J.P. Braga and the Portuguese in Hong Kong
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Vol. 36. No. 1 A Publication of UMA, Inc April – June 2013 Editor: Daniel Gomes, 2021 Ptarmigan Drive #1,Walnut Creek, Ca 94595 E-Mail:[email protected] J.P. Braga and the Portuguese in Hong Kong Roy Eric Xavier Far East Currents.com Author’s Note: This article re-introduces one of the earliest advocates of Portuguese rights in 19th century Hong Kong, Joao Pedro Braga, who lived from 1871 to 1944. It also includes short sketches of other Macanese settlers who Braga met as a young child. Each made significant contributions to the colony’s success as a trading port. Their combined experiences represent the beginnings of the Macanese community in Hong Kong. Joao Pedro Braga was a prominent businessman, journalist, and community advocate in Hong Kong from 1889 to 1941. Born in 1871 into a family who were among the first Macanese settlers, Braga spent his working career in the colony and died in Macau as a refugee in 1944. Among his many accomplishments was the publication of two important works. The first in 1895 at the age of 24 was a small book entitled: “The Rights of Aliens in Hongkong”, which addressed criticism against Portuguese workers in the English press, and highlighted the contributions of non-British workers in the economic and political life of the colony. The second book, written while Braga was in Macau during World War II, was “The Portuguese in Hong Kong and China”, providing an account of the community’s first one hundred years under British rule. Braga’s visibility as a leader of the Portuguese community no doubt contributed to his work on behalf of those who had no voice in Hong Kong’s affairs. As a businessman, Braga worked in his grandfather’s (Delfino Noronha) printing company for a short time, then in 1910 opened his own printing business: JP Braga & Co, providing employment for many Portuguese immigrants from Macau. As a journalist, he was the managing editor of the Hongkong Daily Telegraph (1902-1909), often as a critic of government policies, and served as an agent of Reuter’s news service (1906 – 1939). In politics, Braga was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1919, to the Sanitary Board in 1927, and was selected by the governor in 1929 as the first Portuguese non-voting member of the Legislative Council, Hong Kong’s ruling body. His public life culminated in awards from both the Portuguese (1929) and British (1935) governments. Braga’s career was unique in other ways as well. His first public statement in 1895 directly addressed negative attitudes toward Portuguese workers. His historical research suggested that the Portuguese, whom Braga identified as “Macaense” from Macau rather than Portugal, had a rich and important history, one that was not being acknowledged by Hong Kong society, or in some cases, the Macanese themselves. A recurring theme in Braga’s writings was that members of the community, many of whom were born in Hong Kong, occupied a certain “place” and rank in relation to the British and the Chinese, one of the first public acknowledgments of an identity among the Portuguese community. By reinforcing a common sentiment that the Macanese had always been supportive of British rule, J.P. Braga was very much a man of his times. He represented the second generation who worked and actively invested in Hong Kong’s future. Braga’s views, in fact, mirrored those shared by many Macanese at the turn of the 20th century, who expected livable wages, opportunities, and other privileges because of their contributions to the colony’s success as a trading center. UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Summer Issue 2013 Page 1 of 28 Through the Eyes of J.P. Braga Braga was also one of the few chroniclers of early Macanese history in Hong Kong. As a child growing up in 1870s Hong Kong, he was familiar with the personal stories of many early settlers. Several were guests at one time or another at the home of his grandfather Delfino Noronha, a commercial printer and the publisher of the government’s official record, “The Hong Kong Government Gazette”. Braga was also familiar with the impression their stories and the conditions in Hong Kong made on Delfino, an early pioneer himself. We might even imagine that young Joao would have been introduced to this history in a traditional Macanese setting, perhaps over a dinner of vaca estofada or arroz gordo. 1 The Brothers d’Almada e Castro Two of Delfino Noronha’s earliest guests were the brothers Leonardo and Joao d’Almada e Castro. Leonardo, the oldest, worked for the British government in Macau in 1836 as a clerk for the Superintendent of Trade, Captain Charles Elliott. Leonardo’s fluency in Portuguese, English, and Cantonese proved so valuable, he also served on a commission to build Macau’s Luso-British Theatre (1839-1843). 2 When Elliott was replaced by Sir Henry Pottinger in early 1842, Leonardo and other employees were transferred with Pottinger to Hong Kong. Among those employees was his brother Jose, a junior clerk, who followed his brother’s rise in government. Leonardo was soon promoted in 1843 to Chief Clerk of the Colonial Secretary and later managed the office’s archives as “Keeper of the Records”.3 In 1846 he became the Chief Clerk of the Executive and Legislative Councils, the principal ruling bodies, serving until his death in 1875. Jose became the private secretary of Hong Kong’s ninth governor Sir John Pope Hennessy in 1877, and at his death in 1881 was serving in the same positions his older brother had held previously. Carvalho in the Treasury Another guest at Delfino’s table was Januario A. de Carvalho, an early arrival from Macau and one of Joao Braga’s first mentors. Carvalho was trained as a clerk and bookkeeper at St. Joseph’s College before arriving in Hong Kong around 1842. Entering government service that year as an accountant in the Colonial Treasurer’s office, he quickly rose to Chief Cashier and remained in that position until his death in 1900. Carvalho’s expert testimony was often used to settle local issues. These included a dispute in 1858 concerning payments and registration of brothels in Hong Kong by Chinese owners. 4 In 1887 liberal Governor Sir John Pope Hennessy nominated Carvalho to be Acting Colonial Treasurer with a seat on Hong Kong’s ruling Executive and Legislative Councils. That appointment was rejected by the Colonial Secretary in London, however, based on Carvalho’s “alien” nationality. But he was appointed “Justice of the Peace” to help settle disputes in the Macanese community. Despite this setback, Carvalho petitioned for and was granted British citizenship in December 1883. 5 Carvalho’s senior position at the Treasury allowed him to shepherd other young Macanese, including members of his own family. His oldest son Edmund rose to Chief Cashier after his father's death. Another son, Carlos, was the Chief Clerk of the “local staff” at the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank. Geraldo, Carvalho’s third son, married one of Delfino Noronha’s daughters and was employed as a bookkeeper with Jardine and Matheson, the largest trading company in Hong Kong. Joao Braga also credited Carvalho’s influence in guiding his own political awareness. 6 UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Summer Issue 2013 Page 2 of 28 The Sons of a Ship Captain and an Aide-de-Camp Two other Macanese settlers may have dined with Delfino Noronha. Although they were friends, each led very different lives in early Hong Kong. One was Joao Jose Hyndman, the son of a Scottish sea captain for the East India Company and a Portuguese mother from Macau. Like the d’Almadas, Hyndman worked for Captain Charles Elliot in Macau before coming to Hong Kong. Due to a reluctance to give up his Portuguese citizenship, Hyndman rose no higher than fourth clerk in the Diplomatic Office, and retired early in Macau. However, his oldest son Henrique helped the Hong Kong government combat fires , a frequent occurrence, earning a commendation in 1887 for heading a demolition squad that prevented the fires from spreading. Joao’s younger brother, also named Henrique, worked in Hong Kong’s trade, sugar refining, and was a printer in Shanghai. Later returning to Macau, he became a prominent educator. 7 Joao Hyndman’s wife, Luzia, was the older sister of another interesting figure, Alexandre Grand Pre’. Alexandre was the son of a French Aide-de-Camp to the Governor of Macau and a Portuguese mother from Macau. Like Hyndman and the d’Almada brothers, Grand Pre’ worked as a clerk for the British government in Macau. But because of his fluency in Bengali, Malay, Portuguese, and Cantonese, Grand Pre’ was transferred to the new police force. At the time, Hong Kong was a city open to a variety of attractions, and crimes. As Braga wrote: The growing young port of Victoria was a pioneer town in the true "frontier" tradition. … rough men of many nations, came ashore intent on pleasure and a gay time after long voyages. To cater for them saloons and boarding-houses abounded, some of decidedly ugly reputation; and they did a roaring business in Hongkong … . Fights, in which knives and pistols were sometimes used, were of frequent occurrence,…” 8 Alexandre Grand Pre’ work was often constrained by segregation and corruption within the thirty-two man unit. Personnel were divided into ethnic groups and alphabetically ranked: "A" for Europeans, "B" for Indians, "C" for local Chinese who spoke Cantonese, and "D" for Chinese from Shandong. European supervisors always directed Indian and Chinese constables during investigations.