Paul Henry King
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Paul Henry King | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1853 |
| Died | 1938 |
| Occupation | British Commissioner |
Paul Henry King (1853-1938) was a British Commissioner in the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, and a writer on Chinese politics and culture.[1]
Early Life & Family
Paul Henry King, known to his family as 'Jol', was born on 3 June 1853; the son of Paul John King (c.1817-1903), Senior Registrar in Chancery, and Anna Maria, nee Man (c.1825-1904). He was also grand-nephew of Sir Nicholas Conyngham Tindal (1776-1846), Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. King was educated at Haileybury School, and served with the London Scottish Regiment for three years from 1870.[2] He joined the Chinese Maritime Customs Service and went to China in 1874. In 1881, he married Margaret, nee Williamson (known to her family as 'Veronica') at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Shanghai, and the marriage service was conducted by Bishop George Evans Moule.[1] They had seven children, including: Wilfrid Henry Tindal King, who was employed by Jardine, Matheson & Co. in China, Hong Kong, Japan and Taipei, 1908-1937[3]; Louis Magrath King, a British Consul in China, who married the Tibetan writer, Rinchen Lhamo; Carol Mary Langton King, a racing car driver[4]; and Patrick John Richardson King, a squadron leader and later wing commander in the Royal Air Force.[5]
Career & Writings
Paul King served as Commissioner in several treaty port cities in China during a long career of forty-seven years, which he described in his memoir[1] He was Commissioner at Canton during the Boxer Uprising in 1900, and was involved with the 'Tatsu Maru Incident' in 1908.[1][6] King was later placed in charge of the London Office of the Chinese Customs during World War 1. According to his own memoir he was well-liked by the Chinese Statesman, Li Hongzhang, but he had a less amicable relationship with Sir Robert Hart, the Inspector General of the Chinese Customs Service.[7] King authored a number of works of fiction and non-fiction, both singly and writing in partnership with his wife (sometimes under the pseudonym, 'William A. Rivers').[1] King and his wife donated books relating to China to the School of Oriental Studies.[8] Twenty-six volumes of Paul King's diaries and letterbooks, dated 1893-1920, were sold at auction on 12 November 2019 (Sale L19405 - Lot 277) at Sotheby's in London.[9]
Bibliography
Works by Paul King:
- Paul King, Weighed in China's Balance. An Attempt at Explanation (London: Heath Cranton, 1928)
Works about Paul King:
- Jacqueline Young, "Western Residents of China and Their Fictional Writings, 1890-1914" (Doctoral diss., University of Glasgow, 2011)
Death
Paul King died of a heart attack while living in Guernsey on 31 July 1938. His obituary for the London Scottish Regiment described him as a great sportsman, his hobbies including: horse riding, fencing, boxing, skating, rowing, cricket, and golf. He was also a proficient linguist, able to speak French, German and Chinese fluently, as well as some Russian.[2][10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Chamberlain, Tim (2013). "Books of Change: A Western Family's Writings on China, 1855-1949". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society China. 75 (1): 55–76.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Paul King". The London Scottish Regimental Gazette. 43 (513). September 1938.
- ↑ "King, Wilfred Henry Tindal, 1885-1965 (businessman)". Cambridge University Libraries. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ↑ Tibbitts, Wendy (15 June 2016). "Fast and Dangerous: An independent spirit in an 8-litre Bentley: Carol Mary Langton King". Dangerous Women (Dangerous Women Project). Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ↑ "Patrick John Richardson King (1899 - 1981)". WikiTree. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ↑ Carter, James (2 February 2022). "The Tatsu Maru incident in the waning years of the Qing". The China Project. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ↑ Chamberlain, Tim (18 August 2013). "China & Tibet - Through Western Eyes". Waymarks. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ↑ Chamberlain, Tim (6 July 2014). "Unexpected Encounters with the Past". Waymarks. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ↑ "Paul H. King | Diaries as a commissioner in the Chinese Customs, with letterbooks, 1893-1920, 26 volumes". Sothebys. 12 November 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ↑ "Probate Records, FO 917/3778". The National Archives, UK. 1938. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
External links
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