Sir Andrew Caldecott
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Sir Andrew Caldecott (26 October 1884 – 14 July 1951) was a British colonial administrator.


Early years

Andrew Caldecott was born on 26 October 1884 in
Boxley Boxley is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It lies below the slope of the North Downs approximately northeast of the centre of Maidstone town. The civil parish has a population of 7,144 (2001 census), inc ...
, Kent, United Kingdom. He was the eldest child of Rev Andrew Caldecott and Isobel Mary Johnson.John O'Regan, "Caldecott, Sir Andrew (1884-1951)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' 5th edition, Oxford University Press, 2004. His mother was the daughter of Rev Stenning Johnson. Lieutenant John Leslie Caldecott (1886 – 9 September 1914), Andrew's younger brother, had served in the Royal Garrison Artillery, who later served as the '' aide-de-camp'' to the
Governor of Nyasaland List of Colonial Heads of Malawi (Nyasaland) (Dates in italics indicate ''de facto'' continuation of office) For continuation after independence, ''see: '' List of heads of state of Malawi References See also *History of Malawi *Governor-Ge ...
. John participated in World War I and died on 9 September 1914 in Nyasaland, Africa (present-day Malawi) at the age of 28, with his remains buried at the
Karonga War Cemetery Karonga is a township in the Karonga District in Northern Region of Malawi. Located on the western shore of Lake Nyasa, it was established as a slaving centre sometime before 1877. As of 2018 estimates, Karonga has a population of 61,609. His ...
.


Education

Andrew Caldecott studied at Uppingham School in
Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest len ...
and was awarded scholarships, enabling him to be admitted to Exeter College of the University of Oxford. He achieved outstanding academic results while in college and had been awarded scholarships. He gained a third class in Classical
Honour Moderations Honour Moderations (or ''Mods'') are a set of examinations at the University of Oxford at the end of the first part of some degree courses (e.g., Greats or '' Literae Humaniores''). Honour Moderations candidates have a class awarded (hence the ' ...
and subsequently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Classics (second-class honours) in 1907. In 1948, he was conferred as an Honorary Fellow by Exeter College."CALDECOTT, Sir Andrew", ''Who Was Who'', London: A & C Black, 1996.


Career


Malayan career

Upon his graduation from college in 1907, Caldecott joined the Colonial Office in November of the same year and was posted to
Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
. He initially worked in
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...
as a
Cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...
of the
Federated Malay States )Under God's Protection , capital = Kuala Lumpur1 , religion = Islam , legislature = Federal Legislative Council , type_house1 = State level , common_languages = , title_leader = Monarch , leader1 ...
(FMS).Association of British Malaya, ''British Malaya'', Newton & Company, 1936. He served as Acting District Officer (DO) of
Jelebu The Jelebu District (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Jolobu'') is the second largest district in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia after Jempol, with a population over 40,000. Jelebu borders on the Seremban District to its west and Kuala Pilah District to i ...
from 1909 to 1911. In 1911, he was appointed as Acting DO of Kuala Pilah, and was transferred back to Jelebu to serve as DO in the same year. He was re-appointed Acting DO of Kuala Pilah in the following year.''The Colonial Office List'', London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1923. In 1913, Caldecott was transferred to the Federal Secretariat in Kuala Lumpur and assumed the office of Deputy Controller of Labour. He subsequently held various positions, including Assistant Secretary (AS) to the Chief Secretary (1914 – 1916), 2nd AS to the Federal Secretary (1916 – 1920) and Acting AS to the colonial government (1920 – 1922). Caldecott went on leave from September 1922; he took up the '' ad hoc'' appointment as Malayan Commissioner at the British Empire Exhibition held at Wembley Park in the United Kingdom in 1924 and 1925. During the exhibition, he was in charge of the coordination of the Malaya Pavilion. Thereafter, he was conferred CBE by the
British Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...
. After the exhibition, Caldecott returned to Malaya in March 1926 and worked as Town Planning Administrator and State Valuer of
Ipoh , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Ipoh in Perak , pushpin_map = #Malaysia#Asia#Earth , pushpin_mapsize = 275px , pushpin_map_caption = Ipoh in Malaysia , coordinates ...
; he was transferred to the Housing and Public Works Department Enquiry Committees as Chairman in December 1926.''The Colonial Office List'', London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1948. He was appointed Deputy Controller of Labour and Acting Under-Secretary to the
Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Headquartered in Singapore for more than a century, it was originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Comp ...
in July 1927, until 1928, when he was promoted to Secretary for Postal Affairs of the Straits Settlements and FMS as Officer, Class 1A. Since then, Caldecott had been assigned to serve in local authorities; he became Acting Resident of Negeri Sembilan in 1929 and Acting Resident of
Perak Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
from 1930 to 1931. He was appointed to serve as Resident of Selangor, until March 1932, when he was transferred back to the central government of FMS as Chief Secretary. He served as
Colonial Secretary of the Straits Settlements The chief secretary of Singapore, known as the colonial secretary of Singapore before 1955, and the colonial secretary of the Straits Settlements before 1946, was a high ranking government official position in the Straits Settlements before 1946 ...
from May 1933 to February 1934. On 17 February 1934, Caldecott worked as Acting Governor of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner of FMS, when Sir Cecil Clementi, the then-
Governor of the Straits Settlements The governor of the Straits Settlements was appointed by the British East India Company until 1867, when the Straits Settlements became a Crown colony. Thereafter the governor was appointed by the Colonial Office. The position existed from 1826 ...
retired due to illness. During his tenure as Acting Governor, Caldecott upheld Clementi's policy of decentralisation."Sir Andrew Caldecott - Distinguished Services Rendered in Straits and F.M.S. - 28 Years Endeared Him to All Classes", ''The China Mail'', 12 December 1935, p. 6. He was re-appointed Colonial Secretary when Sir Shenton Thomas took office in 9 November 1934. During his time in Malaya, Caldecott earned a reputation for his ability to settle disputes between different ethnic groups which made him popular with all races, a rare feat for a colonial administrator given the diversity of the Straits Settlements population. He also served as the first president of the
Football Association of Malaysia The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM, ms, Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia) is the national governing body of football in Malaysia responsible for organising the Malaysia national football team within the country. The Football Association of ...
.


Governor of Hong Kong

In 1935, Caldecott was appointed governor of Hong Kong. His tenure was the shortest in Hong Kong colonial history, for he was appointed the second last Governor of Ceylon a little more than a year later to handle the threat to the British administration caused by the overwhelming national liberation movement in
Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. When arriving in Hong Kong to assume the Governorship, Caldecott, unusually, elected to wear civilian dress, something that would not happen again until the arrival, in 1992, of the last colonial Governor,
Chris Patten Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, (; born 12 May 1944) is a British politician who was the 28th and last Governor of Hong Kong from 1992 to 1997 and Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1992. He was made a life pe ...
. His departure to Ceylon was met with dismay by the community as he had become a respected figure. Locals had petitioned to
Foreign Secretary The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seen as ...
Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achieving rapid promo ...
for him to remain but to no avail. It was during Caldecott's tenure that Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport received its first regular arrival, the "Dorado" and the Queen Mary Hospital opened as an adjunct hospital to the Hong Kong University (the hospital is now under the control of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority). Caldecott called the promotion of Chinese civil servants to replace the European ones, a policy not realized until the signage of Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984. His tenure also saw the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, with more than 100,000 refugees from the Chinese Mainland flooding into Hong Kong to escape the conflict.


Governor of Ceylon

He was sent to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to examine the situation in the island closely and report on issues such as the governing structure, the representation of the minority communities, the franchise etc. His observations regarding these issues had an important impact on the evolution of the Ceylon constitution. Caldecott was governor during World War II. During his governance, in 1938, the first diesel locomotive ran to Galle, in 1939, the Bank of Ceylon opened, and, in 1942, the University of Ceylon was established.


Personal life

Caldecott married Olive Mary Innes, daughter of J. R. Innes,
CMG CMG may refer to: Companies * Capitol Music Group, a music label * China Media Group, the predominant state radio and television broadcaster in the PRC * China Media Group Co., Ltd., publicly listed Chinese holding company in the media sector * ...
in 1918. He knew his wife while she served as a civil servant in Malaya. She died of illness in Ceylon in 1943. Following her death, Caldecott married Evelyn May Palmer (1877-1974), widow of Dr John Robertson and daughter of the Rev. Henry Palmer and Clara Jane Marten, in 1946. Olive bore him a son and a daughter, namely John Andrew Caldecott, CBE (25 February 1924 – 14 July 1990)"CALDECOTT, (John) Andrew", ''Who Was Who'', London: A & C Black, 1996. and Joan Caldecott. His son was the Chairman of M&G Group. Caldecott had a wide range of hobbies. He had published many articles with regards to the affairs of Malaya, and had written books about Malayan history in his early years. In his late years, he published two collections of supernatural fiction, "Not Exactly Ghosts" (1947) and "Fires Burn Blue" (1948). Besides writing, his other hobbies include
drawing Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, ...
, playing the piano, tennis and golf. Caldecott composed the melody to the Negeri Sembilan anthem, Berkatlah Yang DiPertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan.


Works

* ''History of Jelebu'', 1912. *
Not Exactly Ghosts
', 1947. * ''Fires Burn Blue'', 1948.


Awards and honours

*
C.B.E. 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 o ...
, 1926 * C.M.G., 1932 *
K.B.E. 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 ...
, 1935 * K.St.J., 1936 *
K.C.M.G. The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honou ...
, 1937 *
G.C.M.G. The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...
, 1941 * Awarded M.A. in
Oxon Oxon may refer to: * An abbreviation for the English city of Oxford, or the English county of Oxfordshire, or the University of Oxford (from ''Oxonia'', Latin for Oxford) * The post-nominal suffix indicating a degree from the University of Oxford ...
* Awarded LL.D. in
Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
* Malayan Commissioner, British Empire Exhibition, 1924-5 * Member, Royal Asiatic Society (M.R.A.S.) * Fellow,
Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...
(F.R.S.A.) * Honorary Fellow, Royal Philharmonic Society, 1947


Places named after Andrew Caldecott

In Hong Kong, Caldecott Road, a road in New Kowloon, is named after him. In Singapore, Caldecott Hill, Caldecott Close,
Caldecott MRT station Caldecott MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) interchange station on the Circle line (CCL) and Thomson–East Coast line (TEL), located in Toa Payoh planning area, Singapore. It is situated underneath Toa Payoh Link near t ...
and Andrew Road are named after him, and Olive Road is named after his first wife.


See also

*
History of Malaysia Malaysia is located on a strategic sea lane that exposes it to global trade and various cultures. The name "Malaysia" is a modern concept, created in the second half of the 20th century. However, contemporary Malaysia regards the entire history ...
* History of Singapore *
History of Hong Kong The region of Hong Kong has been inhabited since the Old Stone Age, later becoming part of the Chinese Empire with its loose incorporation into the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC). Starting out as a farming fishing village and salt production site, ...
* History of Sri Lanka


References


External links


Malaysia
at World Statesmen.org







{{DEFAULTSORT:Caldecott, Andrew 1884 births People educated at Uppingham School Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford Fellows of Exeter College, Oxford Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Ceylonese Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights of the Order of St John Governors of Hong Kong 1951 deaths Governors of British Ceylon People from Boxley Ghost story writers Ceylonese people of World War II Chief Secretaries of Singapore Administrators in British Singapore Governors of the Straits Settlements British people in British Malaya