Sir Francis Arthur Aglen (安格聯; 17 October 1869 – 26 May 1932) was a servant of the Chinese Imperial Customs, later to be the Chinese Maritime Customs, rising through the service to become Inspector-General of the
Chinese Maritime Customs Service
The Chinese Maritime Customs Service was a Chinese governmental tax collection agency and information service from its founding in 1854 until it split in 1949 into services operating in the Republic of China on Taiwan, and in the People's Republ ...
from 1911 to 1927 after the death of Sir Robert Hart.
Early Years and career
Francis Arthur Aglen was born in
Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Scarborough () is a seaside town in the Borough of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. Scarborough is located on the North Sea coastline. Historic counties of England, Historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the town lies between 10 ...
, England in 1869, the son of
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...
Anthony Stocker Aglen and Margaret Elizabeth Mackenzie, and was educated at
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1843 for the sons of Church ...
in
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
. Joining the
Imperial Maritime Customs Service
The Chinese Maritime Customs Service was a Chinese governmental tax collection agency and information service from its founding in 1854 until it split in 1949 into services operating in the Republic of China on Taiwan, and in the People's Republ ...
in 1888, Aglen served in many customs postings such as in
Peking
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
,
Amoy
Xiamen ( , ; ), also known as Amoy (, from Hokkien pronunciation ), is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Strait. It is divided into six districts: Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an, ...
,
Canton and
Tientsin
Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popul ...
. By 1897 he was appointed Deputy Commissioner to the customs tax division, and by 1904 he had become Customs Commissioner and Chief Secretary of Customs in the capital of Peking, for which he was honoured by the
Qing
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...
government with the Third Class, First Grade, of the
Imperial Order of the Double Dragon.
Inspector-General of Customs
When Sir Robert Hart fell ill in 1908 and returned to Britain, the Chinese government insisted he retain his title of Inspector-General but appointed customs commissioner
Sir Robert Bredon to ''Officiate'' in Hart's place. When Bredon resigned in June 1910, Aglen served as ''Officiating'' Inspector-General from 17 June. When Hart eventually died, Aglen was made full Inspector-General on 25 October 1911. Coming to office not long after the
Xinhai Revolution
The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China. The revolution was the culmination of a d ...
had deposed the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
, Aglen found himself heading a Chinese government department for a Republican administration whose influence often did not extend beyond Peking. Owing to the chaotic situation in China and the threat that instability posed to the security of customs revenues, Aglen sought and was authorised with the power to collect all receipts and supervised the collection of all revenues by an international commission of Bankers in Shanghai.
For his actions to continue the effective operation of the service and the maintenance of China's credit he was honoured by the President of the new '
Beiyang Government
The Beiyang government (), officially the Republic of China (), sometimes spelled Peiyang Government, refers to the government of the Republic of China which sat in its capital Peking (Beijing) between 1912 and 1928. It was internationally r ...
',
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 1859 – 6 June 1916) was a Chinese military and government official who rose to power during the late Qing dynasty and eventually ended the Qing dynasty rule of China in 1912, later becoming the Emperor of China. H ...
, with the Second Class of the
Order of the Precious Brilliant Golden Grain
The Order of the Precious Brilliant Golden Grain (Order of Chia-Ho ()), more simply the Order of the Golden Grain, was an award of the Republic of China. The award consists of nine classes.
Recipients
* Francis Aglen
* Albert I of Belgium
* W ...
in April 1914. In April 1916,
Emperor Taishō
was the 123rd Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and the second ruler of the Empire of Japan from 30 July 1912 until his death in 1926.
The Emperor's personal name was . According to Japanese custom, while reigni ...
of Japan awarded him with the First Class of the
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six classes, the lowest ...
. While for most of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
Aglen banned customs employee from joining military service, as they represented a neutral state, his actions to maintain the position and reputation of the Customs Service gained further recognition and in January 1918 he was made a Knight Commander of the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(KBE), which had only recently been established. In April 1919 Aglen was awarded by the Norwegian Government the Commander the
Order of St. Olav. In May 1920 he was upgraded to the Second Class, with Grand Cordon and Jewels, of the Order of the Precious Brilliant Golden Grain, which was upgraded to the First Class in May 1923 by President
Li Yuanhong
Li Yuanhong (; courtesy name Songqing 宋卿) (October 19, 1864 – June 3, 1928) was a Chinese politician during the Qing dynasty and the Republic of China. He was the president of the Republic of China between 1916 and 1917, and between 1922 ...
. In January 1921 the Italian Government made him a Commander of the
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus ( it, Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro) (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the wo ...
.
Despite his success while in office, tensions between Aglen and the internationally recognised Beiyang Government increased as the power of the
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
(KMT) spread north from their base in
Guangdong Province
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
. Realising the increasing importance of maintaining good relations with the growing nationalist movement, Aglen arranged to meet
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
's foreign minister
Eugene Chen
Eugene Chen or Chen Youren (; July 2, 1878, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago – 20 May 1944, Shanghai), known in his youth as Eugene Bernard Achan, was a Chinese Trinidadian lawyer who in the 1920s became Chinese foreign minister. He was known ...
in January 1927 around the same period that Britain hand handed over their
Hankow
Hankou, alternately romanized as Hankow (), was one of the three towns (the other two were Wuchang and Hanyang) merged to become modern-day Wuhan city, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers whe ...
concession to the KMT. As a consequence the Beiyang government in Peking took the opportunity to dismiss Aglen as Inspector-General, an act that provoked immediate protest from the British government. On his dismissal Aglen was awarded by the British government with the Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III.
...
(GCMG), and subsequently with the Grand Cross of the
Order of Leopold II
The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Leopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as Sovereign of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgi ...
from Belgium and the Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...
by Japan.
Family and later years
In 1906 Aglen married Isobel Marion Agnes "Senga" Bayley Balfour (born. 1886), the daughter of Professor
Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour, professor of Botany and regius keeper of the
Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is a scientific centre for the study of plants, their diversity and conservation, as well as a popular tourist attraction. Founded in 1670 as a physic garden to grow medicinal plants, today it occupies ...
, and had three sons and two daughters, all born during his service in Peking: Edward Francis (1907–1993),
Anthony John (1911–1984), Marion Agnes (1912–2000), Elizabeth Senga (1915–1997) and George Balfour (1924–2004). The first Lady Aglen fell ill in early 1925 and Aglen took leave in order to accompany her with their newborn son George back to Britain in the hope that the climate would improve her health, leaving Hong Kong on board the
Blue Funnel steamer
SS Antenor on 7 April; however on 17 April, between
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
and
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, she died at sea.
On 2 July 1927 Aglen married to Anna Moore Ritchie (1883–1971) a widow. Living in retirement in
Alyth in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, Aglen died aged 62 at Meigle Hospital,
Meigle
Meigle ( gd, Mìgeil, ) is a village in Strathmore, Scotland. It lies in the council area of Perth and Kinross in the Coupar Angus and Meigle ward. It lies on the A94 road between Perth and Forfar. Other smaller settlements nearby are Balkee ...
,
Perthshire
Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
, on 26 May 1932, survived by his second wife and children from his first marriage. His second son, Anthony John Aglen, was born in Peking on 30 May 1911 and later rose to become a prominent British civil servant based in the
Scotland Office
The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland ( gd, Oifis Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba), often referred to as, and formerly officially called, the Scotland Office, is a department of His Majesty's Government headed by the Secretary of Sta ...
and was awarded the
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Companion may refer to:
Relationships Currently
* Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance
* A domestic partner, akin to a spouse
* Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach
* Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...
(CB) in 1957 and a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1963.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aglen, Francis Arthur
1869 births
1932 deaths
British diplomats in China
China–United Kingdom relations
Commanders of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
History of foreign trade in China
Recipients of the Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire
People from Scarborough, North Yorkshire
People educated at Marlborough College
Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun
Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class