William Des Vœux

Sir George William Des Vœux GCMG
3rd Administrator of Saint Lucia
In office January 1869 – December 1878
Monarch	Queen Victoria
Preceded by	James Mayer Grant
Succeeded by	Arthur Elibank Havelock
2nd High Commissioner for the Western Pacific
In office January 1880 – December 1886
Monarch	Queen Victoria
Preceded by	Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon
Succeeded by	Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell
3rd Governor of Fiji
In office January 1880 – December 1886
Monarch	Queen Victoria
Preceded by	Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon
Succeeded by	Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell
54th Governor of Newfoundland
In office 1886–1887
Monarch	Queen Victoria
Prime Minister	Sir Robert Thorburn
Preceded by	Sir John Hawley Glover
Succeeded by	Sir Henry Arthur Blake
10th Governor of Hong Kong
In office 6 October 1887 – 10 December 1891
Monarch	Queen Victoria
Preceded by	Sir George Ferguson Bowen
Succeeded by	Sir William Robinson
Personal details
Born	(1834-09-22)22 September 1834 Baden-Baden, Germany
Died	London, England
Spouse(s)	Marion Denison Pender
Children	5 sons, 3 daughters
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford, University of Toronto
Profession	Colonial administrator, barrister

File:Visit to Chief Canimapo.jpg

Des Vœux (far right) in Guiana

File:Hong Kong chair-carriages.jpg

Des Vœux and his daughter (right) on chair-carriages in Hong Kong

Sir George William Des Vœux GCMG (22 September 1834 – 15 December 1909) was a British colonial governor who served as Governor of Fiji (1880–1885), Governor of Newfoundland (1886–1887), and Governor of Hong Kong (1887–1891).

Early life

Des Vœux was born on 22 September 1834 in Baden-Baden, Germany. He was of French descent – his ancestor Marin de Bacquencourt Des Vœux settled in Portarlington, Ireland, in the early 18th century, having come from Picardy in northern France. Des Vœux attended a public school in London before starting his studies at Charterhouse School and Balliol College, Oxford, but left without a degree in 1856 after his father gave him the choice of finishing his degree and become a clergyman or seeking his fortune in the colonies. Des Vœux then moved to Canada, where he finished his BA at the University of Toronto and became a barrister in Upper Canada in 1861.

Colonial services

Des Vœux became stipendiary magistrate and superintendent of rivers and creeks in British Guiana from 1863 to 1869, where he championed native causes. He reorganised and codified old French system of law when he was the Administrator and Colonial Secretary of St. Lucia between 1869 and 1880. Afterwards, Des Vœux was appointed Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner Western Pacific from 1880 to 1885. He was appointed Governor of Newfoundland from 1886–1887.

Based on his experience in British Guiana where he witnessed many instances of cruel and unjust treatment of indentured servants by plantation owners and managers, des Vœux wrote a 10,000-word report in 1869 to Lord Granville, the Secretary of State for the Colonies in which he detailed many abuses. When the contents of the report were published, there was a great outcry and a commission of inquiry was appointed, the Commission of Inquiry into the Treatment of Immigrants. Des Vœux gave testimony before the commission in Georgetown and its report led to many improvements in the workers' treatment.

Governor of Hong Kong

In 1887, Des Vœux was appointed as the tenth Governor of Hong Kong, a position he held until 1891. This would be the last post Des Vœux would hold in the Colonial Services. During his tenure, in 1888, the Peak Tram began operation, providing relatively affordable transportation for people living on The Peak, an area he protected, together with effectively all the elevated areas of Hong Kong Island, from encroachment from crowded Chinese-style tenements by the enactment, in November of that year, of the European District Reservation Ordinance. A year before he left office, the newly established Hong Kong Electric Company began providing electricity to Hong Kong Island.

Post-governorship

After Des Vœux's time as Governor of Hong Kong ended, he entered retirement. He was created a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1893. In 1903, he published his memoirs called My colonial service in British Guiana, St. Lucia, Trinidad, Fiji, Australia, Newfoundland and Hong Kong, with interludes.

Personal life

Des Vœux had to leave Balliol College before completing his degree because his father demanded that he join the church and threatened to cut off financial support for him if he did not.

Des Vœux married Marion Denison Pender (1856–1955), daughter of John Pender, in 1875. They had five sons and three daughters, with three sons deceased. Des Vœux died in London on 15 December 1909.

Honours

• Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, 1877
• Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, 1883
• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George, 1893

Places named after him

Des Voeux Road Central, located in Central District, and Des Voeux Road West, located in the Western District in Hong Kong Island were both named after him. Des Voeux Peak, second highest peak on Taveuni Island, Fiji, was apparently also named for him.

See also

• History of Hong Kong

Sources

• Stephanie Williams, Running the Show: The Extraordinary Stories of the Men who Governed the British Empire, Viking 2011, ISBN 978-0670918041.

External links

Government offices
Preceded by James Mayer Grant	Administrator of Saint Lucia 1869–1878	Succeeded by Arthur Elibank Havelock
Preceded by Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon	Governor of Fiji 1880–1885	Succeeded by Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell
	High Commissioner for the Western Pacific 1880–1885
Preceded by Sir John Hawley Glover	Governor of Newfoundland 1886–1887	Succeeded by Sir Henry Arthur Blake
Preceded by Major-General William Cameron, Acting Administrator	Governor of Hong Kong 1887–1891	Succeeded by Major-General Digby Barker, Acting Administrator