Robert Hotung

Sir Robert Ho Tung
Born
Died	April 26, 1956(1956-04-26) (aged 93)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, benefactor
Known for	Business leadership, philanthropy, civic engagement in British Hong Kong

Sir Robert Ho Tung Bosman (22 December 1862 – 26 April 1956), commonly known as Sir Robert Ho Tung, was a distinguished entrepreneur and benefactor in British Hong Kong. Often called "the grand old man of Hong Kong," he was honored with a knighthood in 1915 (Knight Bachelor) and later received the KBE distinction in 1955.

Biography

Ho Tung was of mixed Eurasian heritage. His father, Charles Henry Maurice Bosman (1839–1892), descended from Dutch Jewish origins, while his mother, Sze Tai (), hailed from the Chinese community in Poon (Bao'an) County, an area now incorporated into Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Charles Bosman was a merchant proprietor of Bosman and Co., co-owned the Hong Kong Hotel which opened in 1868, and held a directorship at the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company. By 1869, he had become the Dutch consul and ran a marine insurance firm serving prominent clients such as the British trading giant Jardine, Matheson & Co..

In 1888, Bosman obtained British naturalization. The Cantonese version of Ho Tung’s name, Ho Sze Man, originated from a phonetic adaptation of Bosman. Robert Ho Tung possessed official documents verifying his father's Dutch citizenship. He pursued his education at Queen's College, Hong Kong (previously known as Central School).

Career

Upon completing his studies at Queen's College in 1878, Ho Tung began working as a clerk with the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs in Canton. Two years later, in 1880, he joined Jardine Matheson’s Hong Kong branch as an assistant within the compradore department. Demonstrating fluency in multiple languages and strong commercial insight, he advanced to become Head Compradore by 1894. By the age of 35, he had earned the reputation as Hong Kong’s wealthiest individual. In recognition of his achievements, the University of Hong Kong awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Laws degree in 1916.

In 1927, Clara, his wife, transformed "The Falls," one of Ho Tung’s four residences on the Peak, into the opulent Ho Tung Gardens located at 75 Peak Road. Ho Tung himself resided nearby at The Neuk and used Ho Tung Gardens to entertain distinguished guests including US Vice-President John Nance Garner and playwright George Bernard Shaw.

Identifying himself as Chinese and a permanent resident of British Hong Kong, Ho Tung actively supported Dr. Sun Yat-sen's efforts to establish the Republic of China. Simultaneously, he participated vigorously in colonial civic affairs. He stressed to British officials that a significant portion of the Chinese populace were long-term residents committed to Hong Kong’s success under British administration.

Ho Tung held leadership roles on boards of influential companies such as Hong Kong Land and contributed to major philanthropic institutions including Tung Wah Hospital. He founded and led The Chinese Club, which was established as a response to the exclusionary policies barring non-Europeans from joining the Hong Kong Club. His second wife Clara, a devoted Buddhist, initiated educational charitable projects financed partly through their joint donation of HK$100,000 on their golden wedding anniversary in 1931. This generosity led to the creation of Po Kok Day and Evening School as well as the Tung Lin Kok Yuen in Happy Valley.

Family

Robert Ho Tung was one of ten siblings, having four sisters and five brothers, among whom were:

• Ho Fook (1863–1926), who took over as Head Compradore at Jardines in 1889 after Robert. He fathered 13 sons, with five becoming compradores for international firms. Notably, one of his grandsons was Stanley Ho, a leading figure in the casino and shipping industries.
• Ho Kom-tong (1866–1950), Robert’s maternal half-brother, distinguished as a businessman and philanthropist, succeeded Ho Fook as Jardines’ Head Compradore. He had 12 wives and fathered more than 30 children. Among them was Grace Ho Oi-yu () (1907–1996), whom he adopted; she became the mother of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee. Kom Tong Hall, his former home, now serves as the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum.

Marriage

At the age of 15, Robert entered into an informal engagement with Margaret Mak (also known as Maclean, ; 1865–1944), daughter of Hector Coll Maclean from Jardines. Their marriage took place when Robert was 18 and Margaret was 16. Unable to have biological children, Robert followed Chinese custom by adopting Ho Fook’s eldest son, Ho Wing, and later took Chau Yee-man () as a concubine in 1891. After three years without offspring (though Chau Yee-man eventually bore Mary Hotung ()), Margaret encouraged her cousin Clara Cheung Lin-kok (also known as ; 1875–1938) to become a "co-equal" wife; their marriage occurred in 1895. Clara bore three sons and seven daughters.

Later in life, Robert and Margaret converted to Christianity and were laid to rest at the Hong Kong Cemetery. The remainder of the family, including Clara, were interred at the Eurasian burial ground Chiu Yuen Cemetery located on Mount Davis, Hong Kong.

Progeny

Edward Hotung (1902–1957), the eldest son of Robert and Clara, emerged as a notable banker and philanthropist in Hong Kong. He co-established the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange in Hong Kong and held the position of Treasurer for the Chinese War Chest in Shanghai during the Japanese occupation. His offspring included Sir Joseph Hotung KBE (1930–2021), Eric Hotung CBE (1926–2017), Mary Ketterer—a conservationist recognized with the Royal Order of the Golden Ark—and Antonia.

Joseph Hotung was a distinguished businessman, philanthropist, and art collector with an LLB from the University of London. He served on boards such as HSBC and Hongkong Electric Holdings Ltd., chaired Hong Kong's Arts Development Council, and acted as a trustee for the British Museum, contributing to the establishment of new galleries including one named after him—the Joseph E. Hotung Gallery of Oriental Antiquities.

Eric Hotung pursued careers as a businessman, ambassador-at-large, and economic consultant to Timor-Leste. Educated at Georgetown University, he gained experience at both the New York Stock Exchange and General Motors before returning to Hong Kong. Eric married Patricia Anne Shea; together they had eight children. He passed away in 2017 at age 91.

Robbie Ho Shai-lai (1906–1998), Robert and Clara’s second son, renounced British citizenship to hold Republic of China nationality and rose to be a Kuomintang general. He represented Nationalist China as ambassador to Japan from 1952 to 1956 and was part of its military delegation to the United Nations between 1956 and 1966. Robbie’s son, Robert Hung-Ngai Ho, is a former journalist who founded the Tung Lin Kok-yuen Canada Society—a Buddhist charitable organization—and resides in West Vancouver. He has been honored with the Order of British Columbia for his philanthropic work.

A third son named Henry succumbed to tuberculosis at age four.

Robert also fathered an illegitimate son, George Ho Cho-chi, who established Commercial Radio Hong Kong.

Their eldest daughter Victoria married Sir Man-kam Lo, a prominent lawyer and legislator who received knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. Their son, Lo Tak-shing, pursued law and politics, notably contesting against Tung Chee Hwa in Hong Kong’s 1997 Chief Executive election.

Three other daughters—Irene Cheng, Jean Gittins, and Florence Yeo—documented their wartime experiences living under colonial rule in memoirs. Jean Gittins emigrated to Melbourne where she worked at Melbourne University’s Pathology Department; she authored six books including I Was at Stanley and Stanley: Behind Barbed Wire.

Irene Cheng (1904–2007) was among the first female undergraduates admitted to the University of Hong Kong in 1921. She earned a Diploma in Education from King's College London in 1925 and completed her PhD at the University of London in 1936. Her publications include Clara Ho Tung. A Hong Kong Lady: Her Family and Her Times and Intercultural Reminiscences.

Florence Yeo married K.C. Yeo, a Malaysian-born physician, settled in the United Kingdom, and authored her memoir titled My Memories.

Honours

In 1915, he received the title of Knight Bachelor and was later elevated to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1955.

Additional accolades granted to him include serving as a Justice of the Peace from 1889, being named a Knight of Grace of the St. John of Jerusalem in 1925, and receiving the rank of Grand Officer in the Order of Christ of Portugal in 1930. He was also awarded the First Class Order of the Excellent Crop with Sash by China in 1922, appointed Knight Commander of the Legion of Honour in 1932, honored with the First Class German Red Cross Decoration in 1932, and designated Knight Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy in 1933. Further recognitions include his investiture as Knight Commander of the Crown of Leopold in 1933 and Knight Commander of the Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam in 1936.

Several establishments in Hong Kong carry his name or were founded through his initiative, such as Lady Hotung Hall at Hong Kong University, Hotung Secondary School, Tung Lin Kok-yuen Buddhist temple, and King George V School.

In Macau, the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library is housed within a mansion formerly owned by him. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, he resided there, taking advantage of Portuguese neutrality. Additionally, a school named after him (), is also located in Macau.

See also

• Ho Tung Lau
• Tung Ying Building