List of Legislative Council of Hong Kong members 1843–1941

This is a list of members of the Legislative Council in the colonial period from its establishment in 1843 to 1941. It consists of both official and unofficial members. The term of the Legislative Council was interrupted during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.

Change in composition

Year	Number of Official Members exclusive of the Governor	Number of Unofficial Members
1843	3	—
1844	5	—
1845	3	—
1850	5	2
1857	5	3
1858	6	3
1865	6	3
1868	5	4
1883	6	5
1896	7	6
1929	9	8

List of Official members

Members		Assumed office	Left office	Background	Remarks
	Alexander Robert Johnston	1843	1844	former Administrator	Founding members of the council[1]
	John Robert Morrison	1843	1843	Chinese Secretary and Interpreter	Founding members of the council[1]
	William Caine	1843	1845	Chief Magistrate	Founding members of the council[1]
	George Charles D'Aguilar	1844	1848	Army Major General	[2]
	John Walter Hulme	1844	1860	Chief Justice
	Frederick Wright-Bruce	1844	1845	Colonial Secretary
	Robert Montgomery Martin	1844	1845	Colonial Treasurer
	Paul Ivy Sterling	1845		Attorney General
	William Staveley	1848	1851	Army Major General
	William Jervois	1851	1854	Army Major General
	William Thomas Bridges	1854	1856	Acting Attorney General
	Robert Garrett	1854	1857	Army Major General
	William Thomas Mercer	1857	1868	Colonial Secretary
	William Thomas Bridges	1857	1858	Acting Colonial Secretary
	Charles St George Cleverly	1857	1865	Surveyor General
	William Hepburn Rennie	1858	1870	Auditor-General
	William Henry Adams	1860	1865	Chief Justice
	John Jackson Smale	1866	1881	Chief Justice
	George Phillippo	1882	1888	Chief Justice
	James Russell	1888	1892	Chief Justice
	Fielding Clarke	1892	1896	Chief Justice
	John Worrell Carrington	1896	1901	Chief Justice
	William Meigh Goodman	1902	1905	Chief Justice
	Francis Piggott	1905	1912	Chief Justice
	Warren Delabere Barnes	8 June 1911	28 October 1911	Colonial Secretary
	William Rees-Davies	1912	1924	Chief Justice
	Henry Gollan	1924	1930	Chief Justice
	Joseph Horsford Kemp	1930	1933	Chief Justice
	Atholl MacGregor	1934	1941	Chief Justice

List of Unofficial members

Key:
  Elected by/representatives of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce
  Elected by/representatives of the Justice of Peace
  Chinese representatives
  Portuguese representatives

Members		Term of office		Background	Remarks
	David Jardine	14 June 1850	8 March 1857	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Senior Unofficial Member (1850–57)
	Joseph Frost Edger	14 June 1850	26 August 1857	Jamieson, How & Co.
	Joseph Jardine	9 March 1857	10 December 1860	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Senior Unofficial Member (1857–60); vice David Jardine deceased
	George Lyall	15 May 1857	10 December 1860	Lyall, Still & Co.	Senior Unofficial Member (1860)
	John Dent	26 December 1857	8 November 1861	Dent & Co.
		12 May 1866	20 June 1867		Senior Unofficial Member (1866–67); vice Francis Chomley resigned[3][4][5]
	Alexander Perceval	10 December 1860	12 March 1866	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Senior Unofficial Member (1861–64); vice Joseph Jardine resigned
	Angus Fletcher	10 December 1860	16 March 1862	Fletcher & Co.	Vice George Lyall resigned
	Francis Chomley	9 November 1861	26 April 1866	Dent & Co.	Senior Unofficial Member (1864–66); vice John Dent resigned
	Charles Wilson Murray	17 March 1862	13 September 1864	Birley & Co.	Vice Angus Fletcher resigned
	James Whittall	5 April 1864	5 December 1867	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Senior Unofficial Member (1867); vice Alexander Perceval resigned on leave
		9 July 1872	13 July 1875		Vice William Keswick resigned
	Thomas Sutherland	25 February 1865	26 April 1866	P. & O. Steam Navigation Co.	Vice C. W. Murray resigned on leave
	Hugh Bold Gibb	18 May 1866	1867?	Gibb, Livingston & Co.	Vice Thomas Sutherland on leave
		1868?	11 November 1870		Senior Unofficial Member (1867–71); resigned and replaced by Richard Rowett
		29 May 1879	30 December 1879		Resigned and replaced by Ng Choy
	Phineas Ryrie	23 July 1867	1868?	Turner & Co.	Vice John Dent resigned
		1870?	7 December 1891		Senior Unofficial Member (1871–92); vice J. B. Taylor; reappointed on 1 March 1890; died in office
	Francis Parry	23 July 1867	21 February 1868	Birley & Co.	Vice H. B. Gibb absent on leave
	William Keswick	21 February 1868	16 May 1872	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Vice James Whittall on leave
		2 September 1875	23 September 1887		Vice James Whittall resigned
	James Banks Taylor	3 October 1868	30 September 1869	Smith, Archer & Co.	Vice Phineas Ryrie on leave
	James Pender Duncanson	1 May 1868	23 May 1868	Gibb, Livingston & Co.	Vice Francis Parry resigned
	Henry John Ball	26 February 1869	11 September 1871	Judge of the Summary Court	Sitting as unofficial; Absent on leave and replaced by Richard Rowett
		10 December 1872	30 September 1873
	Richard Rowett	24 September 1869	1870?	Holiday, Wise & Co.
		25 January 1871?	18 November 1871		Absent on leave and replaced by Henry Lowcock
		24 February 1873	16 November 1874		Resigned and replaced by Henry Lowcock
	Henry Lowcock	25 March 1872	11 February 1873	Gibb, Livingston & Co.
		23 February 1875	26 February 1879		Resigned and replaced by H. B. Gibb
	James Greig	25 March 1872	25 September 1872	Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation	Vice Henry John Ball on leave
	William Hastings Alexander	29 May 1872	7 January 1876	Registrar of the Supreme Court	Sitting as unofficial
	John MacNeile Price	2 March 1877	19 February 1878	Surveyor General	Sitting as unofficial
		18 January 1879	28 December 1883
	Ng Choy	26 February 1880	24 March 1883	Barrister-at-law	First Chinese member; Senior Chinese Unofficial Member (1880–82)
	Francis Bulkeley Johnson	19 January 1878	29 April 1878	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Vice Wiliam Keswick absent on leave
		3 June 1881	5 March 1884
	Thomas Child Hayllar	15 October 1878	21 December 1878		Sitting as an unofficial during J. M. Price acting as Colonial Secretary
	Emanuel Raphael Belilios	23 August 1881	5 September 1882	Belilios & Co.	Vice J. M. Price absent on leave
		25 February 1892	5 April 1900		Senior Unofficial Member (1892–1900); vice Phineas Ryrie deceased; reappointed on 25 February 1898
	Frederick Stewart	26 March 1883	28 December 1883	Registrar-General	Sitting as an unofficial
	Thomas Jackson	28 February 1884	2 September 1887	Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation	Elected by the Chamber of Commerce on 2 January
	Frederick David Sassoon	28 February 1884	13 January 1888	David Sassoon Sons & Co.
	Wong Shing	28 February 1884	24 February 1890		Senior Chinese Unofficial Member (1884—89)
	Henry George Thomsett	23 April 1884	3 July 1884	Royal Navy	Harbour Master sitting as unofficial
		27 August 1886	8 February 1888
	Alexander Palmer MacEwen	27 August 1886	1886?	Holiday, Wise & Co.	Elected 27 April vice Thomas Jackson on leave
		19 September 1887?	21 July 1890		Elected 17 September on retirement of Thomas Jackson
	John Bell-Irving	27 August 1886	1886?	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Vice William Keswick on leave
		14 August 1887?	29 April 1890		Vice William Keswick resigned
	Catchick Paul Chater	10 December 1886	1887?	Broker	Vice Frederick D. Sasssoon on leave Appointed as one-day member on 19 July 1919 and 23 November 1925
		17 January 1888?	7 December 1905
	Bendyshe Layton	4 June 1888	20 November 1889	Gibb Livingston & Co.	Elected 22 May vice A. MacEwen on leave
	James Johnstone Keswick	18 April 1889	1889?	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Vice J. Bell-Irving absent on leave
		2 May 1890?	1896?		Vice J. Bell-Irving resigned
		18 May 1899?	14 March 1901		Vice J. J. Bell-Irving absent on leave
	Ho Kai	1 March 1890	7 March 1912		Senior Chinese Unofficial Member (1890–1914); Senior Unofficial Member (1906–14); re-appointed in 1896, 1902, 1908; retired on 28 February 1914
		2 May 1912	26 February 1914
	Thomas Henderson Whitehead	6 October 1890	14 June 1892	Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China	Elected by 18 September, on resignation of A. MacEwen
		7 March 1894	13 April 1902		Re-elected 19 September 1896 on expiry of term
	James Jardine Bell-Irving	16 November 1892	8 March 1893	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Vice J. J. Keswick on leave
		23 May 1895	1895?		Vice J. J. Keswick on leave
		23 October 1896?	18 April 1899		Vice J. J. Keswick resigned
		15 July 1901	30 April 1902		Vice J. J. Keswick on leave
	Alexander McConachie	11 June 1894	14 December 1895	Gilman & Co.	Elected 9 June vice T. H. Whitehead on leave
	Wei Yuk	3 December 1896	11 October 1917		Senior Unofficial Member & Senior Chinese Unofficial Member (1914–17); reappointed in 1902[6] 1908,[7] 1914;[8] retired on expiry of term
	Roderick Mackenzie Gray	1 May 1900	14 March 1901	Reiss & Co.	Vice Emanuel Belilios resigned
	Herbert Smith	7 May 1900	14 May 1900	Butterfield & Swire	Elected 30 April vice T. H. Whitehead on leave
	John Thurburn	25 June 1900	12 July 1901	Chartered Mercantile Bank	Elected 18 June vice H. Smith resigned
		8 August 1901	10 April 1902		Vice R. M. Gray resigned
	George William Forbes Playfair	11 June 1902	23 December 1902		Acted during P. Chater's leave
	Charles Stewart Sharp	23 April 1902	27 February 1903	Gibb, Livingston & Co.	Vice John Thurburn resigned[9][10]
	Charles Wedderburn Dickson	28 May 1902	17 May 1906	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Vice J. J. Bell-Irving resigned
	Robert Gordon Shewan	23 June 1902	7 December 1905	Shewan, Tomes & Co.	Elected 5 June vice Whitehead on leave; Elected 3 October, expiry of term
		25 May 1917	27 December 1917		Vice Edward Shellim on leave
		1 January 1919	23 December 1919		Vice Edward Shellim retired
	Henry Edward Pollock, K.C.	17 September 1903	17 May 1904	Barrister-at-Law	Elected 12 August vice Robert Gordon Shewan on leave
		22 February 1906	27 February 1919		Senior Unofficial Member (1917–41); reappointed in 1912, 1918, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940
		23 December 1919	5 March 1925
		4 December 1925	26 April 1928
		20 December 1928	12 September 1940
	Gershom Stewart	20 April 1903	1904?	Bill Broker	Vice C. S. Sharp absent
		24 September 1904?	22 February 1906		Vice C. S. Sharp resigned
	William Jardine Gresson	17 May 1904	15 December 1904?	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Vice C. W. Dickson on leave
		1 June 1906?	14 April 1910		Vice C. W. Dickson resigned
	Edward Osborne	17 May 1906	1907?	H.K. and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Co.	Vice G. Stewart absent
		19 December 1907?	19 December 1912		Vice G. Stewart resigned
	Edbert Ansgar Hewett	17 May 1906	28 October 1915	P. & O. Steam Navigation Co.	Elected 26 April vice Shewan resgined; reappointed in 1912; died in office
	Henry Keswick	23 May 1907	1908?	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Vice W. J. Gresson on leave
		5 May 1910?	20 April 1911		Vice W. J. Gresson on resigned
	Murray Stewart	16 April 1908	1908?	Stewart Bros.	Elected 17 March vice Hewett on leave
		29 May 1909?	27 October 1910		Nominated by JP vice H. E. Pollock on leave
		23 May 1912	22 August 1912		Elected 25 May vice Hewett on leave
	Sir Henry Spencer Berkeley, K.C.	14 May 1908	24 July 1908	Barrister-at-Law	Vice H. Keswick on leave
	Henry Adolphus Warre Slade	13 May 1908	1 April 1909	Gilman & Co.	Vice E. Osborne on leave
	Charles Montague Ede	26 April 1911	19 October 1911	Union Insurance Society of Canton	Vice Edward Osborne on leave
		13 February 1913	30 October 1913		Elected by JP vice H. E. Pollock on leave
		31 July 1924	29 December 1924		Vice A. O. Lang on leave
	Charles Henderson Ross	3 May 1911	17 April 1913	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Vice H. Keswick on leave
	John Whyte Cooper Bonnar	12 September 1912	19 December 1912	Gibb, Livingston & Co.	Elected 10 September 1912 on resignation of M. Stewart
	Edward Shellim	16 March 1913	3 October 1918	David Sassoon & Co.	Vice E. Osborne resigned
	David Landale	29 May 1913	31 October 1916	Jardine, Matheson & Co. Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation	Vice C. H. Ross resigned
		21 February 1918	10 April 1919
	Lau Chu-pak	9 October 1913	30 March 1922		Vice Ho Kai absent; appointed on 2 March 1914 vice Ho Kai retired; Senior Chinese Unofficial Member (1917–22); reappointed in 1920; died in office
	Percy Hobson Holyoak	16 December 1915	3 November 1921	Reiss & Co. Holyoak, Massey & Co., Ltd.	Elected on 10 December 1915 vice E. A. Hewett deceased; reappointed in 1921; died in office
		15 February 1923	18 March 1926		Return from leave on 3 January 1923; appointed as one-day member on 18 July 1928
	Charles Edward Anton	7 November 1916	27 December 1917	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Appointed vice David Landale on leave
	Stanley Hudson Dodwell	7 June 1917	October 1917?	Dodwell & Co. Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation	Elected 29 May vice P. H. Holyoak on leave
		11 October 1918?	1919?		Appointed vice Edward Shellim on leave
		10 March 1919?	October 1919?		Appointed vice R. G. Shewan on leave
		1 January 1920?	4 March 1920		Appointed vice R. G. Shewan retired
		8 November 1934	22 November 1934		Vice W. H. Bell on leave
		6 April 1936	26 June 1941		Vice W. E. Shenton resigned
	Ho Fook	23 October 1917	14 November 1921		Appointed vice Wei Yuk retired
	Herbert William Bird	28 August 1918	17 October 1918	Architect, Palmer & Turner	Elected by JP vice H. E. Pollock on leave
		7 April 1921	1922		Vice A. V. D. Parr on leave
		26 May 1922	26 October 1922		Vice A. G. Stephen on leave
		31 July 1924	18 July 1928
	Chan Kai-ming	3 October 1918	13 November 1918		Vice Lau Chu-pak on leave
	Chaloner Grenville Alabaster K.C.	10 April 1919	31 October 1919	Barrister-at-Law	Vice H. E. Pollock acting Attorney General
		31 July 1924	1924?		Vice H. E. Pollock on leave
		21 March 1925?	23 November 1925		Vice H. E. Pollock on leave
	Edward Victor David Parr	17 May 1919	1919?	Mackinnon, Mackenzie & Co. Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation	Elected 13 May vice P. H. Holyoak on leave[11]
		5 September 1919?	1919?
		26 March 1920?	31 May 1923
	John Johnstone	5 June 1919	3 March 1921	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Vice David Landale retired
	Arthur Rylands Lowe	17 June 1920	24 June 1920	Lowe Bingham & Matthew	Vice H. E. Pollock on leave
		1 June 1922	1922?		Vice H. E. Pollock on leave
		30 October 1923?	22 May 1924		Vice H. W. Bird on leave
	Alexander Gordon Stephen	5 April 1921	14 June 1923	Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation	Vice on John Johnstone retired
	Archibald Orr Lang	22 April 1921	18 June 1921?	Gibb, Livingston & Co.	Elected 21 April 1921 vice H. Holyoak on leave
		10 November 1921?	3 January 1923?		Elected 24 November 1921 vice P. H. Holyoak on leave
		11 June 1923?	18 July 1928		Vice E. V. D. Parr resigned
	Chau Siu-ki	28 April 1921	30 April 1921		Vice Ho Fook on leave
		31 May 1923	1923?		Vice Ng Hon-tsz deceased
		5 March 1924?	28 August 1924		Vice Chow Shou-son on leave
	Chow Shou-son	8 December 1921	22 October 1931		Vice Ho Fook retired; Senior Chinese Unofficial Member (1922–31)
	Ng Hon-tsz	8 June 1922	22 February 1923		Vice Lau Chu-pak deceased
	Robert Hormus Kotewall	28 March 1923	3 October 1935	H.K. Mercantile Co., Ltd.	Senior Chinese Unofficial Member (1931–35); Vice Robert Kotewall on leave
	Dallas Gerald Mercer Bernard	20 April 1926	29 March 1928	Jardine, Matheson & Co. Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation	Elected 16 April 1926 vice P. H. Holyoak on leave; Elected 14 June & appointed 15 June 1926 vice Mr. P. H. Holyoak deceased
	Wilfred Miller Vincent Koch	26 July 1926	15 October 1926	Medical Faculty, University	Vice H. E. Pollock on leave
	Arthur Cecil Hynes	4 April 1927	23 January 1930	Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation	Vice A. O. Lang resigned
	John Owen Hughes	16 June 1927	2 April 1931	Harry Wicking & Co.	Elected 16 May[12]
		4 May 1934	22 November 1934
	William Edward Leonard Shenton	16 June 1927	1927?	Solicitor	Vice H. E. Pollock on leave
		3 April 1928?	19 March 1936		Vice D. G. M. Bernard resigned
	Charles Gordon Stewart Mackie	28 June 1928	4 October 1928	Gibb, Livingston & Co.	Vice H. E. Pollock on leave
		19 June 1930	1931?		Vice H. E. Pollock on leave
		7 May 1931?	28 March 1935		Elected 4 May vice J. O. Hughes resigned
	Jose Pedro Braga	17 January 1929	6 January 1937	Braga & Co.	First Portuguese representative
	Ts'o Seen-wan	24 January 1929	6 January 1937		Senior Chinese Unofficial Member (1935—37)
	Benjamin David Fleming Beith	28 June 1928	31 October 1929	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Vice J. O. Hughes on leave
		15 March 1930?	1933?		Vice A. C. Hynes resigned
	John Johnstone Paterson	17 April 1930	13 November 1941	Jardine, Matheson & Co.	Provisionally vice B. D. F. Beith on leave; appointed in succession of B. D. F. Beith; reappoiinted in 1934, 1938
	Antonio Ferreira Batalha Silva-Netto	19 June 1930	26 June 1930	Silva-Netto & Co.	Vice J. P. Braga on leave
		21 May 1936	22 July 1936
	William Henry Bell	14 May 1931	1931?	Asiatic Petroleum Co. (South China) Ltd.	Vice J. O. Hughes resigned
		1 April 1932?	1933?		Vice C. G. S. on leave
		12 April 1934?	October 1934?		Vice J. J. Paterson on leave
		12 April 1935?	22 July 1936		Elected 5 April on resignation of C. G. S. Mackie
	Chau Tsun-nin	10 December 1931	16 November 1939		Senior Chinese Unofficial Member (1937–39); reappointed in 1935, 1939
	Lo Man-kam	9 November 1935	25 December 1941?	Solicitor	Senior Chinese Unofficial Member (1935–41)
	Marcus Theodore Johnson	8 June 1936	1936?	Mackinnon, Mackenzie & Co.	Vice H. E. Pollock on leave
		21 May 1937?	20 April 1938		Elected May vice A. W. Hughes resigned
	Edgar Davidson	26 August 1936	1936?	Solicitor (Hastings & Co.)	Vice S. H. Dodwell on leave
		25 May 1937?	22 December 1937		Vice S. H. Dodwell on leave
		7 June 1941	13 November 1941		Vice S. H. Dodwell on leave
	Arthur William Hughes	28 July 1936	14 April 1937	Union Insurance Society of Canton Ltd.	Elected 26 July on resignation of W. H. Bell.
	Leo d'Almada e Castro, Jr.	3 February 1937	13 November 1941	Barrister-at-Law	Vice J. P. Braga; reappointed in 1941
	Li Shu-fan	3 February 1937	16 January 1941	Medical Practitioner	Vice Tso Seen-wan
	Andrew Lusk Shields	29 April 1938	13 November 1941	Shewan Tomes & Co.	Vice M. T. Johnson on leave; elected 7 October on resignstion of M. T. Johnson
	John Keith Bousfield	27 May 1939	14 September 1939	Asiatic Petroleum Co. (South China) Ltd.	Elected on 25 May vice A. L. Shields on leave
	Li Tse-fong	20 July 1939	28 December 1939		Vice Li Shu-fan on leave
		20 February 1941	13 November 1941		Vice Li Shu-fan retired
	Thomas Ernest Pearce	11 March 1939	13 November 1941	J. D. Hutchison & Co.	Vice J. J. Paterson on leave
	William Ngartse Thomas Tam	17 March 1939	13 November 1941		In succession of Chau Tsun-nin

See also

• List of Executive Council of Hong Kong unofficial members 1896–1941
• List of Legislative Council of Hong Kong unofficial members 1946–1985

References

1. "The First in Legislative Council History" (PDF). Government of Hong Kong. 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
2. Choa, Gerald Hugh (2000). The Life and Times of Sir Kai Ho Kai. Chinese University of Hong Kong. pp. 134–135. ISBN 9789622018730.
3. The Hong Kong Government Gazette. No. 125. 9 November 1861. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
4. The Hong Kong Government Gazette. No. 147. 10 August 1866. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
5. The Hong Kong Government Gazette. No. 109. 15 July 1867. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
6. The Hong Kong Government Gazette. No. 640. 22 October 1902. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
7. The Hong Kong Government Gazette. No. 918. 11 December 1908. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
8. The Hong Kong Government Gazette. No. 395. 16 October 1914. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
9. The Hong Kong Government Gazette. 29 April 1902. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
10. The Hong Kong Government Gazette (434). 17 July 1902. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
11. The Hong Kong Government Gazette (233). 23 May 1919. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
12. The Hongkong Government. No. 299. 20 May 1927. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Bibliography

• Endacott, G. B. Government and people in Hong Kong, 1841–1962 : a constitutional history Hong Kong University Press. (1964)
• Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce 1925: Annual Report. (1925)
• Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce 1966: Annual Report. (1966)