71
16th October, 1945.
3¢
Annaghbey, Nenagh,
Co. Tipperary,
EIRE.
10:
Colonial Office,
London.
Sir,
On the occasion of a call at the Colonial Office a short time ago, I was re uested to supply certain information on two subjects connected with the Internment Camp at Stanley, Hong Kong. I apologise for not writing before, but I had to travel across to my home in Ireland and have been extremely busy. The information required is as follows:
1) Registration of Marriages: Marriages in the camp were carried out according to the practices of the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church. So far as I am avare no other forms of service were used although the Methodist or Scottish Presbyterian form may have been used. In any case banns were called in the usual way on three successive Sundays in each case. • When a marriage had been performed, an entry was made in a Register kept for the purpose in Mr. Gimson's office. This register was in the form laid down by the H.K. Ordinances. The parties to the marriage and their witnesses and the officiating clergyman signed the register and also any copies which were made for the parties.
These copies are merely evenly typed, but in a few cases the proper printed forms were used.
We never agreed to any non-religious marriage similar to a marriage before a Registrar of Marriages, as the best legal opinions were in favour of following the Canon law so far as possible.
I cannot remember how many marriages were celebrated, but the Register was brought from the camp into the Secretariat offices in the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Building and should be available. This register also contains a record of certain marriages celebrated in hospital and other places before the taking over of the Colony by the Japanese, a few which took place in Hong Kong after most of the Europeans were interned and also one or two which were celebrated after the Japanese surrender in August 1945 but before any Marriage Registry had been set up.
Early in the history of the camp the Attorney General advised that the church forms of marriage be followed and that a register be kept. He also stated that legislation would probably be desirable after the recapture of Hong Kong by the British, to "remove any doubt" that might exist concerning the validity of such marriages.
It is suggested that, subject to the advice of legal experts, an ordinance or proclamation be passed in Hong Kong "to remove doubt", as suggested. The marriages in question could be set out in a schedule, particulars being obtained from the Register referred to above.
I submit that any wording which might imply that these marriages were not valid ab initio is to be deprecated! (I confess however that I am an interested party!)
=
2) Births and Deaths: These were also registered in the camp. The Hospital kept the record in the standard form. I submit that some enactment confirming the facts as recorded there might prove desirable, in order to avoid any doubts in the future in connection with property etc.
}