James Haldane Stewart Lockhart

Sir James Haldane Stewart Lockhart
Born	(1858-05-26)26 May 1858 Ardsheal, Argyllshire, Scotland
Died	26 May 1937(1937-05-26) (aged 79) London, England
Nationality	Scot
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh King William's College
Occupation	Civil administrator, Sinologist
Known for	Registrar and Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong, Commissioner of Weihaiwei

Sir James Haldane Stewart Lockhart KCMG, LLD (1858–1937) was a British colonial official in Hong Kong and China for more than 40 years. He also was a Sinologist who made pioneering translations. (His name's official Chinese translation is 駱克 (Cantonese: Lok Hak).)

Early life

Born in Ardsheal, Argyllshire, Scotland to Anna Rebecca Charlotte Stewart and Miles Lockhart of Lismore, Argyll^[1] and grandson of James Lockhart, Lord of the Manor of Marston and Oving, Buckinghamshire. Lockhart attended King William's College (1868–72), George Watson's College, Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh and attempted to enter the civil service in British India.^[2] Failing to obtain this, Lockhart took a Colonial Service cadetship in Hong Kong in 1878.^[3]

Colonial service in Hong Kong

After joining the Hong Kong Government in 1882, Lockhart rose through the ranks of Hong Kong's civil service, he was Registrar General and Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong, and later became Commissioner of Weihaiwei (1902^[4]–1927), the British coastal enclave returned to China in 1930. Lockhart had a more positive relationship with Hong Kong Chinese due to this knowledge of Cantonese and was friends with Ho Kai.^[5] Lockhart was made a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and Executive Council of Hong Kong.

Lockhart founded the Hong Kong Football Club in 1886, situated within the Happy Valley Racecourse. The club now plays host to the Hong Kong 7s tournament.^[6]

Sinological service

While they were both training in Hong Kong, Lockhart became friends with Reginald Johnston, who made his reputation while serving in Weihaiwei. Both men devoted great energy to their studies of Chinese language and classical literature, and both published scholarly works. Johnston was also a great emotional support to Lockhart and his family. ^[7] Johnston later wrote that since Lockhart had a sound training in Greek and Latin at Edinburgh University, he took easily to the study of Chinese, another classical language. The China Review, a journal for scholarly work by China coast foreigners, published Lockhart's early work, which mainly concerned linguistic questions. Lockhart was fluent in Cantonese, Johnston reported, and acquired a working knowledge of Mandarin when he was posted to Weihaiwei.^[8]

Lockhart was particularly interested in collecting and studying Chinese coins. His studies of China's historical numismatics resulted in several publications. ^{[9] [10]}

Later life

After retiring from the Colonial Service, Lockhart return to Britain. He became an honorary member of the Royal Asiatic Society and member of the School of Oriental Studies at the University of London.^[11]

Lockhart was interested in Chinese art and literature, with his own personal collection of the former on display in 1928.^[12]

Honours and legacy

His appointment of CMG was signed by Queen Victoria on 21 May 1898, while his appointment of KCMG was signed by King Edward VII on 9 November 1908.^[13] He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Hong Kong.

Lockhart Road (駱克道) in Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island is named after him.

Family

In 1889, he married Edith Louise Rider Hancock and had three children (son Charles Stewart Lockhart, daughter Mary Stewart Stewart Lockhart and daughter Margaret Stewart Lockhart). .^[14]

Lockhart returned with his family to England and died in London in 1937.^[15]

Notes

Selected publications

• Jun Qiu and James H. Stewart Lockhart (1903). A Manual of Chinese Quotations, Being a Translation of the Ch'êng Yü K'ao. Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh. Google Book
• Lockhart, James H. Stewart (1915). The Stewart Lockhart Collection of Chinese Copper Coins. Shanghai etc.: Kelly & Walsh, limited. 
• Fraser, Everard Duncan Home, Ming Tso-ch*°u and James H. Stewart Lockhart (1930). Index to the Tso Chuan. London, New York: Oxford university press H. Milford. 
• Lockhart, James H. Stewart (1975). The Lockhart Collection of Chinese Copper Coins. Lawrence, Mass.: Quarterman Publications. ISBN 0880000562. 
• White, R. Byron, James H. Stewart Lockhart and Marjorie White (1976). A Comprehensive Finding List of Chinese Cash: T'ang to Republic K'ai Yuan to Min Kuo, 618 Ad to 1912 Ad, Together with Lockhart's Listing of the Chinese Dynasties. Sheldonville, MA: White. ISBN 0917114019. 

References

• Airlie, Shiona (1989). Thistle and Bamboo: The Life and Times of Sir James Stewart Lockhart. Hong Kong; New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195842111. 

• "Sir James Haldane Stewart Lockhart: Colonial Civil Servant and Scholar," Lethbridge, Henry J. (1978). Hong Kong, Stability and Change: A Collection of Essays. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195804023.