Langer, F.

Updated October 18, 2014

F. Langer, architect, was recorded as a resident of Hong Kong in 1842.

Langer, according to information published by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects,was the first architect to have worked in Hong Kong. He came from Calcutta in 1842 to work for Jardine, Matheson & Co. to build their godowns at East Point (present day Causeway Bay). He died on October 30, 1842, about two months after he arrived in Hong Kong. I cannot find Langer's name in the list of passengers departed from Calcutta in the Bengal and Agra annual guide and gazetteer for 1841. There were two entries under the name of F. Langer. The first, F. Langer – carver and gilder and ornamental painter, whose address was at 63, Cossitollah, Calcutta. The second, Mrs. F. Langer gave birth to a daughter on April 15. The gazetteer for 1842 is not available to me. So, was Langer an architect or a gilder?

There was one Augustus Frederick Langer, aged 20 years, who died in Hong Kong in 1849. It is unknown if the two Langers were related.

Selected Bibliography: Tarrent, William, The Hong Kong Almanack and Directory for the Year 1846, 1848, 1850, Hong Kong: China Mail, resp. 1846, 1848 and 1850.

Ashworth, Edward

Updated October 3, 2014

Edward Ashworth had drawn a number of pictures of Hong Kong including this one of the Chinam's Hong in Queen's Road

Edward Ashworth, architect and artist, was listed as a resident of Hong Kong from May 1844 to 1846. He had designed a number of commercial buildings in the city. He also contributed articles regarding his experience of building European houses in Hong Kong.

Born in Exeter, Devon, England in 1814, Ashworth was trained under two architects who also hailed from Devon, Robert Cornish and Charles Fowler, the latter was once the Vice President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Not happy with the works he was getting as an architect, Ashworth emigrated to New Zealand in 1842 where he practiced in Aukland. In 1844 he traveled to Australia, and thence to Hong Kong. Ashworth returned to England in 1846 and practiced in Exeter. He was responsible for the restoration of Wynards Lamshouses in 1863 and the design of St Nicholas Church, opposite St Nicholas Priory. Ashworth died in 1896 and was buried at Higher Cemetery, Exeter.

Selected Bibliography: Hong Kong's First [online]. The Cemetery Walk - Online Scout Manager [online]. Wattis Fine Art.

Strachan, George

Updated October 23, 2014

George Strachan, architect, was listed as a resident of Hong Kong from 1846 to 1848.

Selected Bibliography: Tarrent, William, The Hong Kong Almanack and Directory for the Year 1846, 1848, 1850, Hong Kong: China Mail, resp. 1846, 1848 and 1850. Williams, Samuel Wells (Ed.), Chinese Repository, Vol. 17, January to December, 1848. Canton: 1848.

temp.notes:
According to the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, Strachan was the architect who designed the first generation clubhouse of the Hong Kong Club. The Club, located on the corner of D'Aguilar Street and Queen's Road, opened on May 26, 1846. The construction and outfitting cost amounted to 15,000 pound sterling. Strachan was with the Surveyor-General's Office before 1844. He was the draftman of the Government House. There were two other Strachans existing around that time. William Strachan was the captain of the barque Lady Hayes and at another time, of the ship Omega. He had been in China since 1830s and was associated with opium firm Jardine, Matheson & Co., which off and on owned Lady Hayes. Robert Strachan, captain of the merchantman Scotland, arrived in China in 1838 and became a manager of the opium firm W.T. Gemmel & Co. in Canton (Guangzhou). He later became the Canton agent for Jardine, Matheson & Co. R. Strachans bought The Register in 1849 and remained proprietor of the newspaper until 1860. The Register was founded by James and Alexander Matheson of the namesake opium house. Strachan sounds Scottish and I wonder if these three were somehow related to each other.

Rees, Rowland

Updated October 23, 2014

Rowland Rees, architect, civilian employee of the War Office, was listed as a resident of Hong Kong in 1846. Rees was a War Office Engineer and according to information published by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects the second architect to have practiced in Hong Kong. F. Langer was the first.

Selected Bibliography: Hong Kong's First [online]. Tarrent, William, The Hong Kong Almanack and Directory for the Year 1846, 1848, 1850, Hong Kong: China Mail, resp. 1846, 1848 and 1850.

Gordon, Alexander Thomas

Updated October 11, 2014

Alexander Thomas Gordon, architect, civil servant, was listed as a resident of Hong Kong from 1843 to 1846. He was the Surveyor General of Hong Kong between 1843 and 1846. He was a Justice of the Piece in 1843^[1]. Gordon designed the Seamen's Hospital which opened in 1843.

[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.

Selected Bibliography: Hong Kong's First [online]. Hong Kong Institute of Architects [online]. Lam Chung-wai, Tony, From British Colonization to Japanese Invasion, the 100 Years Architects in Hong Kong 1841-1941. Tarrent, William, The Hong Kong Almanack and Directory for the Year 1846, 1848, 1850, Hong Kong: China Mail, resp. 1846, 1848 and 1850.

Cleverly, Charles Siant George 基化厘

Updated October 12, 2014

Charles Siant George Cleverly 基化厘, architect, civil servant, was listed as a resident of Hong Kong from 1842 to 1865. He was the acting Assistant Surveyor General of Hong Kong in 1846.  He was the Surveyor General 量地官 between 1847 and 1865. He was a trustee of the St. John's Church in 1850 as well a council of the Royal Asiatic Society, China Branch in the same year. Cleverly retired in 1865 due to ill health. He received his first pension payment of £416 from the Hong Kong Government on April 28, 1865. Cleverly was responsible for the designs of the following landmark buildings: Government House (1854), Old Stanley Police Station (1859), St. John's Cathedral (1849), and Zetland Hall (1853).

Selected Bibliography: Hong Kong Government, Pensions Payable out of the Revenues of the Colony, 1871. Hong Kong Institute of Architects [internet]. Tarrent, William, The Hong Kong Almanack and Directory for the Year 1850, Hong Kong: China Mail, 1850.