William John Napier, 9th Lord Napier, Baron Napier (Chinese: 律勞卑) FRSE (13 October 1786 – 11 October 1834) was a British Royal Navy officer and trade envoy in China.
A peer of Scotland, Lord Napier was an elected Scottish representative in the House of Lords from 1824 to 1832. In December 1833, upon the ending of British East India Company's monopoly on trade in the Far East, he was appointed by Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston, a family friend of Napier, as the first Chief Superintendent of Trade at Canton (now Guangzhou), in China. The Second and Third Superintendents were John Francis Davis and Sir George Best Robinson, respectively. He arrived at Macau on 15July 1834 on board the East India Company frigate Andromanche, and reached Canton ten days later, with the mission of expanding British trade into inner China. Lacking the necessary diplomatic and commercial experience, he was not successful in achieving the objective.
Having failed to secure a meeting with Lu Kun, the Governor-general of the Liangguang, because of Napier's rigid demands contravening longstanding protocols,[3] Napier's frustration led to his favoring a military intervention as personal retribution. He sent the frigates Andromache and Imogene to Whampoa on 11 September,[4] defying an edict issued by Lu Kun, in a 'casualty-less' skirmish of cannon fire as the British warships breached defences at the Bocca Tigris. After a prolonged stalemate, Lord Napier, sapped by typhus, was forced to retire to Macau in September 1834, where he died of the fever on 11October. Originally buried in Macau, he was later exhumed for reburial at Ettrick in Scotland.
Napier was the first British representative to suggest seizing Hong Kong.[1] In a dispatch to Lord Palmerston on 14 August 1834, he suggested a commercial treaty, backed by an armed force, be done to secure the rights and interests of European merchants in China. He recommended that a small British force "should take possession of the Island of Hongkong, in the eastern entrance of the Canton River, which is admirably adapted for every purpose".[5]
Family
Lord Napier married Elizabeth Cochrane-Johnstone (c. 1795–1883), daughter of Scottish adventurer Andrew Cochrane-Johnstone, in 1816; they had two sons and six daughters.[6] His eldest son, Francis Napier, also entered diplomatic service and was promoted by Palmerston for the rest of his life.
Honours
Following his death, 120 years later, the British Government placed a memorial to him before the Macao Customs Office. After being lost for a short time, it was moved to the Hong Kong Cemetery, and then to the Hong Kong Museum of History, where it now rests.
Notes
^ abLaughton, J. K.. "Napier, William John, ninth Lord Napier of Merchistoun (1786–1834)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004 ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/19773.
^Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002(PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN0-902-198-84-X.
^Lydia He. LIU; Lydia He Liu (30 June 2009). The Clash of Empires: the invention of China in modern world making. Harvard University Press. p. 47. ISBN978-0-674-04029-8.
^"Family of William John NAPIER, 9th Lord NAPIER and Elizabeth COCHRANE-JOHNSTONE".
Further reading
Eitel, E. J. (1895). Europe in China: The History of Hongkong from the Beginning to the Year 1882. London: Luzac & Company.
Hanes, W. Travis; Sanello, Frank (2004). Opium Wars: The Addiction of One Empire and the Corruption of Another. Sourcebooks. ISBN9781402229695.
Hoe, Susanna; Roebuck, Derek (1999). The Taking of Hong Kong: Charles and Clara Elliot in China Waters. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon Press. ISBN0-7007-1145-7.
Melancon, Glenn. "Peaceful Intentions: The First British Trade Commission in China, 1833-5,” Historical Research 73 (2000) password required.
Morse, Hosea Ballou. International Relations of the Chinese Empire: The Period of Conflict: 1834-1860. (1910) online pp 118-144
Napier, Priscilla (1995). Barbarian Eye: Lord Napier in China, 1834, the Prelude to Hong Kong. London: Brassey's. ISBN9781857531169.
Welsh, Frank; Rao, Maya (1996). A Borrowed Place: The History of Hong Kong. ISBN1-56836-134-3.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Napier, 9th Lord Napier.
william, napier, lord, napier, william, john, napier, lord, napier, baron, napier, chinese, 律勞卑, frse, october, 1786, october, 1834, british, royal, navy, officer, trade, envoy, china, lord, napierchief, superintendent, british, trade, chinain, office, decembe. William John Napier 9th Lord Napier Baron Napier Chinese 律勞卑 FRSE 13 October 1786 11 October 1834 was a British Royal Navy officer and trade envoy in China The Lord NapierChief Superintendent of British Trade in ChinaIn office 31 December 1833 11 October 1834Preceded byPosition createdSucceeded byJohn Francis DavisPersonal detailsBorn13 October 1786Kinsale IrelandDied11 October 1834MacauSpouseElizabeth Cochrane JohnstoneProfessionNaval officer trade envoy Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Family 4 Honours 5 Notes 6 Further reading 7 External linksEarly life EditNapier was born in Kinsale Ireland on 13 October 1786 1 He was the son of Francis Napier 8th Lord Napier 1758 1823 and the father of Francis Napier 10th Lord Napier and 1st Baron Ettrick 1819 1898 He enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1803 and served with distinction as a midshipman on HMS Defiance at the Battle of Trafalgar 1805 He later served as lieutenant under Thomas Cochrane 10th Earl of Dundonald Career Edit Lord Napier s house in Macau Lord Napier Memorial In 1818 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh His proposers were Sir David Brewster Sir George Steuart Mackenzie and John Playfair 2 A peer of Scotland Lord Napier was an elected Scottish representative in the House of Lords from 1824 to 1832 In December 1833 upon the ending of British East India Company s monopoly on trade in the Far East he was appointed by Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston a family friend of Napier as the first Chief Superintendent of Trade at Canton now Guangzhou in China The Second and Third Superintendents were John Francis Davis and Sir George Best Robinson respectively He arrived at Macau on 15 July 1834 on board the East India Company frigate Andromanche and reached Canton ten days later with the mission of expanding British trade into inner China Lacking the necessary diplomatic and commercial experience he was not successful in achieving the objective Having failed to secure a meeting with Lu Kun the Governor general of the Liangguang because of Napier s rigid demands contravening longstanding protocols 3 Napier s frustration led to his favoring a military intervention as personal retribution He sent the frigates Andromache and Imogene to Whampoa on 11 September 4 defying an edict issued by Lu Kun in a casualty less skirmish of cannon fire as the British warships breached defences at the Bocca Tigris After a prolonged stalemate Lord Napier sapped by typhus was forced to retire to Macau in September 1834 where he died of the fever on 11 October Originally buried in Macau he was later exhumed for reburial at Ettrick in Scotland Napier was the first British representative to suggest seizing Hong Kong 1 In a dispatch to Lord Palmerston on 14 August 1834 he suggested a commercial treaty backed by an armed force be done to secure the rights and interests of European merchants in China He recommended that a small British force should take possession of the Island of Hongkong in the eastern entrance of the Canton River which is admirably adapted for every purpose 5 Family EditLord Napier married Elizabeth Cochrane Johnstone c 1795 1883 daughter of Scottish adventurer Andrew Cochrane Johnstone in 1816 they had two sons and six daughters 6 His eldest son Francis Napier also entered diplomatic service and was promoted by Palmerston for the rest of his life Honours EditFollowing his death 120 years later the British Government placed a memorial to him before the Macao Customs Office After being lost for a short time it was moved to the Hong Kong Cemetery and then to the Hong Kong Museum of History where it now rests Notes Edit a b Laughton J K Napier William John ninth Lord Napier of Merchistoun 1786 1834 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2004 ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 19773 Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 2002 PDF The Royal Society of Edinburgh July 2006 ISBN 0 902 198 84 X Hanes amp Sanello 2004 p 27 Lydia He LIU Lydia He Liu 30 June 2009 The Clash of Empires the invention of China in modern world making Harvard University Press p 47 ISBN 978 0 674 04029 8 Eitel 1895 p 56 Family of William John NAPIER 9th Lord NAPIER and Elizabeth COCHRANE JOHNSTONE Further reading EditEitel E J 1895 Europe in China The History of Hongkong from the Beginning to the Year 1882 London Luzac amp Company Hanes W Travis Sanello Frank 2004 Opium Wars The Addiction of One Empire and the Corruption of Another Sourcebooks ISBN 9781402229695 Hoe Susanna Roebuck Derek 1999 The Taking of Hong Kong Charles and Clara Elliot in China Waters Richmond Surrey Curzon Press ISBN 0 7007 1145 7 Melancon Glenn Peaceful Intentions The First British Trade Commission in China 1833 5 Historical Research 73 2000 password required Morse Hosea Ballou International Relations of the Chinese Empire The Period of Conflict 1834 1860 1910 online pp 118 144 Napier Priscilla 1995 Barbarian Eye Lord Napier in China 1834 the Prelude to Hong Kong London Brassey s ISBN 9781857531169 Welsh Frank Rao Maya 1996 A Borrowed Place The History of Hong Kong ISBN 1 56836 134 3 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Napier 9th Lord Napier The Napier Affair 1834 Another description of the Napier AffairPeerage of ScotlandPreceded byFrancis Napier Lord Napier1823 1834 Succeeded byFrancis Napier Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Napier 9th Lord Napier amp oldid 1128442583, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
