Henry Keswick (politician)
Henry Keswick | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1870 Shanghai |
| Died | 1928-11-29 London |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, politician |
| Years active | 1890s–1928 |
| Known for | Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council; Member of the Executive and Legislative Councils of Hong Kong; Conservative MP for Epsom; Chairman of HSBC |
Henry Keswick (1870 – 29 November 1928) was a prominent British businessman and Conservative Party politician who held positions on both the Executive Council of Hong Kong and the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.
Biography
Henry Keswick was born in Shanghai in 1870 as the eldest and sole surviving son of William Keswick and Amelia Sophie Dubeux, members of the influential Keswick family business empire. He received his education at Eton College before graduating with a B.A. from Trinity College, Cambridge in 1892, subsequently obtaining his M.A. In 1893, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, actively participating in the Second Boer War and achieving the rank of captain prior to his resignation in 1902. He resumed military service during the First World War, leading his battalion until it was disbanded. Additionally, Keswick was affiliated with the Royal Company of Archers, serving as part of the monarch’s ceremonial guard in Scotland.
Entering the family enterprise, Keswick spent two years working at Jardine Matheson's New York office before relocating to Hong Kong in 1895. He subsequently served as chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council from 1906 to 1907 and led the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce. In Hong Kong, he occupied significant posts including Unofficial Member of both the Legislative and Executive Councils, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, and headed the Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Company. His leadership extended to various other public corporations. Upon returning to England, he became the inaugural chairman of the Far Eastern Section of the London Chamber of Commerce and was a member of HSBC’s London Committee.
In 1911, Keswick represented Hong Kong at King George V’s coronation. After his father passed away, he won a by-election in 1912 to become Conservative MP for Epsom, a seat he held until 1918. He also contributed to local governance through service on Dumfriesshire county council.
Keswick made his return journey to Hong Kong and East Asia in 1922 aboard his yacht Cutty Sark. He maintained directorship at Jardines until his death in London on 29 November 1928.
Family
In 1900, he married Ida Wynifred Johnston (born circa 1880), and they had three children:
- David Johnston (1902 Yokohama – 1976), who married Nony or Nonie Barbara Pease; their descendants include Amelia Sophia Keswick, whose offspring count Percy Weatherall (born 1957), Mrs Catherine Soames, and Isobel, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne.
- Sir William Johnston "Tony" Keswick (1903 Yokohama – 1990), who served as Tai-pan of Jardine Matheson from 1934 to 1941; he wed Mary Etheldreda Lindley and fathered Henry Keswick (knighted in 2009), Sir Chips Keswick, and Simon Keswick. Among his grandchildren are two individuals currently employed by Jardine Matheson in Hong Kong, including the present Tai-pan Ben Keswick.
- Sir John Henry Keswick KCMG (1906–1982), Tai-pan of Jardine Matheson between 1941 and 1953; married Clare Mary Alice Elwes and was father to gardening writer Maggie Keswick Jencks. Together they established the Keswick Foundation, while Maggie Jencks founded Maggie's Centres dedicated to cancer support.