Hugh Low facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hugh Low
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Hugh Low
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| 4th British Resident of Perak | |
| In office 1 April 1877 – 31 May 1889 |
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| Preceded by | James G. Davidson |
| Succeeded by | Frank A. Swettenham |
| Acting Governor of Labuan | |
| In office 1866–1867 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Fitzgerald Callaghan |
| Succeeded by | John Pope Hennessy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 May 1824 Upper Clapton, United Kingdom |
| Died | 18 April 1905 (aged 80) Alassio, Italy |
| Spouses |
Catherine Napier
(m. 1848; died 1851)Ann Douglas
(m. 1885) |
| Children | Hugh Brooke Low (son) Catherine Elizabeth Low (daughter) |
| Parent |
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| Relatives | Stuart Low (brother) |
Sir Hugh Low (born 10 May 1824, died 18 April 1905) was an important British administrator and a naturalist. He spent many years working in different British colonies, especially in Labuan. Later, he became a British administrator in the Malay Peninsula. He was the first to try growing Hevea rubber trees in that area.
Many people see him as the first truly successful British administrator in the region. His ways of managing the colonies became a guide for other British officials in Southeast Asia. He was also the first person known to climb Mount Kinabalu in 1851. The highest point of Kinabalu and a deep valley on the mountain are named after him.
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Early Life and Adventures
Hugh Low was born in Upper Clapton, England. His father, also named Hugh, was a Scottish gardener who specialized in plants. Young Hugh learned a lot about plants by working in his family's plant nursery from a young age.
When he was 20, his father sent him on a trip to collect plants in Southeast Asia. He first stayed in Singapore. Soon after, he joined James Brooke, who was known as the White Rajah (a ruler of European origin), in Sarawak. He explored Sarawak so well that he wrote a detailed book about it when he returned home.
In 1847, James Brooke became the Governor of the new British colony of Labuan. He also became the Consul General for Borneo. Brooke made Low his Colonial Secretary from 1848 to 1850. Low then returned to the Far East in 1848.
Life in Labuan
Low gained a lot of experience in running a colony while in Labuan. He also became very good at speaking Malay. He was known as a great naturalist, someone who studies nature. From 1850 to 1877, he worked as a Police Magistrate.
It was from Labuan that he visited Mount Kinabalu three times. His first climb was in March 1851. He went twice more in 1858 with Spenser St. John, who was the Consul General of Brunei.
Working in Perak
In April 1877, Low moved to the Malay Peninsula. He became the fourth British Resident of Perak. A British Resident was an adviser whose decisions were very important for the local rulers, except for matters of local customs or religion. The first Resident had been killed in 1874, which led to a war. Low's arrival meant that civil rule was returning.
Changes in Perak
In his first year, Low made a rule that people who owned land for mining had to make sure the land was actually used for mining. If they didn't, they could lose their right to the land. Within eight years, he helped end slavery in Perak.
In 1885, he built the first railway line in the Malay Peninsula. It ran from Taiping to Port Weld (now Kuala Sepetang). He also helped start the Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, which published articles about the region.
Working with Local Leaders
During his 12 years in Perak, Low created a peaceful way of governing. He set up a state council that included important Malay, Chinese, and British leaders. He was very good at involving local leaders in his administration. For example, he became friends with a powerful mining leader named Kapitan China Chung Keng Quee, who became his trusted helper.
Low also worked closely with Raja Yusef and Raja Dris (who later became Sultan Idris). Together, they helped bring order back to the state. They also paid off the state's large debt and helped people trust the British Residential system again.
Growing New Crops
Besides his work as an administrator, Low was also very interested in growing and studying new commercial crops. These included rubber, coffee, black pepper, and tea. Rubber farming in Malaysia actually began with Sir Hugh Low. In 1882, he planted rubber seeds and grew seven trees at the gardens in Kuala Kangsar. He created a model rubber plantation in Malaya. He also collected many plant and butterfly samples from the region.
Retirement and Legacy
Sir Hugh Low retired from his job as Resident of Perak in 1889. He left Perak with a lot of money saved, showing how well he had managed the state's finances.
He passed away on 18 April 1905 in Alassio, Italy.
Honours and Tributes
Sir Hugh Low received several important awards from the United Kingdom:
United Kingdom :
- Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1879.
- Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1883, which gave him the title Sir.
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in 1889.
Many species of plants, orchids, insects, reptiles, and mammals have been named after him to honor his work as a collector and naturalist.
Plants Named After Hugh Low
- Rhododendron lowii, a type of Rhododendron flower.
- Nepenthes lowii, a pitcher plant.
- Vatica lowii
- Myristica lowiana
Orchids Named After Hugh Low
- Dimorphorchis lowii
- Dendrobium lowii
- Paphiopedilum lowii, a lady's slipper orchid.
- Plocoglottis lowii
- Malaxis lowii
- Phalaenopsis lowii
Animals Named After Hugh Low
- Sarothrocera lowii, a beetle.
- Neorina lowii, a butterfly.
- Papilio lowi, a butterfly.
- Calamaria lovii, a snake.
- Ptilocercus lowii, a pen-tailed treeshrew.
- Sundasciurus lowii, Low's squirrel.
Places Named After Hugh Low
- Low's Peak, the highest point of Southeast Asia, found on Mount Kinabalu, Borneo.
- Low's Gully, a deep valley on Mount Kinabalu.
- Hugh Low Street, a street in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. Although its name has changed to Jalan Sultan Iskandar, many locals still call it Hugh Low Street.
Books by Hugh Low
- Sarawak, Its Inhabitants and Productions: Being Notes During a Residence in that Country with His Excellency Mr. Brooke (1848)
- A Botanist in Borneo: Hugh Low's Sarawak Journals, 1844-1846 (2002)
- Sĕlĕsǐlah (book of the Descent) of the Rajas of Brunei (1880)
- The Journal of Sir Hugh Low; Perak, 1887 (1955)
See also
In Spanish: Hugh Low para niños
