Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell KCMGThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent whilst he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III. It is named in honour of two military saints, St. Michael and St...
CBThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the medieval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(
Chinese translated name:Chinese or the Sinitic language is a language family consisting of languages mutually unintelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the two branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
麥當奴) (3 September 1814 – 5 February 1881) was an
Anglo-IrishAnglo-Irish was a term used historically to describe a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until 1871, or to a lesser...
lawyer, judge and colonial governor. His posts as governor included
Governor of the British SettlementsThis is a list of colonial administrators in The Gambia from the establishment of the Fort James by the United Kingdom in 1815 until The Gambia's independence in 1965.- Commandants of Fort James :* Alexander Grant, 1815–1821...
in West Africa, Governor of Saint Vincent, Governor of South Australia,
Governor of Nova ScotiaThe following is a list of the Governors and Lieutenant Governors of Nova Scotia. Though the present day office of the Lieutenant Governor in Nova Scotia came into being only upon the province's entry into Canadian Confederation in 1867, the post is a continuation from the first governorship of...
and
Governor of Hong KongThe Governor of Hong Kong was the head of Government, ex-officio Commander-in-Chief and Vice-Admiral of Hong Kong during British rule between 1841 and 1997....
.
R.G. MacDonnell was born in
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
8 September 1814, the second son of Rev. Richard MacDonnell, Provost of
Trinity College, DublinTrinity College Dublin , corporately designated as the Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", and is the only constituent college of...
, and Jane (1793-1882), the second daughter of
The Very Rev. Richard GravesRichard Graves was a theological scholar and the author of the classic in its time, Graves on the Pentateuch. He was a Senior Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin and the Dean of Ardagh, Co. Longford-Biography:...
.
Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell KCMGThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent whilst he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III. It is named in honour of two military saints, St. Michael and St...
CBThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the medieval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(
Chinese translated name:Chinese or the Sinitic language is a language family consisting of languages mutually unintelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the two branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
麥當奴) (3 September 1814 – 5 February 1881) was an
Anglo-IrishAnglo-Irish was a term used historically to describe a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until 1871, or to a lesser...
lawyer, judge and colonial governor. His posts as governor included
Governor of the British SettlementsThis is a list of colonial administrators in The Gambia from the establishment of the Fort James by the United Kingdom in 1815 until The Gambia's independence in 1965.- Commandants of Fort James :* Alexander Grant, 1815–1821...
in West Africa, Governor of Saint Vincent, Governor of South Australia,
Governor of Nova ScotiaThe following is a list of the Governors and Lieutenant Governors of Nova Scotia. Though the present day office of the Lieutenant Governor in Nova Scotia came into being only upon the province's entry into Canadian Confederation in 1867, the post is a continuation from the first governorship of...
and
Governor of Hong KongThe Governor of Hong Kong was the head of Government, ex-officio Commander-in-Chief and Vice-Admiral of Hong Kong during British rule between 1841 and 1997....
.
Early life
R.G. MacDonnell was born in
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
8 September 1814, the second son of Rev. Richard MacDonnell, Provost of
Trinity College, DublinTrinity College Dublin , corporately designated as the Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", and is the only constituent college of...
, and Jane (1793-1882), the second daughter of
The Very Rev. Richard GravesRichard Graves was a theological scholar and the author of the classic in its time, Graves on the Pentateuch. He was a Senior Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin and the Dean of Ardagh, Co. Longford-Biography:...
. MacDonnell entered
Trinity College, DublinTrinity College Dublin , corporately designated as the Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", and is the only constituent college of...
in 1830, elected a scholar in 1833, and graduated
B.A.Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences or both....
in 1835,
M.A.A master's degree is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1836,
LL.BThe Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and which originated in England. It was established as a liberal arts degree, which requires that the student undertake a certain amount of study of the classics...
. in 1845, and
LL.D.Doctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degree such as the LL.D., Ph.D., Dr. iur., D.C.L., and S.J.D. or J.S.D...
in 1862.
Legal Career, Early Colonial Services
MacDonnell was called to the Irish bar in 1838, and to the English bar, at Lincoln’s Inn on 25 January 1841. On 20 July 1843, he was appointed chief justice of
The GambiaThe Gambia , commonly known as Gambia, is a country in Western Africa. The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, bordered to the north, east, and south by Senegal, and has a small coast on the Atlantic Ocean in the west.Its borders roughly correspond to the path of the Gambia River,...
, and on 1 October 1847,
governor of the British settlementsThis is a list of colonial administrators in The Gambia from the establishment of the Fort James by the United Kingdom in 1815 until The Gambia's independence in 1965.- Commandants of Fort James :* Alexander Grant, 1815–1821...
on Gambia.
While holding that post, MacDonnell 'indulged his passion for exploration and organised punitive campaigns against unruly native tribes'. His expeditions opened up the interior of
AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
from the
Gambia RiverThe Gambia River is a major river in Africa, running 1,130 km from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward to the Atlantic Ocean at the city of Banjul...
to the
Senegal RiverThe Sénégal River is a 1790 km long river in West Africa, that forms the border between Senegal and Mauritania. It was called Bambotus by Pliny the Elder and Nias by Claudius Ptolemy...
. The military expeditions which he accompanied against native tribes who had long oppressed the traders of the river were a success.
In 1852 (when he was also gazetted C.B.), he was nominated as lieutenant governor of St. Lucia, but without taking up the post he was sent on 10 January 1853 to become administrator and captain-general of the island of
St. VincentSaint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean, the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
. He was Lt.-General of St Vincent 1853-54.
Governor of South Australia
Described as a 'dominant personality' and having gained a reputation for forthrightness and intolerance MacDonnell was appointed the sixth Governor of
South AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....
, arriving on 9 June 1855, taking over from
Boyle FinnissBoyle Travers Finniss was the first Premier of the Colony of South Australia, serving from 24 October 1856 to 20 August 1857.-Early life:...
who had been acting since
Henry YoungSir Henry Edward Fox Young, KCMG was the fifth Governor of South Australia, serving in that role from 2 August 1848 until 20 December 1854. He was then the first Governor of Tasmania, from 1855 until 1861.-Early life:...
left. MacDonnell was soon involved in the debate on the composition of the legislature; MacDonnell favoured a single chamber while the majority of colonists preferred a two-house system. Eventually a two-house system prevailed, although the upper house had a property franchise. Difficulties between the governor and officials led to several changes of government. In 1856 he had been knighted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
MacDonnell aided in opening up the
Murray RiverThe Murray River, or River Murray and sometimes informally referred to as the "Mighty Murray", is Australia's largest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's...
and in developing the resources of the colony. He left South Australia on 4 March 1862.
Governor of Nova Scotia
On the recommendation of his predecessor,
George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of NormanbyGeorge Augustus Constantine Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby, GCB, GCMG, PC was a politician of the United Kingdom....
, MacDonnell was appointed
Governor of Nova ScotiaThe following is a list of the Governors and Lieutenant Governors of Nova Scotia. Though the present day office of the Lieutenant Governor in Nova Scotia came into being only upon the province's entry into Canadian Confederation in 1867, the post is a continuation from the first governorship of...
from 28 May 1864 until October 1865. His arrival coincided with the formation of the new Dominion of Canada, making his appointement short lived.
Governor of Hong Kong
On 19 October 1865, MacDonnell was appointed as the sixth
Governor of Hong KongThe Governor of Hong Kong was the head of Government, ex-officio Commander-in-Chief and Vice-Admiral of Hong Kong during British rule between 1841 and 1997....
, a position in which he served until 1872. During his tenure, MacDonnell developed
Victoria PeakVictoria Peak is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. The mountain is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island...
, which would eventually become the premier residential quarters in Hong Kong, accessible only to rich European merchants. MacDonnell also ordered the construction of a hospital which catered to the needs of the local Chinese population. In addition, he legalized gambling in Hong Kong which led to social problems and was later made illegal once again. In 1871 he was gazetted K.C.M.G.
Finally, MacDonnell's administration was marred by a huge budget deficit, which resulted in the government asking the
HSBCHSBC Holdings plc is a public limited company incorporated in England and Wales in 1990, and headquartered in London since 1993. As of 2009, it is both the world's largest banking group and the world's 6th largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine.Hong Kong which served as...
for a financial aid package. The administration was also damaged by the actions of the
CantonGuangdong is a province on the southern coast of People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
Customs agency, who patrolled the waters off Hong Kong and boarded ships to search for smuggled goods. This was called by Hong Kong's British merchant community a blockade, and affected Hong Kong's economy for the next 20 years.
Marriage and Retirement
In 1847 MacDonnell married Blanche Ann, daughter of Francis Skurray of Beckington,
SomersetSomerset is a county in South West England. The county town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county. The ceremonial county of Somerset borders the counties of Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west...
, who lived at Stanhope Place,
Hyde ParkHyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
and Percy Cross Lodge, Fulham, before retiring to 5 Brunswick Square,
BrightonBrighton is a town in the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex on the south coast of Great Britain...
. Sir Richard and Lady MacDonnell lived near
Hyde ParkHyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
in London and after his retirement they spent much time in
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
and
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, dying at
HyèresHyères is a town and commune in the southeast of France, in the Var département, located 15 km east of Toulon. According to the town's official website, at the 1999 census it had a population of 53,258 inhabitants...
, on 5 February 1881. They are buried in
Kensal Green CemeteryKensal Green Cemetery is a burial ground located in Kensal Green, London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of Kensal Green"....
, and died without children.
Publications with his involvement
- The Church of the Future, an address by the Rev. Thomas Binney in 1859
- Christian Union, as discussed by the Bishop of Adelaide
- "Sir R. C. MacDonnell, &c.,, 1859
- A lecture on ‘Australia,’ Dublin
Dublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
, 1864
Places named after him
- The MacDonnell Ranges
The MacDonnell Ranges of the Northern Territory, are a 644 km long series of mountain ranges located in the centre of Australia , and consist of parallel ridges running to the east and west of Alice Springs. The ranges are composed of many rock types, but are most famous for their red quartzite...
in the south of the Northern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
.
- Port MacDonnell
Port MacDonnell is a small port about southeast of Adelaide and south of Mount Gambier, in South Australia. Port MacDonnell is the southernmost town in South Australia. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 623...
near Mount GambierMount Gambier is the second most populous city in South Australia after Adelaide, the capital of the state.It is approximately 450 kilometres south of Adelaide and 435 kilometres west of Melbourne.-History:...
- MacDonnell Creek in the northern Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts approximately 200 km north west of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over 430 km from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna...
.
- MacDonnell Road
MacDonnell Road, is a road in the Central district on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. MacDonnell Road is named after former Hong Kong Governor Richard Graves MacDonnell. Starting from Garden Road, the road runs westward in the Mid-Levels and ends in Kennedy Road.The road is where the is located. ...
in Mid-levelsMid-levels is an expensive residential area on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is located halfway up Victoria Peak, directly above Central...
on Hong Kong IslandHong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
.
- The town of Blanchetown
Blanchetown is a small township in South Australia, on the bank of the Murray River, 130 km northeast of Adelaide. The Blanchetown Bridge is the western-most of the four crossings of the Sturt Highway over the Murray River. During the nineteenth century it was an important...
and the station and waterhole of Blanchewater on MacDonnell Creek, all in South Australia, were named after his wife.
See also
- History of Hong Kong
Hong Kong began as a coastal island geographically located in southern China. While pockets of settlements had taken place in the region with archaeological findings dating back thousands of years, regularly written records were not made until the engagement of Imperial China and the British Colony...
- Hercules Henry Graves MacDonnell