Papers of Reginald Follett Codrington Hedgeland

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.

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 have been divided into two series: papers and photographs. Within each series the arrangement is chronological.

Open

Donated by Mrs Nation Dixon in 2002; 2013

SOAS archives contains a number of private collections relating to the Chinese Maritime Customs service.