Mar 18 1905

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.

The other posts in Cheung Chau Magazine :

• Pirates attack on Cheung Chau Police Station. August 21st, 1912海盜夜攻長洲警署, 1912年8月21日
• Ching Dynasty New Territories and outlying islands Land Tenure, before 1898清朝新界及離島土地政策, 1898年前
• Land Court , 1900土地法庭, 1900年