Cedric Blaker

Cedric Blaker
Born	1889-11-19 West Sussex, England
Died	1965-06-18
Occupation(s)	Businessman, banker, diplomat
Years active	1911–1958
Known for	Chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation; Chairman of South China Morning Post; Unofficial member of the Executive and Legislative Councils of Hong Kong

Cedric Blaker (19 November 1889 – 18 June 1965) was a British businessman who played a significant role in the commercial and civic life of China and Hong Kong. He held prominent positions such as chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the South China Morning Post, and the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he served as an unofficial member on both the Executive Council and the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.

His son, Baron Blaker, later became a minister representing the Conservative Party.

Biography

Originating from West Sussex, England, Blaker was the offspring of Reverend Cecil Renshaw Blaker. His professional journey in China commenced in 1911 with Butterfield and Swire. In 1915, he left to join the Royal Sussex Regiment as a lieutenant during the First World War, where he was awarded the Military Cross. After the conflict, he entered Gilman & Co., a trading enterprise in China, eventually rising to the position of director. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, he was interned but survived the ordeal.

Following World War II, Blaker maintained a strong presence in Hong Kong’s business and governmental arenas. In 1949, he became an unofficial member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, representing the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, a role he fulfilled until 1958. Between 1953 and 1958, he chaired the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, a leading institution in global finance. He also presided over the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (in 1953 and again from 1956 to 1957) and served as chairman of the South China Morning Post, a key English-language daily newspaper.

Blaker undertook diplomatic responsibilities as Vice-Consul and later Consul-General for Sweden in Hong Kong, earning distinctions such as Chevalier (1940) and Commander (1955) within the Order of Vasa. From 1946 onward, he acted as Honorary Consul for Greece. In recognition of his public contributions, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1958.

In 1921, he married Louise Chapple from New Zealand. They had two sons, one being Peter Allan Renshaw Blaker, who subsequently held the position of Minister of State for Defence under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Cedric Blaker spent his final years residing in Sussex, England, where he died in 1965 at age 75.