Clarence Ridgeby Greathouse
Encyclopedia
Clarence Ridgeby Greathouse (1846-1899) was an American journalist, lawyer, and diplomat serving in Japan and Korea. In Korea he was most renowned for leading the investigation into the murder of that country's Queen Min in October 1895.
Clarence Ridgeby Greathouse was born in Kentucky, the son of Dr. Ridgeby Greathouse, who emigrated to California. In 1870 Clarence Greathouse moved to San Francisco to practise law. There he also became active in local Democratic
politics and in 1883 was named general manager of the Democratic daily the San Francisco Examiner, a position he held until 1886 when he was appointed United States consul-general at Yokohama
, Japan. He served successfully at this post for four years, from 1886 to 1890. Meanwhile, in Korea successive American representatives in the Korean capital of Seoul
had succeeded in impressing Korea's King Gojong with the friendly and disinterested nature of the policy of the American government that he was led to secure a comparatively large number of American advisors. Thus, in September 1890, Greathouse was engaged to serve as legal advisor to the Korean government. At that time there were eight other Americans already serving in Seoul in various advisory capacities, a reality that displeased the Chinese. But despite positive suggestions by the Chinese Resident Yuan Shikai
against the employment of further foreign advisors, on January 3, 1891, the Korean government named Greathouse a vice-president of the home office, granting him charge of matters pertaining to foreign legal affairs. General Legendre
at this time was a vice-president of the same office as foreign advisor to the king. Greathouse's legal knowledge was often called upon in the drafting of conventions, in the constant negotiations with foreign representatives in Seoul, and in the revising of Korean law and the reorganizing, at least on paper, of the Korean judicial system.
The best-known work of Greathouse was in connection with the trial of the Koreans implicated in the murder of the Queen of Korea by Japanese and Korean conspirators on October 8, 1895. After the king had escaped from his Japanese and Korean captors to the safety of the Russian legation, he asked Greathouse to supervise the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the Queen. Greathouse attended all sessions of the court, examined the witnesses, and had the trials conducted in a thoroughly modern manner. It was owing to his influence that the trials were free from the gross faults which customarily disfigured the proceedings of all Korean courts, and that for general approximation to Western notions of justice and integrity they were in every way remarkable. During the last few years of his life Greathouse acted as confidential advisor to the King on foreign affairs. As far as the records show, he was never married; his mother remained with him until his death. While he was in Japan he secured the services of a young Goanese
, H. A. Dos Remedios, as his secretary. When he went to Korea he took his assistant with him and Dos Remedios came practically to occupy the position of son as well as secretary, although he was never officially adopted. Greathouse died in Seoul on October 21, 1899 while still in the service of the government of Korea. He is buried in the Yanghwajin Foreigners' Cemetery
in central Seoul.
Clarence Ridgeby Greathouse was born in Kentucky, the son of Dr. Ridgeby Greathouse, who emigrated to California. In 1870 Clarence Greathouse moved to San Francisco to practise law. There he also became active in local Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politics and in 1883 was named general manager of the Democratic daily the San Francisco Examiner, a position he held until 1886 when he was appointed United States consul-general at Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan. He served successfully at this post for four years, from 1886 to 1890. Meanwhile, in Korea successive American representatives in the Korean capital of Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
had succeeded in impressing Korea's King Gojong with the friendly and disinterested nature of the policy of the American government that he was led to secure a comparatively large number of American advisors. Thus, in September 1890, Greathouse was engaged to serve as legal advisor to the Korean government. At that time there were eight other Americans already serving in Seoul in various advisory capacities, a reality that displeased the Chinese. But despite positive suggestions by the Chinese Resident Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived...
against the employment of further foreign advisors, on January 3, 1891, the Korean government named Greathouse a vice-president of the home office, granting him charge of matters pertaining to foreign legal affairs. General Legendre
Charles Le Gendre
Charles William Joseph Émile Le Gendre was a French-born American general and diplomat, who served as advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Japan from 1872 to 1875 and as advisor to Emperor Gojong of the Korean Empire from 1890 to 1899.-Early life:Le Gendre was born in...
at this time was a vice-president of the same office as foreign advisor to the king. Greathouse's legal knowledge was often called upon in the drafting of conventions, in the constant negotiations with foreign representatives in Seoul, and in the revising of Korean law and the reorganizing, at least on paper, of the Korean judicial system.
The best-known work of Greathouse was in connection with the trial of the Koreans implicated in the murder of the Queen of Korea by Japanese and Korean conspirators on October 8, 1895. After the king had escaped from his Japanese and Korean captors to the safety of the Russian legation, he asked Greathouse to supervise the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the Queen. Greathouse attended all sessions of the court, examined the witnesses, and had the trials conducted in a thoroughly modern manner. It was owing to his influence that the trials were free from the gross faults which customarily disfigured the proceedings of all Korean courts, and that for general approximation to Western notions of justice and integrity they were in every way remarkable. During the last few years of his life Greathouse acted as confidential advisor to the King on foreign affairs. As far as the records show, he was never married; his mother remained with him until his death. While he was in Japan he secured the services of a young Goanese
Konkani people
Konkani people , form a group of people mainly found in the Konkan Coast of western India whose mother-tongue is the Konkani language....
, H. A. Dos Remedios, as his secretary. When he went to Korea he took his assistant with him and Dos Remedios came practically to occupy the position of son as well as secretary, although he was never officially adopted. Greathouse died in Seoul on October 21, 1899 while still in the service of the government of Korea. He is buried in the Yanghwajin Foreigners' Cemetery
Yanghwajin Foreigners' Cemetery
Yanghwajin , also known as the Hapjeong-dong International Cemetery, is a cemetery overlooking the Han River in the district of Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Designated in 1890 as a site for foreign missionaries by King Gojong, the site is currently open to the public from 9:00am to 6:00pm and is...
in central Seoul.