Cheung Chau Magazine

1898 Jan 01

Land ownership chaos in New Territories, 1898

After Britian took over New Territories and outlying Islands in 1898, Stewart Lockhart,  Colonial Secretary, wrote in 1900 report to government there was too much chaos in Land ownerships in New Territories.

He reported that there were cases involving ill-informed tenants wrongly refusing to pay rent to their Landlords because the lands are in New Territories, and others are to pay rents to the Government.

“Lawless characters also took forcible possession of land and tried to deceive the authority by misrepresentations. Tenants have also endeavoured to usurp the rights of landlords.”

On 20^th Oct 1898 , Stewart Lockhart issued a special notice in Chinese  to emphasize all landlords and tenants ought to submit land right  information to authority.

“Ill-behaved persons will most certainly be severely punished according to law and no leniency will be shown to them.  Tremble and obey”

Stewart Lockhart

Colonial Secretary,1900