Purcell, W.H. (Zetland)

Updated March 23, 2015

[Junior Deacon (1901); Junior Warden (1904); Senior Warden (1905), Zetland Lodge 525]

Purcell was a noted publisher who owned properties in Hong Kong, Yokohama and Calcutta. He was listed as a shareholder of HSBC in 1914. Purcell was a fast runner; he ran 120 yards in 12 seconds^[1] at an athletic meeting held in Hong Kong in April 1893. [Ran at the same meeting was David Landale, who would later become Taipan of Jardine, Matheson & Co. He finished 100 yards in 10 seconds.]

[1] Their records convert to 10.936 seconds / 100 meters. The world record for 100 meters sprint in 1893 was set by Belgium Etienne De Re at 10.8. Could Purcell and Landale be that fast?

Selected bibliography: The China Mail, December 29, 1900, p.4, Masonic – Zetland Lodge; December 29, 1903, p.4, Zetland Lodge Installation. Hong Kong Daily Press, December 28, 1904, p.2, Zetland Lodge. The Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin), May 5, 1893, p.3. The Straits Times, September 3, 1914, p.3.

Hart-Milner, John L. (St. John's)

Updated February 22, 2015

Hart-Milner, born in Macau in 1848, was an English teacher at the Escola Comercial de Macau 澳門商業學校. He later removed to Hong Kong and became the sub-editor of the Hong Kong Telegraph. He was a member of the St. John's Lodge. He died in Hong Kong on July 11, 1889 and was buried at the Hong Kong Cemetery. The memorial was erected by members of the lodge.

Selected bibliography: Find A Grave [online]. Nery, Felipe B., A Collection of Poems and Essays of the Past Decades Involving Discussions of Important Matters & Topics, Bloomington: Authorhouse, 2008, p.353.