Gresson Street () is a street in the
Wan Chai area of
Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It connects
Queen's Road East (south) to
Johnston Road
Johnston Road () is a major road in Wan Chai on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong.
Location
Johnston Road spans from the junction with Heard Street, Hennessy Road and Stewart Road on its east, towards another junction with Hennessy Road and ...
(north).
Market
The open market of Gresson Street is part of the
Wan Chai Heritage Trail
The Wan Chai Heritage Trail () is a walking trail in Hong Kong. It was launched on 27 September 2009 and is two hours in duration. It was formed by the Old Wan Chai Revitalisation Initiatives Special Committee (OWCRISC) established by the Develo ...
. The market began in the 1950s. Stalls sell wet and dry goods.
History
Gresson Street was opened around 1909 on Marine Lots 29 and 30, when the lots were redeveloped by
Hongkong Land. The street was named after
William Jardine Gresson
William Jardine Gresson (1869 – 10 January 1934) was a British merchant and politician in Hong Kong and China.
He was the son of Mary Fleming Tinning, who was the daughter of Elizabeth "Betsy" Jardine, who was the daughter of David Jardine. Dav ...
(1869–1934), a partner of
Jardine, Matheson & Co. from 1901 to 1910.
A noted shootout, the "Siege of Gresson Street", took place here on 22 January 1918, as a gang of armed-robbers were trapped while raiding a tenement at No.6 Gresson Street. Four or five policemen and two robbers were shot dead and an additional robber and six policemen were wounded. The Governor,
Francis May, a former
Captain Superintendent of
Police
The police are a Law enforcement organization, constituted body of Law enforcement officer, persons empowered by a State (polity), state, with the aim to law enforcement, enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citize ...
, personally negotiated with the last remaining gang member, but to no avail. When the young man refused to surrender, the Royal Garrison Artillery was used to "bomb" him out.
[Grandsons of siege victim visit Force]
HK Police 'Offbeat', Issue 795. 23 March 2005
See also
*
Queen's Road East, for a list of lanes connecting Johnston Road and Queen's Road East
References
Street markets in Hong Kong
Wan Chai
Roads on Hong Kong Island
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