Dates

• Existence: 1880 - 1949

Biography

Sir Robert Hormus Kotewall CMG (羅旭龢; 1880–1949) was born and educated in Hong Kong. He was a prominent Chinese-Parsee civil servant, businessman and legislator who represented the Chinese community at that time. In 1896, he entered the government and served as the fourth clerk of the Police Department at the age of 16. After 23 years of service, he left as the first clerk of the Colonial Secretariat to run business. From 1923 to 1936, he was an unofficial Legislative Council member and from 1936 to 1941 an unofficial Executive Council member. In 1925, the workers in Hong Kong organized a large scale strike which was known as the General Strike and Boycott to express their discontent towards British imperialism. Commercial activities were suspended and some Chinese merchants were made bankrupted. Being the popular representative of the Chinese, Sir Robert Kotewall spared every effort in helping them to recover. He was urged to appeal to the British government for financial help in order to weather the storm. The appeal was soon approved by the government in Britain and his act was later known as "£3 million Speech". Kotewall was invited later to accompany Sir Cecil Clementi to negotiate with the Canton officials who were mostly friends of him and the visit was very successful. Sir Robert Kotewall had great interest in education. He had close connection with the University of Hong Kong where he held the position as the external examiner in Chinese and he was eager to promote the study of Chinese language. The Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred on him by the University in 1926. He also helped to establish the Fung Ping Shan Chinese Library by persuading Mr. Fung Ping Shan, who was close friend and business associate of him, to make donations. In addition to his duties as Legislative Council member, Sir Robert Kotewall involved in different public organizations either as member or consultant. He was decorated with the C.M.G. in 1927 and was knighted in 1938. During the Japanese occupation, he was asked to remain presence in the colony by the British Colonial government to safeguard the Chinese. However, he faced the trial after the British had resumed the control over Hong Kong on account of sitting as the Chairman of Chinese Representative Council which was set up by the Japanese during wartime. Later, Sir Mark Young, the Governor and Sir Cecil Harcourt, the Commander-in-Chief declared his innocence. In spite of that, his health deteriorated tremendously after the trial. Kotewall first married a Chinese women whose name was Grace Hung in 1901. He re-married in 1907 to Edith Lowcock who was the daughter of English Businessman Henry W. Lowcock.

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