A couple of weeks ago, late one
Friday evening, I was perusing the shelves in
SOAS Library when I made an
unexpected find of a book with a personal family connection. I was there searching out some books for an essay I’m currently writing on China’s Boxer Uprising of 1900.
Having found the specific titles I was looking for, my eye was scanning
along the book spines to see if there might be any other titles of interest,
when my attention was caught by the faded lettering on a slender spine sandwiched
between two heftier tomes, the book was:
China and the Boxers by the Rev. Z. Chas. Beals (1901).
It looked like an old binding,
which is probably what really drew the book to my attention rather than its
rather nondescript title. The essay I'm writing is a study of diaries kept by members of the diplomatic corps who were trapped
inside the foreign Legations during the Boxer siege of Peking (Beijing) from June to August 1900, consequently,
I’ve been keenly hunting down as many primary accounts as I can find (SOAS
Library is a gold mine for original copies of texts by old ‘China Hands’). I took the book down from the shelf, and, finding it was in a rather fragile state, I carefully
opened its cover to take a look at its contents page when instead my eyes fell
on this:
My happy find wasn’t so much that
the book had been inscribed by the author, but rather the couple to whom he had
inscribed it: "
Mr & Mrs Paul King."
Collateral relations of mine, whom I’ve written about on this blog before
(
see here). On his retirement, after a career of almost 50 years, Paul Henry King had been a senior member of
the
Chinese Maritime Customs Service – he and his wife, Veronica, were also both
well-known writers on China in their time. This particular copy of Beals' book was evidently a gift from one 'China-Hand' to another.
 |
| Paul Henry King |
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| Veronica King (née Williamson) |
But this wasn’t the only find –
opposite the author’s dedication, on the inside of the hardboard cover was this
bookplate:
There are a couple of date stamp
tabs glued into the book and the oldest of these seems to indicate that the
book was donated to SOAS sometime before the end of 1947. Nearly half a century
after the events it describes. In light of this unexpected discovery I now
can’t help looking at the many bookstacks in SOAS Library devoted to China
and wonder if any of the other books shelved there might also have been donated
by the Kings?
Paul and Veronica King were both
present in China during the Boxer Uprising. Paul King was appointed
Commissioner of Customs at Canton in April 1900. The Boxer troubles had slowly
been fermenting over the previous couple of years, and the touch-paper was lit
some two months later, culminating in an all-out assault on the foreign communities in China. The conflagration was brought about because of a complex number
of reasons, as Beals rather bluntly recounts in his book:
“The
Boxer movement has unquestionably had as its chief reason the hatred and
contempt of the foreigner. As such it received the smiles of the dominant party
in Peking; on such it based its hopes of success. I think we may be safe in
giving besides the first or great central cause five others which helped to
bring to an issue the present state of things in China. We will give them in order,
as follows:
First, or great central cause,
contempt and hatred of foreigners. The reason for this hatred was brought
about, first, by abuse from foreigners themselves. Second, political ‘land
grabbing.’ Third, oppression and lawsuits by the natives who entered the church
(especially Roman Catholic) for that purpose. Fourth, Boxer superstition.
Fifth, inability of our Consuls and Ministers to deal with Chinese officials as
they should have been dealt with.”
A curious mix of Western 'mea culpa' allied with an unapologetic reassertion of the colonialist's raison d'être.
The Reverend Z. Chas. Beals, an
American Pastor of Grace Church, Wuhu and Han Shan Hsien (also Editor of the ‘China Messenger’), was writing
immediately after the event – his book was published in 1901 (which also suggests
it may have been in the King’s possession some forty-odd years or so before it was
donated to SOAS Library). The Boxer movement – a loose association (or succession) of
secret societies practicing ritualised martial arts, combined with beliefs in
their own magical abilities which supposedly fortified them and made them
invulnerable to bullets, arrows, and swords, etc. – drew on the largely uneducated and
restive peasant class, possibly further stirred by the hardships brought on
from an extended period of drought. Discontent at what they perceived to be the
ineffective way in which the Qing Dynasty was handling the increasingly
aggressive infringement of China's sovereignty by the various Western Powers,
they rallied under one banner with the motto: “Restore the Qing, Destroy the
Foreigner.”
Initially their ire seemed to be
focussed and directed at the Chinese converts of the Western missionaries, who, protected under the provisions of Western
‘extraterritoriality’, were popularly perceived to be given preferential treatment over
ordinary, orthodox Chinese subjects – particularly when it came to matters
concerning the native Courts of Law, from which the converts were exempted, as well as their gaining other entitlements denied to their non-converted compatriots. The Qing
authorities at first attempted to suppress the movement, arresting the local
leaders and disbursing their groups, but in time, and with the restoration of the
Empress Dowager Tz'u-hsi (Cixi) as the highest authority in the Manchu Court, the Boxers
were eventually ‘co-opted’ into what some contemporary Westerners referred to
as the ‘Boxer War,’ in which the Boxers were joined by certain anti-foreign factions
of the Chinese Imperial Army and together they waged all-out attacks on the
foreign communities in Chinese cities and towns across north eastern China throughout the scorchingly hot summer of 1900. Eventually an international military force - made up of troops from Britain, America, Russia, Austria-Hungary, France, Italy, and Japan - was sent to
relieve the besieged foreigners and a hefty indemnity was demanded from
China, which only deepened the discontent and disadvantage the Chinese Empire faced under
the existing system of ‘extraterritoriality’ – the system by which China was
effectively colonised by stealth, a system which has since been described as
one of ‘informal empire.’
Boxer fighters captured near Tientsin (Tianjin), photographed by James Ricalton
The period of the Boxer Uprising, however,
brought Paul King to the notice of one of the most revered and respected
statesmen in China’s history –
Li Hung-chang (Li Hong-zhang). When all means of communication
with the Legations in Peking were lost in July 1900, as the Boxers and Imperial
troops laid siege, the worst was feared for those trapped within. It was
generally assumed that a massacre had taken place. An obituary for
Sir Robert Hart, the chief of
the Maritime Customs Service, even appeared in the newspapers back in London.
Writing
of the time in his autobiography, Paul King records how on:
“July
3rd, at 10:30 am, I received the Chefoo Commissioner’s telegrams
confirming the miserable news of poor Von Kettler’s murder, and stating that
all the Peking foreign residents were in the British Legation, and in great
straits. I took the telegrams at once to the Viceroy [Li Hung-chang].
He was much upset, especially as he had
evidently received some confirmation, and did not hold out great hopes of safety
for the unfortunates in the Legation. I told him I had wired three times to
inquire about the Inspector General [Sir Robert Hart], but Chefoo did not appear to have any
news. Li threw up his hand, a gesture he often used if deeply moved, and said:
‘Who can know what has become of him?’ I naturally asked if I could be of any
help, little thinking of what his answer would be. He put his hand on my
shoulder and said: ‘You as Canton Commissioner must superintend’ (or take
charge of – the expression used was ‘Tsungli’ [ 综理 zòng lǐ = administer, direct control] ) ‘all the Customs Offices in the
Two Kwang until we hear again from the Inspector General.’ He spoke kindly but
solemnly. I accepted this mandate and told him I would do my best to keep
things going until better days should dawn.”
It later turned out that the obituary
was somewhat premature as Sir Robert Hart, the Inspector General of the Chinese
Customs Service, did indeed survive the siege of Peking; and it seems he didn’t
appreciate Paul King’s having stepped into the breach. Indeed, Paul King lists
a fair few grumbles about “the I.G’s” character in the ‘pen portrait’ he gives
of Hart in his autobiography:
“I
remember at a ceremonious dinner at his [Sir Robert Hart’s] house the conversation was on investments.
He looked over my way and said: ‘And pray, how do you invest your money?’ No
doubt, I should have smiled and said something different, but I was smarting
under deferred promotion and many transfers, and even a worm will turn when
trodden upon, so I blurted out: ‘In boots and shoes for my family, Sir Robert.’
A roar of laughter followed, for the size of my small, large family was well
known, but the great man was not amused. His mouth turned down ominously, and
promotion came to me afterwards even slower than before.”
Li Hung-chang died in 1901, not
long after he had represented the Imperial Chinese Government and overseen their
part in the Boxer Peace Settlement; yet, curiously enough, he
makes a second – somewhat supernatural – appearance in Paul King’s memoir in
the year 1910. Paul and Veronica King were in London, on home leave at the time,
attending one of W. T. Stead’s “Julia” séances.
William Thomas Stead was one of
the foremost journalists of his day. He is credited with revolutionising
investigative journalism – a dedicated social reformer, he used his
journalistic influence to campaign on issues of child welfare and to reform the
criminal justice system. It was the kind of journalism which, it has been
claimed, paved the way for today’s shock and shame “tabloid” Press. Stead was also strongly drawn
to spiritualism (some would say, rather too credulously). He founded a
quarterly magazine on spiritualism and supported various kinds of psychical
studies, including telepathy, séances, and automatic writing. Paul King doesn’t
give any background as to how he came to know Stead, but he does describe
attending some of Stead’s séance sessions, and gives the following rather
remarkable account of one such occasion:
“I
had brought a high Chinese official with me, referred to in the dialogue as His
Excellency. I must compress what followed, but the original detailed notes of
the various conversations are in my possession.* [see footnote below]
The Psychic said: ‘I see a tall,
thin figure, dressed in a Chinese costume. There is an air of dignity about
him. I don’t know who he is. The figure comes and stands between Mr King and
His Excellency.’
The Psychic then said: ‘I see
General Gordon. He stands behind His Excellency and says he knew him many, many
years ago.**
Question by Paul King to His
Excellency: ‘Did you know General Gordon?’
His Excellency: ‘I met him in Hong
Kong.’
The Psychic: ‘General Gordon says,
‘It was at an official reception of some sort. I forget the exact details.’
His Excellency: ‘I remember he spoke
to me at an official reception.’
General Gordon: ‘I’m trying to throw
my memory back. Yes, I remember. Is there anything he would like to ask me?’
His Excellency: ‘Have you seen Li
Hung-chang, our old friend, on the other side?’
General Gordon: ‘Yes, often, often,
often. He will be with us presently.’
Gordon then said that Li had a
difficulty in communicating with us, although he was actually present with him.
The Psychic continued to speak and was apparently now in touch with Li.
Li said to His Excellency: ‘Go to
Peking in July. Prepare, do not force things.’
Later on the Psychic said: ‘Li
Hung-chang is speaking to Mr Paul King. ‘You know I thoroughly trust and rely
upon you. Fail me not when I desire to use you for the good of my race. You are
English. Fail me not.’
His Excellency asked Li: ‘Do you
think
Prince Ch’ing will be in power long?’
Answer: ‘No, he will not.’
His Excellency: ‘Who will succeed
him?’
Answer: ‘That for the moment I
cannot tell you. I hope in the confusion that will result at that time we shall
have the opportunity of pressing forward those schemes we desire should be
accomplished.’
His Excellency said: ‘I am returning
to China. I wish you well, Li Hung-chang. I hope you will help us.’
Li: ‘I will. I still live for my
country.’
Reading this one can’t help
wondering whether or not “Li Hung-chang” spoke through the Spirit Medium in English or
Chinese, this detail isn’t given – but King goes on to relate how Stead would
write to him whenever Li appeared to Stead at subsequent séances held privately
by him and his daughter, Estelle. All of his utterances appear to relate to the
apparent premonition of the
revolution of 1911-1912 hinted at in the
quote given above. King gives no real comment or reflection on what he made of
these ‘appearances’ or of the messages and the advice they seem to impart, but
he does offer this memorial comment upon the great journalist, Stead, who
passed away not so very long afterwards:
“It
was in Stead’s mind to visit China and take a hand in reform matters there, and
he had been urged to do so by influential men in the new régime.
He might have been an evangel of great good; but Fate ruled otherwise, and we
may borrow for him the words Tennyson wrote for another. He “passes on his happier voyage now,” leaving a wonderful memory behind in the hearts of those
who were privileged to know him – a memory of a sympathy that never failed any
human creature, and a courage that would face the last extreme in this or any
other life!”
Not so long ago, rather like the
chance discovery of Paul and Veronica King's copy of Beals’ book in SOAS Library, I happened to come across
this bronze memorial plaque to W. T. Stead on the Victoria Embankment beside
the River Thames in London (close to Temple Tube Station). It was erected by
his fellow journalists
“in recognition of
his brilliant gifts, fervent spirit, & untiring devotion to the service of
his fellow men.” There is no word, nor hint - save perhaps for a small
sailing boat set atop the globe in the figure of “Sympathy’s” hand - as to how
Stead departed this life. He was a passenger on board the
RMS Titanic which sank in the freezing water of the mid-Atlantic on
April 15
th 1912 after colliding with an iceberg on its maiden
voyage. An event which some believe he may have unconsciously predicted in
one of his earlier writings (in 1886). He was last seen clinging to a raft with
John Jacob Astor IV. His body was never recovered. A copy of the London
memorial also stands, with a
different inscription, in New York’s Central Park.
*
Footnote: Unfortunately I have no idea
what became of Paul King’s papers, he does mention keeping a diary in his
memoir - I expect they’d make for fascinating and insightful reading. If anyone reading this might
know anything concerning the whereabouts of Paul or Veronica King’s personal
papers, whether or not they might perhaps have been preserved in an archive somewhere, please do
let me know – I’d be most grateful to hear from you! [Update: I have since found out what happened to Paul King's diaries, see
here]
**
Footnote: Paul King's uncle (on his mother's side) "Jack", Colonel John Alexander Man Stuart (1841-1908), served in China under General Gordon in the 'Ever Victorious Army' which helped to put an end to the
Taiping Rebellion in 1864. Jack Man Stuart was also himself in the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, acting as Private Secretary to both
Horatio Nelson Lay and Sir Robert Hart. He later went on to become Commandant of Local Forces in Trinidad and Tobago, possibly also serving for a time as Acting Governor there.
References
Rev. Z. Chas. Beals,
China and the Boxers: A Short History on the Boxer Outbreak, with Two Chapters on the Sufferings of Missionaries and a closing One on the Outlook (New York: M. E. Munson, 1901)
Rev. Z. Chas. Beals & Rev. E. P. Woodward,
The Yellow Dragon & The Yellow Peril (Portland, Maine: Safeguard Publishing Co., 1902)
Robert Bickers & R.G. Tiedemann (eds.),
The Boxers, China, and the World (Plymouth: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007)
Chan Lau Kit-ching, 'Li Hung-chang and the Boxer Uprising' in
Monumenta Serica, Vol. 32 (1976), pp. 55-84
Paul A. Cohen, History in Three Keys: The Boxers as Event, Experience, and Myth (New
York: Columbia University Press, 1997)
Joseph W. Esherick, The Origins of the Boxer Uprising (Berkeley:
University of California Press, 1987)
Peter Fleming, The Siege at Peking (Edinburgh: Birlinn, 2001 [1959])
Paul King, In The Chinese Customs Service: A Personal Record of Forty-Seven Years (London:
Heath Cranton, 1930)
Hans van de Ven, 'Robert Hart and Gustav Detring during the Boxer Rebellion' in Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 40, No. 3 (July 2006), pp. 631-662
PATRICK LEIGH FERMOR – AN ADVENTURE
