape shot in the left foot whilst charging he enemy’s guns on the day of the capture. He commanded the Grenadiers of the 26th at the capture of Chusan (Medal) 5th July 1840, and British Commissioner, and Military Magistrate of that island until its evacuation in Feb, 1841. He was attached to General Straubenzee at the capture of Canton in December 1857 and escaladed with Captain Keans company 50th Regt. – General Straubanzee in his despatch says’’ in thanking the officers who accompanied me on 28th and 29th (Dec, 1857) foremost of whom I must name that old distinguished, and still energetic officer the Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong, Lt. Col Caine, who’ martial spirit could not be restrained when the scene of war was so near his government.’’
He held the appointment of Lt. Governor of Hong Kong for nearly six years’; administered the government for 18 months, and in that period prepared the Island to resist Russian invasion in 1854 and raised a Corp of Volunteers, and was unanimously elected Colonel. In Nov. 1857 he put down an emute in which 20,000 Chinese were opposed to the Government. Upon the abolition of the post of Lt. Governor General of Hong Kong he received the thanks of Government for his past valuable services, embracing military and civil duties including a period of 45 years continuous foreign services, and he now rewarded with a handsome Civil Pension. Has received the Indian War Medal with two Clasps for Nepaul and Bhurtpore and the China Medal with two clasps.
Hart’s Army Lists 1868, pp. 115-6 (War Service of Retired Lieutenant Colonels)

psyops said...

P.328
Sir Samford Whittingham’s Letter to Viscount Combermere concerning Lieutenant (now Lieutenant-Colonel) Caine.

'Cawnpore, November 26, 1827.
* My Lord," In compliance with your Lordship's wishes, I have the honour to state officially the gallant conduct of Lieutenant Caine (late of the 14th Foot), 3rd, or Buffs, at the assault of Bhurtpore on the 18th January, 1826.
'Lieutenant accompanied the right column of attack (in his capacity of Major of Brigade of the 1st Brigade), under the command of Major Everard, 14th, and continued at its head, during the day. Whilst leading a small party of ten or twelve men in
APPENDICES. 497
advance of the column, he found his progress arrested by a deep cut in the rampart of Gropalgurh, which he leaped across, but his men being unable to follow in a similar manner, were obliged to descend and reascend the rampart before they could join the Lieutenant, who found himself singly opposed to three of the enemy, two of whom he killed with his double barrelled pistol, and destroyed the third man by closing with and throwing him over the rampart into the ditch, as the Lieutenant found his sword could not make any impression through the armour of the Jaut, which was worn over a cotton jacket.
* Lieutenant Caine was the first officer up at the taking of the Kumbheer Gate, which was carried by him, with about thirty men of the 14th. On Major Everard's column halting at the bastion beyond the Kumbheer Gate, the Major found his numbers, which were originally 300, dwindled down to not more than 100 or 120 bayonets, without one round of ammunition or any support whatsoever, having in his rear a rampart of nearly two miles in extent, on which the enemy were reassembling from the town. The Major, finding his party in this helpless situation, asked who would volunteer to head a few men back, and to bring him a reinforcement and ammunition. Lieutenant Caine instantly stepped forward and volunteered his services, which were accepted, and with one serjeant, one corporal, and twelve men, he cut his way through the enemy, drove them from their guns, which they had re-manned, and was the first person who reported to the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Combermere, the success and situation of Major Everard's column; and having received the required reinforcement and ammunition, he returned. The Lieutenant was slightly wounded by a grape-shot in the foot whilst leading his small party of tveoelrunsin charging the enemy's guns at the Groverdhun Gate.

On the morning of the 19th January, Captain Meade, Aide-de-Camp to General Reynell, waited upon Lieutenant Caine, and told him that the General had sent him, and had been pleased to approve of the Lieutenant's conduct during the assault, in consequence of a report made by Major Everard, and that therefore the Major-General had introduced his name in the following manner, in his despatch dated 19th January,
1826:"
Major Everard reports that Brigade-Major Caine, of the 14th Regiment, accompanied him throughout, and distinguished himself particularly."
I have,"c. *
Samford Whittingham,
* Major-General

Memoir of Sir Samford Whittingham

psyops said...

496 APPENDICES.
APPENDIX C.
Sir Samford Whittingham’s Letter to Viscount Combermere concerning Lieutenant (now Lieutenant-Colonel) Caine.

'Cawnpore, November 26, 1827.
* My Lord," In compliance with your Lordship's wishes, I have the honour to state officially the gallant conduct of Lieutenant Caine (late of the 14th Foot), 3rd, or Buffs, at the assault of Bhurtpore on the 18th January, 1826.
'Lieutenant accompanied the right column of attack (in his capacity of Major of Brigade of the 1st Brigade), under the command of Major Everard, 14th, and continued at its head, during the day. Whilst leading a small party of ten or twelve men in
APPENDICES. 497
advance of the column, he found his progress arrested by a deep cut in the rampart of Gropalgurh, which he leaped across, but his men being unable to follow in a similar manner, were obliged to descend and reascend the rampart before they could join the Lieutenant, who found himself singly opposed to three of the enemy, two of whom he killed with his double barrelled pistol, and destroyed the third man by closing with and throwing him over the rampart into the ditch, as the Lieutenant found his sword could not make any impression through the armour of the Jaut, which was worn over a cotton jacket.
* Lieutenant Caine was the first officer up at the taking of the Kumbheer Gate, which was carried by him, with about thirty men of the 14th. On Major Everard's column halting at the bastion beyond the Kumbheer Gate, the Major found his numbers, which were originally 300, dwindled down to not more than 100 or 120 bayonets, without one round of ammunition or any support whatsoever, having in his rear a rampart of nearly two miles in extent, on which the enemy were reassembling from the town. The Major, finding his party in this helpless situation, asked who would volunteer to head a few men back, and to bring him a reinforcement and ammunition. Lieutenant Caine instantly stepped forward and volunteered his services, which were accepted, and with one serjeant, one corporal, and twelve men, he cut his way through the enemy, drove them from their guns, which they had re-manned, and was the first person who reported to the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Combermere, the success and situation of Major Everard's column; and having received the required reinforcement and ammunition, he returned. The Lieutenant was slightly wounded by a grape-shot in the foot whilst leading his small party of tveoelrunsin charging the enemy's guns at the Groverdhun Gate.

On the morning of the 19th January, Captain Meade, Aide-de-Camp to General Reynell, waited upon Lieutenant Caine, and told him that the General had sent him, and had been pleased to approve of the Lieutenant's conduct during the assault, in consequence of a report made by Major Everard, and that therefore the Major-General had introduced his name in the following manner, in his despatch dated 19th January,
1826:"
Major Everard reports that Brigade-Major Caine, of the 14th Regiment, accompanied him throughout, and distinguished himself particularly."
I have,"c. *
Samford Whittingham,
* Major-General.

Memoirs of Sir Samford Whittingham

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