John Francis Davis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir John Francis Davis Bt KCB
2nd Governor of Hong Kong
In office 8 May 1844 – 21 March 1848
Monarch	Victoria
Lieutenant	Sir George D'Aguilar William Staveley
Preceded by	Sir Henry Pottinger
Succeeded by	Sir George Bonham
Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China
In office 8 May 1844 – 21 March 1848
Preceded by	Sir Henry Pottinger
Succeeded by	Sir George Bonham
In office 11 October 1834 – 19 January 1835
Preceded by	Lord Napier
Succeeded by	Sir George Robinson
Personal details
Born	(1795-07-16)16 July 1795 London, England
Died	13 November 1890(1890-11-13) (aged 95) Henbury, United Kingdom
Resting place	All Saints Church, Compton Greenfield, England
Spouses	Emily Humfrays (1822–1866) Lucy Locke (1867–1890)
Children	6 daughters, 2 sons
Chinese name
Chinese	戴維斯
Transcriptions Yue: Cantonese Sidney Lau Daai3 Wai4 Si1

Sir John Francis Davis (born July 16, 1795 – died November 13, 1890) was an important British diplomat. He was also a sinologist, which means he studied Chinese language and culture. Sir John served as the second Governor of Hong Kong from 1844 to 1848. He was also the first President of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong.

Early Life and Family Background

John Francis Davis was born in London, England. His father was Samuel Davis, who worked for the East India Company. His mother, Henrietta Boileau, came from a French noble family. They had moved to England from France in the early 1700s.

Career in China

Starting in Canton

In 1813, when he was just 18, Davis started working for the East India Company. He was a "writer" at their trading post in Canton (now Guangzhou), China. At that time, Canton was the main place for trade between Britain and China.

Davis quickly showed he was very good at learning Chinese. In 1815, he translated a Chinese story called The Three Dedicated Rooms. Because of his skills, he was chosen to join Lord Amherst on a special trip to Peking in 1816.

Rising Through the Ranks

After his trip, Davis went back to his job in Canton. He continued to work hard and learn more about China. In 1832, he was promoted to president of the Canton factory. The same year, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a big honor for scientists and scholars.

In 1833, Davis became the Second Superintendent of British Trade in China. After Lord Napier died in 1834, Davis became the Chief Superintendent. However, he resigned from this important role in January 1835.

Holly House and Observatory

In 1839, Davis bought a large house called Holly House near Henbury, England. He loved astronomy, so he built an observatory tower there. This tower had a special clock made by Edward John Dent, who also helped build the famous Big Ben clock. Holly House stayed in the Davis family for 70 years.

Governor of Hong Kong

Becoming Governor

Sir John Francis Davis arrived in Hong Kong on May 7, 1844. The very next day, he was appointed the Governor and commander-in-chief of Hong Kong. He was the second person to hold this important position.

Challenges and Decisions

During his time as governor, Davis faced some challenges. He was not very popular with the people living in Hong Kong or with British merchants. This was mainly because he introduced new taxes. These taxes made life harder for everyone. He also had a difficult way of dealing with the people who worked for him.

In 1844, Governor Davis organized the first ever census in Hong Kong. This count showed that 23,988 people were living in Hong Kong at that time.

New Beginnings in Hong Kong

Even with the challenges, some new things started during his time. Weekend horse racing began in Hong Kong. This sport grew to become a very important part of Hong Kong culture, leading to the creation of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

In 1847, Davis also founded the China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. He became its first president. This society helped people learn more about Asian cultures and history.

Leaving Office

Davis left his position as governor on March 21, 1848. He had many disagreements with the British merchants in Hong Kong. They thought he was difficult to work with. He returned to England on March 30, 1848.

Personal Life and Later Years

Family

In 1822, Davis married Emily Humfrays. They had one son and six daughters:

• Sulivan (1827–1862)
• Henrietta Anne
• Emily Nowell
• Julia Sullivan
• Helen Marian (died 1859)
• Florence
• Eliza (died 1855)

After Emily passed away in 1866, Davis married Lucy Ellen Locke in 1867. They had a son named Francis Boileau in 1871.

Honors and Retirement

Davis received several honors for his work. He was made a baronet in 1845. This means he received the title "Sir" and his family could inherit it. In 1854, he was also made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB).

After retiring from government work, Davis spent his time on writing and studying. In 1876, he received an honorary degree from the University of Oxford. He also gave money to the university to create a scholarship for students studying Chinese.

Death

Sir John Francis Davis passed away on November 13, 1890, at his home in Henbury, England. He was 95 years old. He was buried in the churchyard of Compton Greenfield Church. Since his son Francis Boileau did not have any sons, the family title of baronet ended with him.

Places Named After Him

Several places in Hong Kong are named after Sir John Francis Davis:

• Mount Davis
• Mount Davis Path
• Mount Davis Road
• Davis Street

Published Works

Sir John Francis Davis was a member of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. He wrote several books and translated Chinese works.

In 1829, he translated a 17th-century Chinese novel called Haoqiu zhuan. He titled his translation The Fortunate Union.

He also wrote about an attack on his father's house in India. This book was called Vizier Ali Khan or The Massacre of Benares, A Chapter in British Indian History, published in 1871.

Other works by Davis include:

• Chinese Novels, Translated from the Originals; with Prolegomena and Explanatory Notes (1822)
• The Fortunate Union (1829)
• The Chinese: A General Description of China and Its Inhabitants (1836)
  • Volume I
  • Volume II
• Sketches of China (1841)
• China during the War and since the Peace (1852)
• Chinese Miscellanies: A Collection of Essays and Notes (1865)

See also

• History of Hong Kong