282
CHEUNG AH-LUM, A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
CHOI CHI-CHEUNG
On February 2, 1857, Cheung Ah-lum, proprietor of the Esing Bakery, was charged with administering poison in bread with intent to murder on January 15 that year. The charge, defended by Dr. Bridge, who was Acting Colonial Secretary, was found unproven. However, Ah-lum was "re-arrested as a suspicious character and detained in gaol until July 31, 1857". He was released "on condition of his not resorting to the Colony for five years".
This Cheung Ah-lum was a member of the Cheung lineage of Heung Shan County (Hsiang Shan) (= now Chungshan). The Clan Record of this lineage was published in 1934, and contains a lengthy biography written by an old colleague, Chen Chao-ch'ang, in 1904, four years after Ah-lum's death. Since this biography gives a very different view of Ah-lum to that more frequently found, it is felt that a translation of this biography might be of interest, and it is, therefore, given below.
“An Account of Ancestor Wu-sheng of the Chang (Cheung) Clan, granted the Honour of a High Official Title”
"His death name was Pei-lin, his style was Han-hung, and his assumed name was Wu-sheng. He was a native of Ya-kang of Heung Shan. His great-grandfather was Chiao-chin, his grandfather was Huan-pi, and his father was Wei-kang. He had two younger brothers, the first was Yu-hung, and the second was Tsan-hung. He was the eldest of the three sons of his father. From his youth, he was eager to excel. He could read the books his father gave him, and he had an excellent memory. However, because of poverty, he had to give up studying and followed Yung-yin, a man of the same surname whom he called uncle, to do business in Macao at the age of 13. From there, he learnt the ways of doing business with the foreigners. Knowing that Hong Kong was a newly opened port and that there were chances to develop business there, he decided to go to work in Hong Kong when he was 18. He became chief comprador of
282
CHEUNG AH-LUM, A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
CHOI CHI-CHEUNG
On February 2, 1857, Cheung Ah-lum, proprietor of the Esing Bakery was charged with administering poison in bread with in- tent to murder on January 15 that year. The charge, defended by Dr. Bridge who was Acting Colonial Secretary, was found unprov- en. However, Ah-lum was "re-arrested as a suspicious character and detained in goal until July 31, 1857”. He was released “on condition of his not resorting to the Colony for five years”.'
This Cheung Ah-lum was a member of the Cheung lineage of Heung Shan County (Hsiang Shan) ( = now Chungshan 441). The Clan Record of this lineage was published in 1934, and contains a lengthy biography written by an old colleague, Chen Chao-ch'ang (# ) in 1904, four years after Ah-lum's death. Since this biography gives a very different view of Ah-lum to that more frequently found, it is felt that a translation of this biography might be of interest, and it is, therefore, given below.2
“An Account of Ancestor Wu-sheng of the Chang (Cheung) Clan, granted the Honour of a High Official Title"
"His death name (#) was Pei-lin (), his style () was Han-hung ( ), and his assumed name (*) was Wu-sheng ( ). He was a native of Ya-kang ( 1 ) of Heung Shan.' His great grandfather was Chiao-chin ( 1 ), his grandfather was Huan-pi ( * ), and his father was Wei-kang (###). He had two younger brothers, the first was Yu-hung ( ), and the second was Tsan-hung (# ). He was the eldest of the three sons of his father. From his youth he was eager to excel. He could read the books his father gave him, and he had an excellent memory. How- ever, because of poverty,* he had to give up studying and followed Yung-yin (*), a man of the same surname whom he called uncle ( ), to do business in Macao at the age of 13. From there, he learnt the ways of doing business with the foreigners. Knowing that Hong Kong was a newly opened port and that there were chances to develop business there, he decided to go to work in Hong Kong when he was 18. He became chief comprador of
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