Walter Hillier
Encyclopedia
Sir Walter Caine Hillier KCMG
CB
(1849 – 9 November 1927) was a British diplomat
, academic, author, Sinologist and lProfessor of Chinese at King’s College London.
and educated at Bedford Grammar School
and at Blundell's School
in Tiverton. His father was Charles Hillier, British Consul at Bangkok
, and he was the brother of Edward Hillier, one of the most respected bankers in Hong Kong.
in the Diplomatic Service
. This involved his appointment as adviser to the military authorities in China at which time he was Mentioned in despatches.
A stone memorial was erected to Hillier and to a British military officer at Shan-hai-Kwan
to recognise the protection afforded to Chinese during the times following the Boxer Rebellion
.
From 1904–1908 Hillier was Professor of Chinese at King’s College London.
From 1908–1910 Hillier served as an adviser to the Chinese government, in particular advising Li Hung-chan
during his time as Viceroy of Zhili
.
/WorldCat
encompasses roughly 80 works in 100+ publications in 8 languages and 600+ library holdings.
Hillyer drafted the preface to Isabella Bird Bishop's 1898 book, Korea & her Neighbours: A Narrative of Travel, with an Account of the Recent Vicissitudes and Present Position of the Country.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(1849 – 9 November 1927) was a British diplomat
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, academic, author, Sinologist and lProfessor of Chinese at King’s College London.
Early life
Walter Hillier was born in Hong KongHong 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...
and educated at Bedford Grammar School
Bedford School
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
and at Blundell's School
Blundell's School
Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school located in the town of Tiverton in the county of Devon, England. The school was founded in 1604 by the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the time, and relocated to its present location on the...
in Tiverton. His father was Charles Hillier, British Consul at Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, and he was the brother of Edward Hillier, one of the most respected bankers in Hong Kong.
Diplomatic career
- 1867: Appointment to the Consular Service and service as an interpreter in ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(followed by various promotions) - 1879: Assistant Chinese Secretary in PekingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
(in 1883 accompanying Sir Harry ParkesHarry Smith ParkesSir Harry Smith Parkes was a 19th century British diplomat who worked mainly in China and Japan...
to negotiate the treaty with Korea - 1885: Chinese Secretary
- 1889–1896: Consul-General in SeoulSeoulSeoul , 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...
.
Later career
Hillier retired in October 1896 and from February to April 1901 was attached to the Legation in Peking as special political officer for Chinese affairs with the rank of acting First SecretaryDiplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is the system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Over time it has been formalized on an international basis.-Ranks:...
in the Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom, dealing with foreign affairs, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which deals with domestic affairs...
. This involved his appointment as adviser to the military authorities in China at which time he was Mentioned in despatches.
A stone memorial was erected to Hillier and to a British military officer at Shan-hai-Kwan
Shanhaiguan District
Shanhaiguan District is a district of the city of Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, People's Republic of China, named after the pass of the Great Wall within the district, Shanhai Pass...
to recognise the protection afforded to Chinese during the times following the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
.
From 1904–1908 Hillier was Professor of Chinese at King’s College London.
From 1908–1910 Hillier served as an adviser to the Chinese government, in particular advising Li Hung-chan
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
during his time as Viceroy of Zhili
Viceroy of Zhili
The Viceroy of Zhili , fully referred to as the Governor General of Zhili and surrounding areas; Overseeing Military Affairs, Food Production; Manager of Waterways; Director of Civil Affairs , was one of eight regional viceroys in China proper during the Qing Dynasty of China...
.
Selected works
In a statistical overview derived from writings by and about Walter Hillier, OCLCOCLC
OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is "a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs"...
/WorldCat
WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...
encompasses roughly 80 works in 100+ publications in 8 languages and 600+ library holdings.
- A Progressive Course Designed to Assist the Student of Colloquial Chinese as Spoken in the Capital and the Metropolitan Department (1886), with Thomas Francis WadeThomas Francis WadeSir Thomas Francis Wade, GCMG, KCB , was a British diplomat and Sinologist who produced a syllabary in 1859 that was later amended, extended and converted into the Wade-Giles romanization for Mandarin Chinese by Herbert Giles in 1892...
; 語言自邇集 (Yü yen tzŭ êrh chi)
- The Chinese Language and How to Learn It: A Manual for Beginners (1907)
- One Thousand Useful Chinese Characters (1907)
- An English-Chinese Dictionary of Peking Colloquial (1910)
- English-Chinese Pocket Dictionary of Peking Colloquial (1910)
- Memorandum Upon an Alphabetical System for Writing Chinese: the Application of this System to the Typewriter and to the Linotype or other Typecasting and Composing Machines and its Application to the Braille System for the Blind (1927)
Hillyer drafted the preface to Isabella Bird Bishop's 1898 book, Korea & her Neighbours: A Narrative of Travel, with an Account of the Recent Vicissitudes and Present Position of the Country.