Henry Pollock
Encyclopedia
Sir Henry Edward Pollock, QC
, JP was an English
barrister
who became a prominent politician
in Hong Kong
. He had acted as Attorney General in Hong Kong for several occasions, and was once appointed the same post in Fiji
. He had also served as Senior Unofficial Member
of both the Legislative Council
and Executive Council
for a long period of time in pre-Pacific War
Hong Kong. Along with Sir Paul Chater, then Governor
Sir Frederick Lugard
(later Lord Lugard) and others, Sir Henry was one of the founders of the University of Hong Kong.
Pollock was born to a well-known family in the law
. His grandfather, Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet
served as Attorney General for England and Wales
between 1834 and 1835 and 1841 and 1844 in the Tory
administrations of Sir Robert Peel; one of his many cousins, Sir Frederick Pollock, 3rd Baronet was a renowned professor
of jurisprudence
in the University of Oxford
; another cousin of Pollock, Ernest Pollock, 1st Viscount Hanworth
, served as the Master of the Rolls
from 1925 to 1935.
Pollock's father was Dr. Arthur Julius Pollock (7 February 1835 - 11 May 1890). He was the eldest son in the second marriage of Sir Frederick Pollock, though he ranked thirteenth among the twenty-four children that Sir Frederick had. Dr. Pollock was a physician
and lecturer in the Foundling Hospital
and Charing Cross Hospital
. He was also a Council member of the Royal College of Physicians
.
Pollock was the third child of his mother, Ellen Bailey (? - 25 October 1895). He had an elder sister, Caroline (4 August 1862 - ?), an elder brother, Arthur Julius (21 August 1863 - 28 May 1914), and a younger brother, Charles Frederick (17 July 1866 - 17 July 1919).
, England
on 16 December 1864. He spent his early childhood in London and was later admitted to the Charterhouse School
. He quit the school in 1882 at the age of 18, and was promptly employed by a bank
in Drury Lane
. After one year of working, Pollock earned 50 pounds
in total, and opted for continuing his study. He was successfully enrolled by the Inner Temple
in 1883 and was called to the bar upon graduation in 1887.
In April 1888, seeking for new opportunities elsewhere, Pollock left his family and depart England
for the then Crown Colony
, Hong Kong
. He was soon qualified as a barrister
in Hong Kong, and set up his career in the legal profession.
From 1896 to 1901, Pollock was appointed by the government as acting Attorney General, and thus became an ex-officio member of both the Legislative Council
and Executive Council
. During his tenure as both an Attorney General and a councillor, his performance was highly regarded by his colleagues, and he was appointed Queen's Counsel
as a reward in 1900. In 1902, Pollock was posted to Fiji
and served as Attorney General in there. Nevertheless, he did not stay long in Fiji and returned to Hong Kong a year later. A year in Fiji did not weaken his influence in Hong Kong that he served as a member of the Sanitary Board from March 1903 to February 1906 shortly after his return.
In his long tenure in the Legislative Council, Pollock was active in public service and served in a number of committees as member or chairman, including the Peace Celebration and War Memorial Finance Committee, Housing Commission and the Standing Law Committee and etc. During the First World War, Pollock also sat as a Judge
in the Appeal Tribunal; he was later reappointed for the same post on the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.
As early as 1911 and 1912, Pollock was provisionally appointed twice as unofficial member of the Executive Council
. However, he lost the chance to be appointed a full unofficial member in November 1915 when he unsuccessfully pressured the then governor, Sir Henry May
in a Legislative Council meeting for replacing a vacancy for unofficial member in the Executive Council through limited election
.
Pollock was one of the most prominent activist on constitutional reform in pre-war Hong Kong. He did not give up after his request was abruptly turned down by Sir Henry. In January 1916, he sent a petition compiled with a few hundreds signatures to the Secretary of State for the Colonies
, Andrew Bonar Law, and called for reform in both the Legislative and Executive Council. According to his proposal, he suggested that more unofficial seats should be created on the two councils. These new seats should be elected by members of the Chamber of Commerce and the unofficial Justices of Peace in order to let them be more fully represented. Also, Pollock supported the appointment of more Chinese to the two councils.
Pollock's proposal was also rejected by Bonar Law with no reason given. The relationship between Pollock and Sir Henry, was so badly damaged that Pollock was never again chosen to sit on the Executive Council during the governorship of Sir Henry. Pollock only became an unofficial member of the Executive Council after the retirement of Sir Henry, when his successor, Sir Reginald Stubbs
, appointed him in 1921. Three years later, Pollock was appointed a Knight Bachelor
in the King's Birthday Honours in 1924.
Pollock was appointed acting Attorney-General for three times in 1919, 1925 and 1928 respectively. In his capacity as acting Attorney-General, he sat in the two councils as ex-officio member rather than unofficial member, and his unofficial seats in the Legislative Council was provisionally elected by his fellow Justices of Peace. In 1917, he succeeded Sir Boshan Wei Yuk as Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council; later in 1926, he also became Senior Unofficial Member of the Executive Council after the death Sir Paul Chater, and therefore became the Senior Member of both two councils. Nevertheless, on 16 September 1928, Pollock had an accidental fall in his home at No. 367, the Peak
. He broke his thigh
heavily and could not assume his duties in the councils. As a result, another member of the Legislative and the Executive Council, Sir Shouson Chow, temporarily replaced him as Senior Member during his incapacity. Pollock recovered from the fall in December and reassumed his duties again.
Besides his duties in the two councils, Pollock had served as chairman of the Hong Kong Branch of the Navy League, the Chess Club, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
and the Constitutional Reform Association. He had also served as Commodore of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
, Secretary of the Odd Volumes Society and corresponding secretary to the Royal Colonial Institute.
Pollock was instrumental to the establishment of the University of Hong Kong as he was one of the founders of the University. Pollock was originally a member of the council of the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese
. In March 1908, along with Sir Paul Chater, Sir Kai Ho-Kai
and a few other people, Pollock was appointed to the newly-founded organizing committee of the University of Hong Kong which was chaired by Sir Paul Chater by then governor Sir Frederick Lugard
(later Lord Lugard). When the University of Hong Kong was officially founded in 1911, Pollock was appointed a life member of the University Court. Pollock was said to be an active member who frequently attend the Court's meetings, and was noted for his enthusiasm towards the development of the University. In acknowledging his contribution, he received Honorary Doctorates of Law from the University on 5 January 1925.
That is worth mentioning that Pollock had close ties with St. Stephen's College
as he was one of the guests invited to the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the College's new school site in Stanley
in 1928. Furthermore, in 1933, under the assistance from him and Sir Robert Kotewall
, the student-actors and student-actresses of the College were allowed to play on the same stage in a fundraising drama event regardless the opposition from the conservative Chinese community.
broke out suddenly and Hong Kong was fallen into Imperial Japan's hands after a month of useless resistance
. Fortunately, Pollock and his wife were in Australia
for health reason at the outbreak of the war, thus they were not in Hong Kong during the Japanese invasion and did not end up in Hong Kong as prisoners of war.
Although the colonial Legislative Council and Executive Council ceased to operate during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
, Pollock was still nominally the Senior Member of the Legislative and Executive Council until the expiration of his terms in 1944 and on 8 March 1946. Pollock's final term as Senior Unofficial Member of the Executive Council traversed the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong and ended after the Liberation of Hong Kong in 1945, but in reality, he had never attended any meeting of the two councils after the fall of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government later issued a notice in the Hong Kong Gazette in May 1946, thanking Pollock for his contribution to the colony.
The Second World War made a sudden ending to Pollock's life and public service in Hong Kong. Although he paid several visits to Hong Kong after the war, he and his wife had permanently resided in Sydney
, Australia
since the commencement of the Pacific War. Pollock died in Sydney on 2 February 1953, aged 88.
Women's Guild and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
.
Since the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War
in 1937, the refugee camp
s in Hong Kong had also become a chief interest to Lady Pollock. In 1940, Lady Pollock, Eling Soong and others initiated a campaign in Hong Kong and Canton
to set up cooperative
s which could accommodate 6,000 refugees to restore production. Lady Pollock was subsequently appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours
of 1941 for her eminent contribution.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, JP was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
who became a prominent politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. He had acted as Attorney General in Hong Kong for several occasions, and was once appointed the same post in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. He had also served as Senior Unofficial Member
Unofficial Member
Unofficial Member is the members of Executive Council and Legislative Council of Hong Kong but not from Hong Kong Government. Before Legislative Council direct election starting from 1991, the Government collects views and opinions by appointing elits from the society of Hong Kong to the two...
of both the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
The Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...
and Executive Council
Executive Council of Hong Kong
The Executive Council of Hong Kong is a core policy-making organ in the executive branch of the government of Hong Kong.. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong serves as its President.The Executive Council normally meets once a week...
for a long period of time in pre-Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
Hong Kong. Along with Sir Paul Chater, then Governor
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...
Sir Frederick Lugard
Frederick Lugard
Frederick John Dealtry Lugard, 1st Baron Lugard GCMG, CB, DSO, PC , known as Sir Frederick Lugard between 1901 and 1928, was a British soldier, mercenary, explorer of Africa and colonial administrator, who was Governor of Hong Kong and Governor-General of Nigeria .-Early life and education:Lugard...
(later Lord Lugard) and others, Sir Henry was one of the founders of the University of Hong Kong.
Family background
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. His grandfather, Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet
Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet
Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet PC , was a British lawyer and Tory politician.-Background and education:...
served as Attorney General for England and Wales
Attorney General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
between 1834 and 1835 and 1841 and 1844 in the Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
administrations of Sir Robert Peel; one of his many cousins, Sir Frederick Pollock, 3rd Baronet was a renowned professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
in the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
; another cousin of Pollock, Ernest Pollock, 1st Viscount Hanworth
Ernest Pollock, 1st Viscount Hanworth
Ernest Murray Pollock, 1st Viscount Hanworth KBE PC KC was a British Conservative Member of Parliament and Master of the Rolls.He was the MP for Warwick and Leamington from 1910 to 1923...
, served as the Master of the Rolls
Master of the Rolls
The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal...
from 1925 to 1935.
Pollock's father was Dr. Arthur Julius Pollock (7 February 1835 - 11 May 1890). He was the eldest son in the second marriage of Sir Frederick Pollock, though he ranked thirteenth among the twenty-four children that Sir Frederick had. Dr. Pollock was a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and lecturer in the Foundling Hospital
Foundling Hospital
The Foundling Hospital in London, England was founded in 1741 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." The word "hospital" was used in a more general sense than it is today, simply...
and Charing Cross Hospital
Charing Cross Hospital
Charing Cross Hospital is a general, acute hospital located in London, United Kingdom and established in 1818. It is located several miles to the west of the city centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham....
. He was also a Council member of the Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
.
Pollock was the third child of his mother, Ellen Bailey (? - 25 October 1895). He had an elder sister, Caroline (4 August 1862 - ?), an elder brother, Arthur Julius (21 August 1863 - 28 May 1914), and a younger brother, Charles Frederick (17 July 1866 - 17 July 1919).
Early years
Pollock was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 16 December 1864. He spent his early childhood in London and was later admitted to the Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
. He quit the school in 1882 at the age of 18, and was promptly employed by a bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
in Drury Lane
Drury Lane
Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster....
. After one year of working, Pollock earned 50 pounds
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
in total, and opted for continuing his study. He was successfully enrolled by the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1883 and was called to the bar upon graduation in 1887.
In April 1888, seeking for new opportunities elsewhere, Pollock left his family and depart England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for the then Crown Colony
Crown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. He was soon qualified as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
in Hong Kong, and set up his career in the legal profession.
Colonial life
Pollock was substantially valued by the local society not long after his arrival to the colony. For six months from September 1888 to March 1889, he had been appointed by the government as acting Police Magistrate. In 1891, he was appointed unofficial Justice of Peace, and later in 1892, he had served as acting Puisne Judge for the government for half a year. In 1894, Hong Kong was suffered from a severe plague which caused thousands of deaths. Pollock was noted for his work on relief during the plague and was awarded a gold medal by the government afterwards.From 1896 to 1901, Pollock was appointed by the government as acting Attorney General, and thus became an ex-officio member of both the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
The Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...
and Executive Council
Executive Council of Hong Kong
The Executive Council of Hong Kong is a core policy-making organ in the executive branch of the government of Hong Kong.. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong serves as its President.The Executive Council normally meets once a week...
. During his tenure as both an Attorney General and a councillor, his performance was highly regarded by his colleagues, and he was appointed Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
as a reward in 1900. In 1902, Pollock was posted to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
and served as Attorney General in there. Nevertheless, he did not stay long in Fiji and returned to Hong Kong a year later. A year in Fiji did not weaken his influence in Hong Kong that he served as a member of the Sanitary Board from March 1903 to February 1906 shortly after his return.
Life as councillor
In 1903, under the promotion of the Chamber of Commerce, Pollock had briefly served as acting Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council for around a year. Soon afterwards, he was again nominated by the unofficial Justices of Peace and became a full unofficial member of the council in December 1905. For nearly forty years onwards, Pollock had continuously represented the unofficial Justices of Peace constituency in the council.In his long tenure in the Legislative Council, Pollock was active in public service and served in a number of committees as member or chairman, including the Peace Celebration and War Memorial Finance Committee, Housing Commission and the Standing Law Committee and etc. During the First World War, Pollock also sat as a Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
in the Appeal Tribunal; he was later reappointed for the same post on the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.
As early as 1911 and 1912, Pollock was provisionally appointed twice as unofficial member of the Executive Council
Executive Council of Hong Kong
The Executive Council of Hong Kong is a core policy-making organ in the executive branch of the government of Hong Kong.. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong serves as its President.The Executive Council normally meets once a week...
. However, he lost the chance to be appointed a full unofficial member in November 1915 when he unsuccessfully pressured the then governor, Sir Henry May
Francis Henry May
Sir Francis Henry May, GCMG was a British colonial administrator who became Governor of Hong Kong.-Early life and education:...
in a Legislative Council meeting for replacing a vacancy for unofficial member in the Executive Council through limited election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
.
Pollock was one of the most prominent activist on constitutional reform in pre-war Hong Kong. He did not give up after his request was abruptly turned down by Sir Henry. In January 1916, he sent a petition compiled with a few hundreds signatures to the Secretary of State for the Colonies
Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies....
, Andrew Bonar Law, and called for reform in both the Legislative and Executive Council. According to his proposal, he suggested that more unofficial seats should be created on the two councils. These new seats should be elected by members of the Chamber of Commerce and the unofficial Justices of Peace in order to let them be more fully represented. Also, Pollock supported the appointment of more Chinese to the two councils.
Pollock's proposal was also rejected by Bonar Law with no reason given. The relationship between Pollock and Sir Henry, was so badly damaged that Pollock was never again chosen to sit on the Executive Council during the governorship of Sir Henry. Pollock only became an unofficial member of the Executive Council after the retirement of Sir Henry, when his successor, Sir Reginald Stubbs
Reginald Edward Stubbs
Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs, GCMG was a British colonial governor, who was once the Governor of Hong Kong...
, appointed him in 1921. Three years later, Pollock was appointed a Knight Bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the King's Birthday Honours in 1924.
Pollock was appointed acting Attorney-General for three times in 1919, 1925 and 1928 respectively. In his capacity as acting Attorney-General, he sat in the two councils as ex-officio member rather than unofficial member, and his unofficial seats in the Legislative Council was provisionally elected by his fellow Justices of Peace. In 1917, he succeeded Sir Boshan Wei Yuk as Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council; later in 1926, he also became Senior Unofficial Member of the Executive Council after the death Sir Paul Chater, and therefore became the Senior Member of both two councils. Nevertheless, on 16 September 1928, Pollock had an accidental fall in his home at No. 367, the Peak
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. The mountain is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island...
. He broke his thigh
Thigh
In humans the thigh is the area between the pelvis and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.The single bone in the thigh is called the femur...
heavily and could not assume his duties in the councils. As a result, another member of the Legislative and the Executive Council, Sir Shouson Chow, temporarily replaced him as Senior Member during his incapacity. Pollock recovered from the fall in December and reassumed his duties again.
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong)
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity for animals in Hong Kong.-Background:Before 1997, it was named the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ...
and the Constitutional Reform Association. He had also served as Commodore of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club is a Hong Kong sports club for sailing and rowing.Founded as Hong Kong Corinthian Sailing Club in 1890 and became the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in 1894....
, Secretary of the Odd Volumes Society and corresponding secretary to the Royal Colonial Institute.
Pollock was instrumental to the establishment of the University of Hong Kong as he was one of the founders of the University. Pollock was originally a member of the council of the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese
Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese
The Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese was the first college in Hong Kong to fully adopt and accept Western medical science practices...
. In March 1908, along with Sir Paul Chater, Sir Kai Ho-Kai
Kai Ho
Sir Kai Ho Kai, CMG, JP, MRCS , , born Ho Shan-kai , was a Hong Kong Chinese barrister, physician and essayist in Colonial Hong Kong. He played a key role in the relationship between the Hong Kong Chinese community and the British colonial government. He is mostly remembered as one of the main...
and a few other people, Pollock was appointed to the newly-founded organizing committee of the University of Hong Kong which was chaired by Sir Paul Chater by then governor Sir Frederick Lugard
Frederick Lugard
Frederick John Dealtry Lugard, 1st Baron Lugard GCMG, CB, DSO, PC , known as Sir Frederick Lugard between 1901 and 1928, was a British soldier, mercenary, explorer of Africa and colonial administrator, who was Governor of Hong Kong and Governor-General of Nigeria .-Early life and education:Lugard...
(later Lord Lugard). When the University of Hong Kong was officially founded in 1911, Pollock was appointed a life member of the University Court. Pollock was said to be an active member who frequently attend the Court's meetings, and was noted for his enthusiasm towards the development of the University. In acknowledging his contribution, he received Honorary Doctorates of Law from the University on 5 January 1925.
That is worth mentioning that Pollock had close ties with St. Stephen's College
St. Stephen's College, Hong Kong
St. Stephen's College is a Christian DSS coeducational secondary school located in Stanley, Hong Kong. With an area of about 150,000 sq. ft., the College is the largest secondary school in Hong Kong, and is also one of the very few boarding schools in the territory, many buildings in the campus...
as he was one of the guests invited to the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the College's new school site in Stanley
Stanley, Hong Kong
Stanley is a town and a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It located on a peninsula on the southeastern part of Hong Kong Island. It is east of Repulse Bay and west of Shek O, adjacent to Chung Hom Kok...
in 1928. Furthermore, in 1933, under the assistance from him and Sir Robert Kotewall
Robert Kotewall
Sir Robert Hormus Kotewall was a Hong Kong businessman and legislator.His ancestry includes Chinese, Parsee and European forbears....
, the student-actors and student-actresses of the College were allowed to play on the same stage in a fundraising drama event regardless the opposition from the conservative Chinese community.
Final years
In 17 January 1940 and in the beginning of 1941, Pollock was appointed unofficial member of the Legislative and the Executive Council respectively for a further period of four years and five years. However, in December 1941, the Pacific WarPacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
broke out suddenly and Hong Kong was fallen into Imperial Japan's hands after a month of useless resistance
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
. Fortunately, Pollock and his wife were in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for health reason at the outbreak of the war, thus they were not in Hong Kong during the Japanese invasion and did not end up in Hong Kong as prisoners of war.
Although the colonial Legislative Council and Executive Council ceased to operate during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began after the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the territory of Hong Kong to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting by British and Canadian defenders against overwhelming Japanese Imperial forces. The occupation lasted...
, Pollock was still nominally the Senior Member of the Legislative and Executive Council until the expiration of his terms in 1944 and on 8 March 1946. Pollock's final term as Senior Unofficial Member of the Executive Council traversed the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong and ended after the Liberation of Hong Kong in 1945, but in reality, he had never attended any meeting of the two councils after the fall of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government later issued a notice in the Hong Kong Gazette in May 1946, thanking Pollock for his contribution to the colony.
The Second World War made a sudden ending to Pollock's life and public service in Hong Kong. Although he paid several visits to Hong Kong after the war, he and his wife had permanently resided in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
since the commencement of the Pacific War. Pollock died in Sydney on 2 February 1953, aged 88.
Family
Pollock married his wife, Pauline Oakley in Hong Kong in 1906 when he was 42. They had no children. Lady Oakley was a long-time resident in Hong Kong and was noted for her active participation in local public services, especially in the Street Sleepers' Society, St John's CathedralSt. John's Cathedral, Hong Kong
St. John's Cathedral , officially The Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist and located at 4 Garden Road, Central, is an Anglican cathedral in Hong Kong. It is the Diocesan cathedral of the...
Women's Guild and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a non-profit animal welfare organization originally founded in England in 1824 to pass laws protecting carriage horses from abuse. SPCA groups are now found in many nations, where they campaign for animal welfare, assist in cruelty to animals...
.
Since the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
in 1937, the refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s in Hong Kong had also become a chief interest to Lady Pollock. In 1940, Lady Pollock, Eling Soong and others initiated a campaign in Hong Kong and Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
to set up cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
s which could accommodate 6,000 refugees to restore production. Lady Pollock was subsequently appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
of 1941 for her eminent contribution.
Styles from birth
- Henry Pollock, Esq (1864–1891)
- Henry Pollock, JP (1891–1900)
- Henry Pollock, QC, JP (1900–1901)
- Henry Pollock, KC, JP (1901–1903)
- Hon. Henry Pollock, KC, JP (1903–1924)
- Hon. Sir Henry Pollock, KC, JP (1924–1925)
- Hon. Sir Henry Pollock, KC, JP, Hon. LLD (1925–1946)
- Sir Henry Pollock, KC, JP, Hon. LLD (1946–1952)
- Sir Henry Pollock, QC, JP, Hon. LLD (1952–1953)
Honours
- J.P. (24 April 1891 http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkgro/view/g1891/652687.pdf)
- Gold Medal for Plague Services (1894)
- Q.C.Queen's CounselQueen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(1900) - Kt.Knight BachelorThe rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
(King's birthday honour list 1924)
Place named after him
- Pollock Path: a cul-de-sacCul-de-sacA cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
on the top of Mount GoughMount GoughMount Gough is a hill on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is east of Victoria Peak. It peaks at above Admiralty.The peak is named for Hugh Gough, 1st Viscount Gough, Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in China.-See also:...
, Hong Kong IslandHong Kong IslandHong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
.
See also
- Legislative Council of Hong KongLegislative Council of Hong KongThe Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...
- Executive Council of Hong KongExecutive Council of Hong KongThe Executive Council of Hong Kong is a core policy-making organ in the executive branch of the government of Hong Kong.. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong serves as its President.The Executive Council normally meets once a week...
- Attorney General (Hong Kong)
- University of Hong Kong