1900 Jan 01
Land Court , 1900
Land Court , 1900
Since the issue of Chinese Notice in 1899 by the Governor, Henry Blake, informing all land owners in New Territories and Outlying Islands to claim land ownerships, Colonial Government received great amount of land claim disputes, amounting to 69,253 cases, as reported by Stewart Lockhart in his report to Government in 1902.
(參閱 : Ching Dynasty New Territories and outlying islands Land Tenure, before 1898)
Colonial Government enacted the No 18th Ordinance in Hong Kong, the Land Court Ordinance to establish Land Court to handle all theses claim disputes.
Mr. H E Pollock was appointed President, Mr. Gompertz was appointed member, and Mr. Kemp appointed as Registrar.
“ First sitting of Land Court did not take place till 20th February 1901 on Ma Wan Island, then frequent intervals to Cheung Chau and Ping Chau.
Mr. Pollock and me also went to Liyumoon to sit in Chinese Temple for hearing, and Cha Kwo Lang to sit in vacant shop for hearing.” remarked by H H J Gompertz as President of Land Court in report to Colonial Government dated 15th March 1902.
(參閱 : British Colonial Government Policy on land administration in New Territories, 1899)
In 1905, Land Court member J R Wood submitted his report to Colonial Government and listed out the chief problems for settlement :
“Many large tracts of land are now claimed by persons who have never paid Crown Rent on them, who never reported their occupation, such as it was to the authorities, and whose claims have never in any way recognised by the Chinese Government.
Very many persons have been paying under the name of tax annual sums to families who professed to be giving an account of these sum to District Treasury but who as a matter of fact very often did nothing of the kind and who in many cases had no real title to more than a very small fraction of the territory over which they collected this rent. “
J R Wood went on to comment “ The claims to large tracts have for the most part on investigation proved untenable, while the Tax-collecting families or Taxlords, as we have called them., have , where they can show documents in support of their income of any part of it, been provided for in ways appropriate to each case on recommendations of the Court.”
Wong Wai Tsak Tong Clan’s book land title record |
Wong Wai Tsak Tong clan’s book land title record |
Wong Wai Tsak Tong clan’s book land title record |
 Wong Wai Tsak Tong Clan’s Book |
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Instruction to Police to guard against Malaria, 1900
1900 Jan 01
Instruction to Police to guard against Malaria, 1900
From J M Atkinson , Principal Civic Medical Officer’s report dated 12th January 1900
1. Water from bath-rooms or cook-houses should not be thrown over the ground near the station
2. Pools or puddles of stagnant water near the station should be filled up and turfed
3. Preserve trees in the neighbourhood of the station, as shade is beneficial
4. On returning from duty wet, either from rain or perspiration, immediately get into dry change of clothes having a hot bath before doing so if possible, particularly avoid sitting in wet clothes.
5. Bathe in hot water not cold, this does not prohibit sea-bathing.
6. Eat, drink and smoke in moderation, especially remembering that though a small quantity of alcohol is beneficial a large quantity is injurious. Stimulants should not be taken until the day’s work is over.
7. The best drink during the heat of the day is lemonade (made by boiling for half-an-hour a sliced lemon or four limes in a pint and a half of water)
8. Be careful always to wear a helmet or sunhat when exposed to sun
9. As a preventative take a five-grain quinine pill every morning before breakfast during the month May-September
John Mitford Atkinson
Principal Civic Medical Officer , 1900
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Land Survey in New Territories, 1900
1900 Jan 01
Land Survey in New Territories, 1900
Stewart Lockhart, mentioned in his report on New Territories dated 8th Oct 1898, that there was urgent need to survey all land in New Territories. It was approved by the Governor.
Mr. Tate and Mr. Newland were put in charge of a team of surveyors and survey collies hired from India, along together with local collies.
In his 1900 January report, Mr. P Tate mentioned land surveying is experiencing no problem in New Territories, mainly as a result of employment of local collies.
But Stewart Lockhart, emphasised in his 1900 report to Governor that it has lot to do with issue of Government Notice in Chinese.
“In fact land surveying also made land owners more positive in registering land titles with Colonial Government in view of the determination shown by the authority in land administration in New Territories.” Stewart Lockhart.
Hong Kong Map in 1898
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Kwok Man School, Cheung Chau
1900 Jan 01
Kwok Man School of Cheung Chau was established around the turn of last century in 1900’s.
There were three different clan’s association schools in the beginning according to plaque set in front of school.
Cheung Chau Wai Chiu Clansman Association, Tung Kwan Clansman Association, and Po An Clansman Association, separately set up schools to take care of education of children from their respective clan on Cheung Chau Island.
For over decades, they were independent schools until wars came.
After wars over, leaders of these clans on Cheung Chau came out to support for a new school.
With the help of Wong Wai Tsak Tong to donate 2 plots of land and finance from leading kaifongs on Cheung Chau Island, the original 3 separate schools now come under one roof, at No.30 Kwok Man Road and with a new name called Kwok Man School.
Curiously, a third plot of land – Cheung Chau Lot 92RP, which may be basketball court of the school, remains in the hand of Wong Wai Tsak Tong according to Land Registry’s record.
 Cheung Chau Kwok Man School Plaque |
 Cheung Chau Kwok Man School |
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Plague in Cheung Chau, 1899
1900 Jan 12
Plague in Cheung Chau, 1899
As stated in his report dated 12th Jan 1900, by Dr. J.M. Atkinson , Principal Civic Medical Officer of the Colonial Government, knowledge of prevalence of plague at Cheung Chau was obtained in April last and Drs. Thompson and Clark were deputed to visit and take the necessary step to eradicate the disease.
“House to house visitation was instituted, a matshed hospital erected and free medicine distributed, so that by middle of June the disease was practically stamped out. “
It went on to say “ The Police carried out house to house visitation, Inspector Gillies particularly distinguishing himself. Indeed, I have little doubt the assiduous way in which he performed these duties undermined his health, predisposed him to the attack of fever which unfortunately proved fatal.”
“A few cases of plague occurred in Chinese Kowloon. No other case reported from any other portion of the New Territories although the di epidemic in Hong Kong.”
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