Robert Kotewall

Sir Robert Hormus Kotewall CMG (羅旭龢; 1880–1949) was a British Hong Kong businessman, civil servant and legislator.

Robert Kotewall
Robert Kotewall
Senior Unofficial Member of the Executive Council
In office 1946
Governor	Cecil Harcourt
Preceded by	John Johnstone Paterson
Succeeded by	Arthur Morse
Personal details
Born	Robert Hormus Kotewall 1880 (1880)
Died	23 May 1949 British Hong Kong
Spouse(s)	Edith Kotewall (nee Lowcock)
Occupation	Businessman

Robert Kotewall
Traditional Chinese	羅旭龢
Transcriptions Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Lòh, Yūk-wòh Jyutping Lo^4, Juk^1wo^4

Kotewall was the son of Hormusjee Rustomjee Kotewall, a Parsi from India. His ancestry included Chinese, Parsi (as his middle name of Hormus and surname of Kotewall suggests) and European forebears.

Early life

Kotewall was born in 1880. He was the son of Hormusjee Rustomjee Kotewall and Cheung A-cheung.[1][2]

Career

In 1913, Kotewall was named Clerk to the Magistracy and JP. By 1919, he was in trade as the manager of the Hong Kong Mercantile Company. In 1923, he was invited to join the Legislative Council as an unofficial member, a position he held until 1935. In 1936, he joined the Executive Council.

Personal life

Kotewall's wife was Edith (nee Lowcock) Kotewall (b. 1889). She was the daughter of George Lowcock and granddaughter of Henry Lowcock, an English businessman in Hong Kong.[3] They had 9 children, including Phoebe (b.1911), Doris (b.1913), Bobbie (b.1916), Cicely (b.1919), L. Cyril (b.1922), Maisie Nora, and Esther.[2]

Legacy

Kotewall Road, in Mid-Levels, Hong Kong Island, and Sir Robert Kotewall Hall in the campus of St. Paul's Co-educational College, are named after him. His daughter, Dr. Bobbie Kotewall, a teacher, became the principal of St. Paul's Co-educational College.

Gallery

Robert Kotewall (2nd right) as part of the administration of Geoffry Northcote (centre)

See also

• St. Paul's Co-educational College

References

1. "R. H. Kotewall (Lo Kuk-wu)". thechinastory.org. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
2. "Sir Robert Kotewall". geni.com. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
3. "Kotewall, Edith". webb-site.com. Retrieved June 19, 2019.

External links

• R. H. Kotewall (Lo Kuk-wu) 羅旭龢 from Biographies of Prominent Chinese c.1925.
• Bobbie Kotewall (daughter)'s grave at Chiu Yuen Cemetery

Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Preceded by Ng Hon-tsz	Chinese Unofficial Member 1923–1935	Succeeded by Lo Man-kam
Preceded by Chow Shou-son	Senior Chinese Unofficial Member 1923–1935	Succeeded by Ts'o Seen-wan
Political offices
Preceded by Chow Shou-son	Chinese Unofficial Member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong 1936–1941	Japanese occupation of Hong Kong