OTHER

The signatures of three Chinese acolytes of missionary James Legge, in Latin Script and Mandarin Lee Kimlin. Song Hootkeam. Ung Munsou.
Creases from earlier folding; laid on album sheet. Unique.

The signatures of three of James Legge's students, probably written during their visit to visit to Britain in 1846-8. James Legge (1815-97), a Scot, went to Malacca in 1839 as a representative of the London Missionary Society, moving to Hong Kong in 1844. Three Singaporean Chinese, Lee Kim Lin, Song Hoot Keam & Ung Mun Sou, accompanied him, and, when he returned to Huntly, Aberdeenshire, for a visit, again they travelled with him. The three, aged in their late-teens and early twenties, attracted much attention: they were baptised in Huntly in 1847 before a large crowd, after which they embarked on a tour south to London. On the 8th February 1848 they had a special audience with Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace: according to the 'Illustrated London News' the Queen 'evinced great interest in the Chinese youths, and asked many questions, which it was highly gratifying to Dr. Legge to answer'. The group returned to Hong Kong, but Legge's Chinese seminary closed in 1856. None of the three students remained with the church: Lee and Song used their knowlege of English to become businessmen, and both married in Singapore (Song in 1849 & Lee in 1850). More shockingly, Ung joined the Hong Kong criminal underworld.