Bertram GILES C M G [476]
- Born: 24 Sep 1874, Hankau Wuhan Hubei China.
- Marriage (1): Jessie Violet GILMOUR [2046] in 1903
- Died: 26 Mar 1928, Bushes Oakland Close Weybridge SRY aged 53
General Notes:
BERTRAM GILES Birth year 1871-75 PlaceHANKOW CountryCHINA Volume5 Page273 Record sourceGRO Consular Birth Indices (1849 to 1965) British nationals born overseas 1818-2005
Bertram had long service with Foreign Office in China. Consul General Nanking, wounded in Nanking uprising 24 Mar 1927.
John Allen Giles Diary and Memoirs. Page 564 Saturday, August 23, 1879 . . . . . Ellen made the party laugh by telling a reply of little Bertie's. And our friend Mrs Kydd meeting him with his nurse out walking, said "You're a capital old boy!" to which he replied, "And you're at a capital old Kydd!" . . . . . J.A.G.
Page 574 April 15 Thursday 1880. I received . . . . . letter from Bertie written in pencil the first epistolary specimen of a five-year-old, reminding me of my first specimen 65 years ago. My dear ganpa give my love to Auntie Bella and Uncle Will, your loving Bertie.
Page 591 October 26 Wednesday 1881. My 73rd birthday, letter from Bertram, Herbert's boy. Dear Grandpa I wish you many happy returns of your birthday. We went up the monument yesterday; when we got to the top we looked down and saw the Thames, for it was very near; after we had stood there for some time we went down again. Before we went we bought some chocolate. Bertram.
Page 594 Tuesday, January 31, 1882. Bertie came down from London to pass one more day with his cousin, who has been his play fellow at Sutton Rectory during the last four years, very much to the satisfaction of Gran'pere, Gran'mere and Auntie Ellen. Bertie left us the next morning at 10 o'clock. (The next day he left with his family for China)
Page 597. Thursday, October 26, 1882. My 74th birthday . . . . . a Latin letter from Bertram which I received in due time. Pagado, 26 October 1882 Dear Gran'pere, Ego amo te. Lapidosi surgunt montes. Tuas literas expecto. Terra parit flores. Epistolam tuam non accepi. Lego. Studia delectant me. Si me amas, ad me venito, Labor omnia vincit. Necessitas non habet leges. Omnia tempus edax depascitur. Romulus creavit centum senatores. Virtus est optima nobilitas. Tres Horatiivicerunt tres Curiatores. Te sequor. Pueri inter se pro levibus noxiis iras gerunt. Non terret sapientem mors. Fugaces labuntur anni. Autumnus fruges effundi. Scandit seratas vitiosa naves cura. Natura est dux optima. Your loving grandson Bertram Giles.
Bertram in 1889 was a pupil at Stella Matutina in Feldkirch, Austria, a Jesuit school founded in 1651 the conversational language was Latin. Ref: 11 April 1889 in his brother Lancelot's diary.
Bertram was educated at Leige Belgium, Feldkirch Austria, and Aberdeen University Scotland. He entered H B M's China Consular Service in 1894. Bertram was Consul General in Hankow when in the Nanking incident he was shot in the leg. Returning to England on sick leave he died a year later of a stroke or heart attack.
Bertram Giles aged 44 H M Consul Nanking, Jessie Violet Giles aged 43, and Sidney Graham St Giles aged 9 and Chang Yuan Ting aged 38 a servant travelled first class (Chang deck class) from Shanghai to Plymouth on the P.O ship "Nellore" arriving 22 June 1919. Ref: Ancestry
Giles, Bertram C.M.G Born September 24 1874 Passed a competitive examination, November 30 and was appointed a Student Interpreter in China , December 8, 1894 . Promoted to be a 2nd Class Assistant, May 13, 1899 ; and a 1st Class Assistant, April 5, 1902 . Was Assistant in the Mixed Court as Shanghai from May 15, 1902 to April 18, 1904 ; Acting Vice-Consul at Canton in 1904 and 1905; Acting Consul at Foochow in 1905, and Acting Consul at Changsha from December 27, 1905 to May 4 1907 . Promoted to be one of H.M. Vice-Consuls in China , September 1, 1908 . Acting Consul at Chananfu ( Tsinan ) in 1908, 1909, and 1910. Promoted to be Consul in Changsha , December 1, 1910 . Officiating Consul at Nanking from November 4, 1914 to December 15, 1915 , and from January 19, 1916 . Appointed Consul there, April 1 1917 . Made a C.M.G., June 3, 1916 Acting Consul at Tsiangu from July 11, 1921 . Promoted to be one of H.M. Consuls General in China , March 1, 1922 . Employed on special service in connection with the rendition of Wei-hai-wei from September 21, 1922 . Officiating Consul General at Canton from December 27, 1923 , to December 1, 1924 . Died at Weybridge, Surrey March 26, 1928 . Ref: Simon Potter - The National Archive Kew.
FO 371/12475 Telegram from Sir M Lampson ( Peking ) Dispatched 1.40pm 26th March 1927 Received 10.30 a.m. 26th March 1927 Consul General, Nanking has been brought aboard "Emerald", he has bullet wound through thigh but fortunately bullet missed bone and wound not serious. Mrs Giles aboard unhurt but they and other foreigners suffered intolerable treatment and indignities. Above received from "Emerald". Ref: Simon Potter - The National Archive Kew.
TIMES OBITUARY: 27 March 1928 Pg 21 Col B. MR BERTRAM GILES - The Nanking Outrages Mr Bertram Giles, C.M.G., till recently , British Consul-General at Nanking, where he and his wife suffered serious maltreatment a year ago, died suddenly yesterday at Weybridge Surrey; at the age of 54. The story of the outrages at the British Consulate at Nanking on March 24, 1927 where Mr Giles was wounded was told by Mrs Giles in a sworn statement issued by the Foreign Office. Mrs. Giles had gone to the Consulate offices to see her husband. She found there several men and women among them Captain Spear. Shortly afterwards the men went outside to see what was happening. On the lawn which separated the offices from the dwellinghouse Mrs Giles saw a Cantonese soldier, level his rifle at her husband. Captain Spear rushed forward and knocked the rifle up. At the same time another soldier fired and shot Mr. Giles above the left knee, and a shot fired by some other soldier hit Captain Spear. Dr. Smith, a British subject, who had just come out of the house, was shot in the back and killed instantly. Mr. Giles and Captain Spear then ran to the office, and Captain Spear, was again wounded. Both reached the office, and all the men and women got into the strong-room and barricaded the door. A batch of soldiers then entered the office and proceeded to loot it. After they had left, a second batch arrived and announced that if the party within the strong-room did not come out. they would fire through the door. The party came out, and the soldiers then seized Mrs. Giles, whom they treated brutally; tearing the rings from her fingers, inflicting great pain. They took her shoes off her feet and felt to see if anything was concealed. The other two ladies Mrs. Roberts and Miss Blake were similarly treated. Mr Giles and Captain Spear were robbed of everything they had in their pockets, and Captain Spear had his boots taken away. Mr. Huber the Harbour Master who immediately afterwards arrived at the Consulate was shot through the head by the bandits, who, after firing two more shots into the body of the harbour master, fired a further two shots at the party in the Consulate, which passed close to Mrs. Giles's head. The time was then about 11.30 in the morning. After the soldiers left the party remained inside the Consulate until 5 o'clock the next afternoon being constantly molested by the soldiers. At one time men came with an executioner's sword and held it within an inch of Mr. Giles's throat. Others tried to pull the clothes off the ladies of the party. When the bombardment by the British and American warships began, the molestation ceased. Mr Giles was the son of that distinguished sinologue, Dr. H. A. Giles, Professor of Chinese at Cambridge and grandson of J.A. Giles, the classical and antiquarian writer. He was born at Hankau on September 24, 1874, when his father was still in the Consular Service in China, and was educated at Liege in Belgium, Feldkirch in Austria, and at Aberdeen. In 1894 he was appointed, after examination, a student interpreter in China, and was promoted to be a first class assistant in 1902. After serving as assistant in the Shanghai Mixed Court, he was made Vive Consul at. Canton in 1904, subsequently serving at Hankau, Fuchau, Changsha, and Tsinan and was appointed Consul at Changsha in 1910. In 1914 he was transferred to Nanking, and was made C.M.G. in 1916. In 1922 he was appointed Consul-General a Tsinan and served as senior British delegate the Joint, Commission for the rendition of Wei-hai-wei. From December, 1923 to December 1924, he was officiating Consul General at Canton, and was then transfer to Nanking as Consul General. Mr Giles married in 1903 Violet Jessie daughter of Mr David Gilmore of Shanghai, and had one son. The funeral will be at Mickleham Church near Dorking at noon on Friday.
Giles Bertram CMG of Nanking China died 26 March 1928 at the Bushes Oatlands Chase Weybridge Surrey. Probate London 13 June 1928 to Jessie Violet Giles widow. Effects L1638 16d National Probate Calendar.
Research Notes:
Picture "Bertram Giles1" was taken at the Fenn family home Grey Frairs Colchester Essex c1890's
Other Records
1. Census: England, 3 Apr 1881, The Rectory West St Sutton SRY. Bertram was recorded as a grandson aged 6 born China Hankau
2. Bertram Giles: Confessions, 1891. "Confessions" was a Victorian fad for answering a list of personal questions. This Album of Confessions belonged to Dorothy Cotes [486] and is in the possession of the Hopkins family 2020.
BERTRAM'S CONFESSIONS 1891 MY FAVOURITE VIRTUE: Truthfulness MY IDEA OF HAPPINESS: Going in the District Railway MY IDEA OF MISERY: Getting up at 5 in the morning MY FAVOURITE OCCUPATION:Eating ices MY FAVOURITE COLOUR: Purple, Crimson Lake. MY FAVOURITE FLOWER: Roses Dahlias MY FAVOURITE POETS: Horace Homer Shakespeare MY FAVOURITE PROSE AUTHORS: Charles Dickens MY FAVOURITE PAINTER: William Hogarth MY FAVOURITE FOOD: Vanilla ice cream MY FAVOURITE NAMES: Katherine Harry MY PET AVERSION: Stale bread MY FAVOURITE MOTTO:There's no place like home My Signature: B Giles
BERTRAM'S CONFESSIONS 1893 MY FAVOURITE VIRTUE: Unselfishness Truthfulness Honesty Wisdom MY IDEA OF HAPPINESS: Dancing Travelling Writing Confessions Reading MY IDEA OF MISERY: Toothache Headache Earache concerts singing MY FAVOURITE OCCUPATION: Reading Writing Shrimping Dancing Eating MY FAVOURITE COLOUR: Red blue green yellow white black brown etc MY FAVOURITE FLOWER: Rose daisy tulip buttercup dahlia etc MY FAVOURITE POETS: Shakespeare Procter Milton Spenser Hood Gree. . . . . MY FAVOURITE PROSE AUTHORS: Dickens Thackeray Bronte Eliot Meredith MY FAVOURITE PAINTER: Leighton Millais, Alma Tadema, Dicksee etc MY FAVOURITE FOOD: Ices creams jelly Curry Cold potatoes Fruit etc MY FAVOURITE NAMES: Thomas Henry Edward John George MY PET AVERSION: Mysticism, Macaroni Cheese, Celery, Cold Pie MY FAVOURITE MOTTO: "Never put off till tomorow what you can do just as well the day after tomorrow" and others to numerous to mention My Signature: Bertram Giles
BERTRAM (now aged 20) completed six more increasingly affected Confessions. 1 & 2 below C1895, a nonsense one 3. below, in Pidgin English signed "Chinkee wonkee wee" and one completely in Chinese characters which is translated as 4. below. Confession 5. below appears to be Bertram's translation of Confession 4. Confession 5. also has written across the edge "phrases is to be found in the well known apophthegm" "come early and stay late" Confession 6. is in chinese and only answers My Favourite Virtue the translation of which is "eating yellow beans and drinking wine" What was his relationship with the attractive Dolly Cotes, whose "Album of Confessions" book it was, that he should monopolise it so?
MY FAVOURITE VIRTUE: Tiddledywinks, Cornhill, Newmarket MY IDEA OF HAPPINESS: Roasting chestnuts and not eating them, sleep MY IDEA OF MISERY: Being successful at exams, falling ill MY FAVOURITE OCCUPATION: Drinking tea, sleeping writing confessions. MY FAVOURITE COLOUR: Orange violet mauve pink grey brown MY FAVOURITE FLOWER: Daisy Buttercup dahlia pink carnation MY FAVOURITE POETS: Shelly Keats Thompson Rogers Tuppe MY FAVOURITE PROSE AUTHORS: Gibbon, Hooker, de Quincy MY FAVOURITE PAINTER: Kneller Hogarth Landseer Frith Rafael MY FAVOURITE FOOD: Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay, Fish,flesh,fowl MY FAVOURITE NAMES: Jessie Jenny Lucy Laura Edith MY PET AVERSION: Dockyards, deer, fogs, Chatham, Sunday MY FAVOURITE MOTTO: One should not buy a cat in a sack My Signature: B Giles B Giles B Giles
MY FAVOURITE VIRTUE: Averice Cowardice Selfishness Dishonesty MY IDEA OF HAPPINESS: Eating cold potatoes & bread & butter MY IDEA OF MISERY: Writing confessions, living at Chatham, eating MY FAVOURITE OCCUPATION: Being photographed providing I come out well MY FAVOURITE COLOUR: White black blue red green yellow MY FAVOURITE FLOWER: Violet rose polyanthus marjoram tulip MY FAVOURITE POETS: Gilbert Shakespeare Giles & Chaucer MY FAVOURITE PROSE AUTHORS: Stevenson, Grant Allen, Handy MY FAVOURITE PAINTER: Turner Reynolds Constable Gainsborough MY FAVOURITE FOOD: Cold Potatoes hot potatoes lobster salad MY FAVOURITE NAMES: Tom Dick Harry Jim Bill Jack MY PET AVERSION: Pomegranates, A Proctor, Richmond Park MY FAVOURITE MOTTO: Work wait lose, time brings roses My Signature: B Giles B Giles B Giles
MY FAVOURITE VIRTUE: I can even crack MY IDEA OF HAPPINESS: melon-seeds with my teeth MY IDEA OF MISERY: Who are you? MY FAVOURITE OCCUPATION: Today it is very cold MY FAVOURITE COLOUR: The other day when I was out MY FAVOURITE FLOWER: There was a lot of dust MY FAVOURITE POETS: A cannon MY FAVOURITE PROSE AUTHORS: No objection whatever MY FAVOURITE PAINTER: Can't sell it for less MY FAVOURITE FOOD: Have some food MY FAVOURITE MOTTO: You're no good My Signature: Bertram Giles
MY FAVOURITE VIRTUE: B'long all same too muchee good MY IDEA OF HAPPINESS: Makee chow plenty lice MY IDEA OF MISERY: Too muchee workee MY FAVOURITE OCCUPATION: Makee sleepee, makee smokee MY FAVOURITE COLOUR: That colour pidgin my no savvy MY FAVOURITE FLOWER: Any flower my no savvy MY FAVOURITE POETS: That piecee poet-man my no have makee read MY FAVOURITE PROSE AUTHORS: B'long writee analects that largee piecee MY FAVOURITE PAINTER: Chinaside makee painterman my no savvy MY FAVOURITE FOOD: Smallo piecee dog, too muchee largee slug MY FAVOURITE NAMES: Ah Wong, Ching-kee, Lofenglo MY PET AVERSION: Makee looksee what thing how fashion MY FAVOURITE MOTTO: Ni pu kuo chemo hsiang ah! My Signature: Chinkee wonkee wee
Translation from Chinese MY FAVOURITE VIRTUE: Eating water melon seeds MY IDEA OF HAPPINESS: Eating cold potatoes & bread & butter MY IDEA OF MISERY: Who are you MY FAVOURITE OCCUPATION: Enjoying the weather, not too hot not too cold. MY FAVOURITE COLOUR: One day I walked down the road MY FAVOURITE FLOWER: There is much clay MY FAVOURITE POETS: About power? MY FAVOURITE PROSE AUTHORS: Everything can be OK MY FAVOURITE PAINTER: Expensive paintings MY FAVOURITE FOOD: Can we have our meal right now? MY FAVOURITE NAMES: When you are eating always hold the food bowl near your mouth, show good manners. MY PET AVERSION: Opening the door MY FAVOURITE MOTTO: You are a rotten egg . . . . . (not translated too rude)
MY FAVOURITE VIRTUE: Eating yellow beans and drinking wine MY IDEA OF HAPPINESS: Carving pictures MY FAVOURITE NAMES: The food is ready MY PET AVERSION: Open the door.
3. Census: England, 31 Mar 1901, Selwyn Gardens Cambridge. Bertram is recorded as a son single aged 26 Assistant China Consular Service born China British Subject
4. Bertram Giles: Images.
Bertram married Jessie Violet GILMOUR [2046] [MRIN: 666], daughter of David GILMOUR of Shanghai [2047] and Margaret Jane MUIRHEAD [8767], in 1903. (Jessie Violet GILMOUR [2046] was born in Jul 1875 in Hampstead LND MDX and died on 22 May 1936 in Churchill Court Pytches Rd. Woodbridge SFK.)
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