1900 Jan 17
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British Colonial Government Policy on land administration in New Territories, 1899
British Colonial Government Policy on land administration in New Territories, 1899
Bruce Shepherd, then Deputy Land Officer, stated clearly in his report to Government dated 17th January, 1900, of British Colonial Government Policy in land administration in New Territories.
The policy would be based on the Land Registration Ordinance of 1843, requiring all land owners to register their land ownerships from Ching Dynasty, they would then be issued title deeds for a period of 99 years.
Henry Blake, the Governor, issued a Chinese notice on 12th July 1899 informing all land owners of New Territories and Outlying Islands to file their claims of land ownerships.
Stewart Lockhart emphasised all owners ought to bring along their Ching Dynasty title deeds in person, submit the filled-in claim form to visiting officer to the village.
A list of land owner names would be posted in the village for 7 days. If there was no dispute, a certificate of title would be issued to individual owner after payment of Crown Rent.
If there were disputes, the case would be passed on to Squatters Board for examination and the outcome would be decided by Governor.
All land in New Territories would be surveyed for its size and exact location, land not claimed would be British Colonial Government land.
“ Do not say that I have not warned you here, do not show disobedience.” Henry Blake.
English Land Claim Form |
Chinese Land Claim Form |
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Cheung Chau Block Crown Lease, 1905
1905 Mar 18
Cheung Chau Block Crown Lease, 1905
Block Crown Lease is basically a Land Lease covering many land lots.
In the past, many big families in New Territories have built up a large land bank in certain village or district over a long period of time. Hong Kong Colonial Government issued a single land lease covering many land lots belonging to same family for easy management accordingly.
Wong Wai Tsak Tong is a typical example, after land claim for Cheung Chau in 1899, Hong Kong Colonial Government issued a Block Crown Lease on 18th of March in 1905 to register Wong Wai Tsak Tong for 90% of private land on Cheung Chau.
In 1995, a legislation named Block Crown Lease (Cheung Chau) Ordinance, passed to terminate Wong Wai Tsak Tong’s Taxlord status for Cheung Chau, all sub-lessees of Wong Wai Tsak Tong, lease renewed or not, who were registered in Land Registry before commencement of this legislation, would become Hong Kong Government lessee.
A chapter was closed for Wong Wai Tsak Tong and Hong Kong Colonial Government.
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Cheung Chau in 1898
1898 Oct 01
Cheung Chau in 1898
When Stewart Lockhart, Special Commissioner to Hong Kong , wrote a report to Colonial Office in Oct 1898 after taking over New Territories which includes outlying islands, this is how he described Cheung Chau in his report :
“The Island of Cheung Chau is a busy place, at which many of the steamers, launches, and junks plying between Hong Kong and Macao call.
There is a station of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs on the Island, as there is also on the Island of Ma Wan, commonly known as the Kap Shui Mun Station.
The deep anchorage of Cheung Chau affords good shelter, especially during easterly gale.
He also remarked the population of Cheung Chau at 5,000 in 1898, based on the estimate from the officer of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs stationed at Cheung Chau.”
But a British, L C Arlington, the expatriate employed by Ching Dynasty as Imperial Maritime Customs Officer stationed at Cheung Chau between 1894-98, recalled a different aspect of life in his book. “The exceptionally strong smell from raw fish and shrimp paste under the sun was almost everywhere on the island. It made him very difficult to set foot on Cheung Chau again after 6 long years of service on the island.”
Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs at Cheung Chau
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