Reginald Follett Codrington Hedgeland was born in Exeter, Devon on December 18th 1874. He was educated at St Paul's School London and at Pembroke College, Oxford. After graduating in 1897 he joined the Chinese Maritime Customs Service in May 1898 and was posted to Kiungchang. He then went on to serve at Nanking, Tientsin, Lappa, Kowloon, Swatow and Nanning, of which latter port he was in charge for six years. He became Deputy Commissioner in 1917 and in April 1921 he was appointed Commissioner. On returning from leave in 1923 he was given charge of Aigun on the Amur river in Manchuria. He was subsequently in charge of Swatow and Canton, and retired in April 1930 while Commissioner at Hankow. He had a fluent command of Chinese, both of Mandarin and Cantonese and held the Order of the Chia Ho, 4th and 3rd Class, and 3rd Class with Brilliants; the 3rd Class of the Order of Wên Hu; and the Ordre Royal des Millions d'Élephants et du Parasol Blanc de Luang Prabang, France.
The papers comprise Hedgeland's official papers as an officer of the Chinese Maritime Customs, including letters of appointment and promotion, and copies of his official despatches. The collection also includes items relating to the history of the service, and photographs taken during the years Hedgeland was in China.
The papers have been divided into two series: papers and photographs. Within each series the arrangement is chronological.
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Donated by Mrs Nation Dixon in 2002; 2013
SOAS archives contains a number of private collections relating to the Chinese Maritime Customs service.
Papers and correspondence relating to Hedgeland's time as Commissioner for the Chinese Maritime Customs Service in China
Chronological
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For permission to publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections, SOAS Library in the first instance
Copyright details available on application
Paper handlist available
Letters and documents concerning RFCH’s appointment to the Chinese Maritime Customs Service in 1898 and his promotion to Commissioner in 1921. Also, his Chinese Examination papers taken at Kowloon in March 1911 and copies of his Memo of Service
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Booklet containing “Memo on Kowloon practice re launch traffic: A General remarks. Steam launches running under the cognizance of the Kowloon Customs”. Signed: RFCHedgeland, Act. Dep. Comm Kowloon
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Booklet containing “Reply to Canton Native Customs Memo of 1st September 1910.” Signed: RFC Hedgeland Act. Dep Comm Kowloon 18th Sep 1910
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Nanning,File containing copies of RFCH’s official despatches to Inspector General of the Maritime Customs, with some replies. Letter of appointment of RFCH as Assistant in Charge Nanning 13th Oct 1913 and as Acting Commissioner of Customs 1st Jun 1917 and appointment as Commissioner of Customs 2nd Apr 1921. Documentation concerning awards
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Bound “Memo for successor No 5 Mr RFC Hedgeland’s memorandum for Mr CF Johnston., Acting Commissioner, Nanning Customs Establisment
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Aigun, Copies of RFCH’s despatch as Comm Aigun 3rd Sep 1924 and Handing over charge memo for Assistant in Charge, temporarily, Oct 1925.
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Swatow File containing copies of RFCH’s despatches as Commissioner, Swatow. 28th Jan 1926 to Aug 1926 and Memo for successor 23rd Nov 1926 . Also memo from predecessor, Oct 1925.
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Canton File containing copies and drafts of RFCH’s despatches (some annotated) to 11th Oct 1927 with Memo for successor December 1927 and related correspondence
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Booklet containing “Handing over Memorandum for the information of Mr Commissioner RFC Hedgeland, Custom House, Hankow
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Items relating to the history of the Chinese Maritime Customs (a) Copies of materials relating to Sir Robert Hart’s career in the CMC including of copy of the Circular announcing his death in September 1911. (b) Copy of The Maritime Customs Service of China: a plea for reform by F.E.Taylor retired Commissioner of Customs Shanghai, 1918 together with reviews and related newspaper extracts. (c) Pamphlet entitled The origin and growth of the Chinese Maritime Customs by Fred W Carey, published in Macau 1926 intended to correct inaccuracies and “malicious fabrications.” (d) Letter dated 3 Oct 1930 from Francis Aglen relating to a Letter of Appreciation he had been sent by retired Service Members together with a copy of his obituary. Aglen died in 1932
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Folder containing various presentation documents in English and Chinese and copies of documents complimentary to RFCH.
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RFCH’s copy of Customs Service, Officers in Charge 1859-1921. Published Shanghai
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Papers comprise correspondence and a circular: Reference letter from Hedgeland's tutor at Oxford recommending him for the Maritime Customs's post (1898); Letter from the Inspectorate General of Customs, Peking to Hedgeland (1926); Letter from the Inspectorate General of Customs, Peking to Hedgeland (1927); Letter from the Inspectorate General of Customs, Peking to Hedgeland (1928); Copies of enclosures to despatches of the Inspector General (1926); Circular from the Inspectorate General of Customs giving the Inspector General's observations and advice with regards to the political situation in China affecting customs (1926)
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Photograph albums and loose photographs documenting Hedgeland's time as Commissioner for the Chinese Maritime Customs Service
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For permission to publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections, SOAS Library in the first instance
Paper handlist available
Album of photographs taken at RFCH’s different postings in China between 1898 and 1920, showing staff groups, social groups, Chinese Maritime Customs’ buildings, Customs’ boatmen and topographical views. Places include Kiungchow, Hainan Island,Nanking, Lappa (Macao), Nanning and Kwangsi.
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Album was digitised as part of the University of Bristol Historical Photographs of China project and is available to view online at http://hpc.vcea.net/ under HPC reference He01.
Album of photographs taken in Tientsin, Swatow, Hong Kong, Macao, Nanning and, during a train journey from London to Shanghai via Siberia.
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Album was digitised as part of the University of Bristol Historical Photographs of China project and is available to view online at http://hpc.vcea.net/ under HPC reference He03.
Album of photographs taken in Hongkong, Swatow, Aigun and Canton.
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Album was digitised as part of the University of Bristol Historical Photographs of China project and is available to view online at http://hpc.vcea.net/ under HPC reference He02.
Loose photographs from albums placed in a folder
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Album was digitised as part of the University of Bristol Historical Photographs of China project and is available to view online at http://hpc.vcea.net/ under HPC reference He-s.
10 mounted photographs. Seven are of various Chinese civil or military officials. Three are of large Customs staff groups.
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Album was digitised as part of the University of Bristol Historical Photographs of China project and is available to view online at http://hpc.vcea.net/ under HPC reference He-s.