880
RUMSEY, R.N.
An important link in the history of the Colony's successful shipping administration was severed with the retirement, in 1903, of the Honourable Commander Robert Murray Rumsey R.N., (retired) from the post of Harbour Master. He arrived in Hongkong as Assistant Harbour Master in 1885 and became Harbour Master in 1888, on the retirement of Captain Thomsett. The memory of Commander Rumsey is perpetuated in Hongkong, as the street which runs at the side of the Harbour Office building, between Des Voeux Road Central and the Praya, is named after him. Commander Rumsey died on November 5, 1922.
The Hongkong Telegraph of September 8, 1903, wrote as follows in a leading article: "Nearly twenty years have elapsed since he left the dreaded Gold Coast of Africa and reported his arrival in the Colony to assume the duties of Assistant Harbour Master, in succession to Capt. MacEwen, who resigned on the 13th April, 1884. Three years later, in May, 1888, on the retirement of Captain Thomsett, Capt. Rumsey took entire charge of the department and has officiated in that capacity down to the present time. There are not many of us who can adequately realise the tremendous changes which have taken place in the shipping of the port during the tenure of his office, nor form an adequate idea of the multifarious duties necessary for a thorough control of the department. Turning to his first annual report dealing with the year 1888, we find, for instance, that the total trade of Hongkong for the twelve months was represented by 63,967 vessels, measuring 12,996,396 tons, or was an advance of 174 vessels and 357,702 tons, on the average for the previous three years, as compared with no less than 99,449 vessels with a total tonnage of 21,333,566 tons in 1902.
"To instance one important service in connexion with the "life blood" of the Colony, we need only mention the Lighthouse service which, during Commander Rumsey's administration of the Harbour Department, has been made more efficient by the erection of the light on Gap Rock and the acquisition from the Chinese Government of the Waglan light. That his term of office in the Colony has extended over a period marking extraordinary progress in this Far Eastern portal of the British Empire there can be no disputing, and when in June last we recorded the news that the Imperial Service Order had been conferred upon him in recognition of his valuable services, we dealt at length upon the duties he had rendered to the Colony.
"Entering the Royal Navy in September 1862, he was promoted to a lieutenancy in April, 1873, and served on the North American, West Indian, East Indian, Pacific and Home stations, and seven years later, in May, 1880, was appointed commissioner of Volta district, Gold Coast. In January 1882, he retired from the Royal Navy as a commander, and a year later was appointed to assistant colonial secretary of Lagos and district commissioner, officiating in those capacities from January to July of 1883. He still continued to serve in Africa, where he was appointed as acting Assistant Colonial Secretary of the Gold Coast in January and February of 1884, and during the two following months assumed the duties of deputy Governor of Lagos. The same year he received his appointment as Assistant Harbour Master of Hongkong, arriving in the Colony on the 1st January, 1885, and, as we have already pointed out, the post of Harbour Master becoming vacant on the 1st May, 1888, on the retirement of Captain Thomsett, the present holder was appointed to take his place.
880
RUMSEY, R.N.
An important link in the history of the Colony's successful shipping administration was severed with the retirement, in 1903, of the Honourable Commander Robert Murray Rumsey R.N., (retired) from the post of Harbour Mester. He arrived in Hongkong as Assistant Harbour Master in 1885 and became Harbour Master in 1888, on the retire- ment of Captain Thomsett. The memory of Commander Rumsey is perpetuated in Hongkong, as the street which runs at the side of the Harbour Office building, between Des Voeux Road Central and the Praya, is named after him. Commander Rumsey died on November 5, 1922.
The Hongkong Telegraph of September 8, 1903, wrote as follows in a leading article: "Nearly twenty yeers have elapsed since he left the dreaded Gold Coast of Africa and reported his arrival in the Colony to assume the duties of Assistant Harbour Master, in succession to Capt. Mac-Ewen, who resigned on the 13th April, 1884. Three years later, in May, 1888, on the retirement of Captain Thomsett, Capt. Rumsey took entire charge of the department and has officiated in that capacity down to the present time. There are not many of us who can adequately realise the tremendous changes which have taken place in the shipping of the port during the tenure of his office, nor form an adequate idea of the multifarious duties necessary for a thorough control of the department. Turning to his first annual report dealing with the year 1888, we find, for instance, that the total trade of Hongkong for the twelve months wąs represented by 63,967 vessels, measuring 12,996,396 tons, or was an advance of 174 vessels and 357,702 tons, on the average for the previous three years, as compared with no less than 99,449 vessels with a total tonnege of 21,333,566 tons in 1902.
"To instance one important service in connexion with the "life blood" of the Colony, we need only mention the Lighthouse service which, during Commander Rumsey's administration of the Harbour Department, has been made more efficient
by the erection of the light on Gap Rock and the acquisition from the Chinese Government of the Waglen light. That his term of office in the Colony has extended over a period marking extraordinary progress in this Far Eastern portal of the British Empire there can be no disputing, and when in June last we recorded the news that the Imperial Service Order had been conferred upon him in recognition of his valuable services, we dealt at length upon the duties he had rendered to the Colony.
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"Entering the Royal Navy in September 1862, he was promoted to a lieutenancy in April, 1873, and served on the North American, West Indian, East Indian, Pacific and Home stations, and seven years later, in May, 1880, was appointed commissioner of Volta district, Gold Coast. In January 1882, he retired from the Royal Navy as a commander, and a year later was appointed to assistant coloniel secretary of Lagos and district commissioner, officiating in those capacities from January to July of 1883. He still continued to serve in Africa, where he was appointed as acting Assistant Colonial Secretary of the Gold Coast in January and February of 1884, end during the two following months assumed the duties of deputy Governor of Lagos. The same year he received his appointment as Assistent Harbour Master of Hongkong, arriving in the Colony on the 1st January, 1885, and, as we have already pointed out, the post of Harbour Master becoming vacant on the 1st May, 1888, on the retirement of Captain Thomsett, the present holder was appointed to take his place.
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