Creggan in Hong Kong

Creggan was the name of Thomas Jackson’s home built in the very early days of construction on The Peak in Hong Kong. It was built sometime between 1877 and 1880.

The family went back and forth between England and Hong Kong several times. During the winter, when the weather was more hospitable, they often stayed in HSBC accommodation closer to the bank. I have assembled the following table to help pin down when the Jackson family was in Hong Kong and more precisely when Creggan was built.

I also found a few videos that were of some interest in connection to life on The Peak. A snapshot of what life looked like in Old Hong Kong 1950. A later video gives some context from 1962. I will add more in time.

Thanks to Annelise Connell we have a visual context of where Creggan was situated in relation to other early buildings on The Peak.

Date	Document	Details of documents / My notes
1872 Jul 7	Family Tree	Daughter Kathleen born in Yokohama. Jackson was with HSBC there, and his wife’s family was based in Yokohama.
1874 May 27	Family Tree	Twins Amy & Edith born in London. NOTE: JACKSON was on leave from Hong Kong, and his daughter Emily died at age 3 ½ months at Cavananore, Co. Louth.
1874	1874 Directory	Thomas JACKSON is manager of HSBC Yokohama but is listed as absent. (p47) JACKSON served as auditor on Yokohama Chamber of Commerce (His Brother-in-law John Julius DARE was secretary) JACKSON was on the Yokohama Hospital Committee along with H. ALLEN jr. I now suspect that this was a Henry ALLEN, not known to be one of the ALLENs related to Jackson JACKSON was treasurer of Christ Church, Yokohama (Ironically, at the same time that his mother was trying to get him to weigh in on the financial woes of Creggan Parish in Co. Armagh).
1876	Family Tree	JACKSON’s son Thomas Dare JACKSON b in Japan (probably Yokohama)
1877	1877 Directory	Jackson, Thos. (Hongkong & Shanghai Bank) acting manager, Queens Road. NOTE: This is likely when he was already having Creggan built for his family.
1879 Dec 19	Family Tree	JACKSON’s daughter Beatrice born in Hong Kong
1879	1879 Directory	JACKSON was Chairman of Victoria Recreation Club. Creggan is not mentioned as a residence, nor were any of the access roads on The Peak, such as Plantation Road, included.
1880 May 5	Letter	Our first reference to Creggan on The Peak: I was most thankful to learn that you & Minnie & the children are so well; may God keep you all so. And it is pleasant to reflect that you have your own nice cool “Creggan” to go back to; when the city becomes too hot.
1881	1881 Directory	Thomas JACKSON (HSBC) Chief Manager, Queens Road.
1883 Jun	1902 Directory	“The Peak Church, an unpretending structure after the similitude of a jelly mould, was opened for worship in June, 1883.” SOURCE: Pg 356, 1902 Directory
1882	News	By 1882, Electric Company introduced Hong Kong's first telephone system, making it easy for a taipan to call his chair coolies to carry him from the Praya all the way up to the Peak
1883 Jun 4	Family Tree	George Julius JACKSON born in Hong Kong. NOTE: Was he baptized at The Peak Church?
1886 Feb 28	Frank H.H. King	JACKSON began a 12 month leave of absence. P 317 The Hongkong Bank in Late Imperial China: 1864-1902.
1886 Apr 9	Frank H.H. King	A Farewell dinner for JACKSON. Carried Jackson shoulder high home, preceded by band. P 607 The Hongkong Bank in Late Imperial China: 1864-1902.
1887	1887 Directory	Creggan is described as vacant. See: My annotated transcription.
1887 Jul 26	Family Tree	Daughter Dorothy St. Felix JACKSON born at Chiselhurst, England
1888 May 30	News	Tram opened to connect downtown with The Peak.
1889	1889 Directory	T Jackson is at Creggan, but Mrs. T. Jackson is not listed in the Ladies Directory. There are only 55 named households on the Peak (the primary male householders are named. See: My annotated transcription.
1890	1890 Directory	Poesnecker, L. Creggan.(The Peak Directory) Poesnecker, Mrs. L., The Albany and Creggan Peak. NOTE: POESNECKER served on the Board of Directors of HSBC.
1890 Mar 8	Family Tree	JACKSON’s son Walter David Russell JACKSON born at Chiselhurst, England
1891	191 Directory	Poesnecker, L. Creggan.(The Peak Directory) Poesnecker, Mrs. L., The Albany and Creggan Peak.
1892	1892 Directory	Creggan is not mentioned in the Peak Directory
1892 Jan 30	Family Tree	JACKSON’s son Claude Stewart JACKSON born at Chiselhurst, London.
1893	1893 Directory	Creggan is not mentioned in the Peak Directory
1894	Hong Kong Ladies  Directory in 1894 Directory	Amelia, and Amy and one other daughter are at St. John’s Place (NOTE: I would need to know the date the directory was assembled to determine if this was winter or summer) A Mrs. MULLOY was at Creggan. (Ladies Directory)
1894	1894 Directory	Col. R.E. MULLOY was resident at Creggan. (NOTE: I suspect he was from Co. Roscommon)
1895	1895 Directory	Col. R.E. MULLOY was resident at Creggan. (The Peak Directory) Mrs. MULLOY was resident at Creggan (Ladies Directory) Thomas JACKSON was at The Falls on The Peak. NOTE: There are a number of photos from Pat Roberts’ collection taken in Hong Kong in this time frame. The story is that they rented The Falls because there was more room than at Creggan. It was owned by Capt. FARROW.
1896	1896 Directory	Amelia, and Amy and one other daughter are at St. John’s Place (NOTE: I would need to know the date the directory was assembled to determine if this was winter or summer) (Ladies Directory) Thomas JACKSON is at Creggan (The Peak Directory)
1897	1897 Directory	Amelia, and Amy, Beatrice and one other daughter (Dorothy) are at St. John’s Place (NOTE: I would need to know the date the directory was assembled to determine if this was winter or summer) (Ladies Directory) Thomas Jackson was listed at Creggan (Peak Directory)
1898	Imperial to International: A History of St John's Cathedral Hong Kong. Stuart Wolfendale	Lady Jackson donated funds for coloured glass to be installed in the clerestory windows of St. John’s church. Years later, the glass was removed by Dean Swann to “let in God’s good light”. Apparently, the donation was not a good idea.
1898	1898 Directory	Amelia, and Amy, Beatrice and one other daughter (Dorothy) are at St. John’s Place (NOTE: I would need to know the date the directory was assembled to determine if this was winter or summer) (Ladies Directory) Thomas Jackson was listed at Creggan (Peak Directory)
1899	in 1899 Directory	Amelia, and Amy, Beatrice and one other daughter (Dorothy) are at St. John’s Place in Hong Kong Ladies  Directory (NOTE: I would need to know the date the directory was assembled to determine if this was winter or summer) Thomas JACKSON was listed at Creggan In The Peak Directory. He is listed at HSBC Manager Thomas Dare JACKSON is listed as Lieut Kings Own (Royal Lancaster), Singapore (family home of his DARE grandparents)
1899	Frank H.H. King	By 1899, the junior mess of HSBC was on The Peak – Cloudlands. P608  The Hongkong Bank in Late Imperial China: 1864-1902.
1900 Mar 6	HSBC HK card	THE CLIFFS The Peak Jackson who rented his home proposed buying “Creggan” for his successors for $30,000. Day before the sale, Chater offered The Cliffs and said he would bid for Creggan. They got it for $33,000 & we [HSBC] bought The Cliffs for $40,000. (My Card #382).
1900 Mar 6	HSBC HK card	CHIEF MANAGER. Jackson always paid his own rent & furnishing. HSBC Card (My #379)
1901	1901 Directory	Amelia, and Beatrice and one other daughter (Dorothy) are at St. John’s Place in Hong Kong Ladies  Directory (NOTE: Daughter Amy had married in 1900 and stayed in England) Thomas Jackson is listed at Creggan.
1902	1902 Directory	Sir Thomas JACKSON is at Creggan (The Peak Directory)
1902 May 11	News	Sir Thomas JACKSON retires and leaves Hong Kong with his eldest daughter (Kathleen).
1903	1902 Directory	J.W. Ross TAYLOR (of P&O) is at Creggan (The Peak Directory)
1905	1905 Directory	Mrs. J. Ross TAYLOR resides at Creggan (Ladies Directory) J.W. Ross TAYLOR (of P&O) is at Creggan (Peak Directory)
1908	1908 Directory	E. FREYVOGEL resided at Creggan, 39 Plantation Road.
1915	1915 Directory	Rev. Copely MOYLE is at Creggan (The Peak Directory)
1917	1917 Directory	Mrs. E. BOWDLER resides at Creggan, 113 Plantation Road. She is listed in both the Ladies Directory and in Peak Residents.
1919 Mar 11	HSBC HK card	Hong Kong Property. Bought Creggan and Brentor on The Peak for $50,000. NOTE: JACKSON died in 1915. HSBC Card (My #421)
1920	1920 Directory	Page 1035. Details not available on line
1922	1922 Directory	Mrs. G.M. DELGETTY resides at Creggan, Plantation Road, Peak. Mrs. E. BOWDLER now lives at 135 Plantation Road.
1938	1938 Directory	No mention of Creggan – although it was marked on a 1938 map and numbered as: #351