View source for Henry Pottinger

{{Short description|Bombay Army officer and colonial administrator}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name                = Sir Henry Pottinger
| honorific-suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|Bt|GCB|PC}}
| image               = Henry Pottinger.jpg
| imagesize           = 220
| caption             = Portrait by [[Francis Grant (artist)|Francis Grant]], 1845
| office              = [[Governor of Hong Kong]]
| monarch             = [[Queen Victoria|Victoria]]
| lieutenant          = [[George Charles D'Aguilar|Sir George D'Aguilar]]
| term_start          = 26 June 1843
| term_end            = 8 May 1844
| predecessor         = ''Office established''
| successor           = [[John Francis Davis|Sir John Davis]]
| office2             = [[Governor of the Cape Colony]]
| term_start2         = 27 January 1847
| term_end2           = 1 December 1847
| predecessor2        = [[Peregrine Maitland|Sir Peregrine Maitland]]
| successor2          = [[Sir Harry Smith, 1st Baronet|Sir Harry Smith]]
| office3             = [[Governor of Madras]]
| term_start3         = 7 April 1848
| term_end3           = 24 April 1854
| predecessor3        = [[George Hay, 8th Marquess of Tweeddale|The Marquess of Tweeddale]]
| successor3          = [[George Harris, 3rd Baron Harris|The Lord Harris]]
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|df=yes|1789|10|3}}
| birth_place         = [[Ballymacarrett]], [[Kingdom of Ireland|Ireland]]
| death_date          = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1856|3|18|1789|10|3}}
| death_place         = [[Crown Colony of Malta|Malta]], [[British Empire]]
| resting_place       = [[Msida Bastion Historic Garden]], [[Malta]]
| spouse              = {{marriage|Susanna Cooke|1820}}
| children            = 4
| signature           = Henry Pottinger signature.png
| allegiance          = {{flag|East India Company}}<br>{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom
| branch              = {{army|Bombay Presidency}}
| serviceyears        = 1804–1856
| rank                = [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-General]]
| servicenumber       = 
| unit                = 
| commands            = 
| battles             = [[Third Anglo-Maratha War]]<br />[[First Opium War]]
| relations           = [[Eldred Pottinger]] (nephew)
}}

[[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-General]] '''Sir Henry Pottinger, 1st Baronet''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|Bt|GCB|PC|size=100}} (3 October 1789 – 18 March 1856) was a [[Bombay Army]] officer and colonial administrator who served as the first [[governor of Hong Kong]] from 1843 to 1844.

== Early life ==
Henry Pottinger was born at his family estate of Mount Pottinger in [[Ballymacarrett]] in the north of [[County Down]] in [[Ulster]], the northern [[Provinces of Ireland|province]] in [[Ireland]], on 3 October 1789. At the time of his birth, all of Ireland was part of the British-ruled [[Kingdom of Ireland]]. An [[Ulster Protestants|Ulster Protestant]], he was descended from the Pottingers of [[Berkshire]], an [[English people|English]] family by origin with a branch that had settled in Ulster during the [[Plantation of Ulster]] in the seventeenth century. He was the fifth son of Eldred Curwen Pottinger and his wife Anne. They had three daughters and eight sons.<ref>"[https://books.google.com/books?id=ImcZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA426 Our Portrait Gallery—No. XL.]". ''The Dublin University Magazine'' '''28''': 426. Dublin: James McGlashan. 1846.</ref><ref>Walford, Edward (1857). "[https://books.google.com/books?id=RG8DAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA19 Right Hon. Sir H. Pottinger, G.C.B.]". ''Hardwicke's Annual Biography for 1857''. London: Robert Hadwick. p. 20.</ref><ref>Urban, Sylvanus (1856). "[https://books.google.com/books?id=broUAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA517 Obituary.—Right Hon. Sir H. Pottinger.]". ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' '''45''': 517. London: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons.</ref> His nephew was also named [[Eldred Pottinger]].<ref>Pottinger, Henry (2 November 1846). "[https://books.google.com/books?id=ImcZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA768 Letter from Sir Henry Pottinger]". ''The Dublin University Magazine'' '''28''': 768. Dublin: James McGlashan.</ref> Henry attended the [[Belfast Academy]] until the age of 12. In 1803, he left for [[Company rule in India|India]] to join the [[East India Company]]'s maritime service, but in the following year joined the Company's military service as a cadet instead.<ref>Endacott, G. B. (2005) [1962]. ''A Biographical Sketch-book of Early Hong Kong''. Hong Kong University Press. p. 13. {{ISBN|978-962-209-742-1}}.</ref> He studied local languages in [[Bombay]] and became an assistant teacher. On 18 September 1806, he was made an ensign and promoted to lieutenant on 16 July 1809.<ref name="ODNB">Broadfoot, William; Lunt, James, rev. "Pottinger, Sir Henry, first baronet (1789–1856)". ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (2004 ed.). Oxford University Press. {{doi|10.1093/ref:odnb/22626}}. Accessed 20 July 2010.</ref>

== India ==
{{stack|[[File:A Map of Beloochistan & Sinde.jpg|thumb|Pottinger's map of Balochistan and Sindh, showing his travel routes]]}}
Pottinger explored the lands between the Indus and Persia, traveling in disguise as a Muslim merchant and studying local languages, under the orders of [[Sir John Malcolm]]. In 1809, he served as a lieutenant in the [[Third Anglo-Maratha War]]. In 1810, he and [[Charles Christie (officer)|Charles Christie]] undertook an expedition from [[Nushki]] ([[Balochistan]]) to [[Isfahan]] (Central Persia) disguised as Muslims.<ref>Michael, M.A. (2019). "[https://www.academia.edu/40805885/_Not_exactly_a_connoisseur_A_new_portrait_of_James_Christie_by_Benjamin_Vandergucht_1752_1794_and_the_auctioneer_s_family_history Not Exactly a Connoisseur A New Portrait of James Christie]". ''The British Art Journal'' ''' 19''': 76. London: Robin Simon.</ref> Christie went north to [[Herat]] and then west while Pottinger went west across two deserts to [[Kerman]] and Isfahan where they rejoined. The expedition was funded by the East India Company to map and research the regions of Balochistan and Persia because of concerns about India being invaded by French forces.<ref>The Great Game: Britain and Russia in Central Asia. Edited by [[Martin Ewans]]. Volume II: Travels in Beloochistan and Sinde, by Henry Pottinger. First published by Longman, London, 1816. This edition by RoutledgeCurzon, Milton Park, England 2004. {{ISBN|0415316405}}</ref> It would be 100 years before another European took this route, and Pottinger rose to the rank of Colonel. Pottinger later became Resident Administrator of [[Sindh]] in 1820. He later held the same post in [[Hyderabad state|Hyderabad]].

He was [[Pottinger baronets|made a baronet]] when he returned to England in 1839.

== China ==
{{stack|[[File:Sir Henry Pottinger, 1st Baronet.jpg|thumb|upright|Portrait by [[Samuel Laurence]], 1840]]}}
Pottinger accepted Foreign Secretary [[Lord Palmerston]]'s offer of the post of envoy and plenipotentiary in China and superintendent of British trade, thus replacing [[Charles Elliot]].<ref name="ODNB" /> In 1841, Palmerston instructed him to "examine with care the natural capacities of [[Hong Kong Island|Hong Kong]], and you will not agree to give up that Island unless you should find that you can exchange it for another in the neighbourhood of [[Guangzhou|Canton]], better adapted for the purposes in view; equally defensible; and affording sufficient shelter for Ships of War and Commerce".<ref name="tsang">Tsang, Steve (2004). ''A Modern History of Hong Kong''. London: I.B. Tauris. p. 17. {{ISBN|1-84511-419-1}}.</ref>

Pottinger left London on 5 June, travelled by ship through the Mediterranean, over land across the [[Suez]], and reached Bombay on 7 July, where he stayed for 10 days before arriving in China on 10 August. The whole trip took 67 days, a record at the time.<ref>Mao, Haijian (2016). ''The Qing Empire and the Opium War''. Cambridge University Press. p. 272. {{ISBN|978-1-107-06987-9}}.</ref> On 4 November, Palmerston's successor [[George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen|Lord Aberdeen]] wrote to Pottinger that he had doubts over Hong Kong's acquisition since it would incur administrative expenses, and complicate relations with China and other nations.<ref name="tsang" />

After Pottinger joined the British expeditionary force in northern China, he negotiated the terms of the [[Treaty of Nanking]] (1842), which ended the [[First Opium War]] and ceded Hong Kong Island to the United Kingdom. Pottinger wrote in a letter to Aberdeen that at a feast celebrating the ratification with his Hong Kong counterpart, [[Keying (official)|Keying]], Keying insisted they ceremonially exchange miniature portraits of each member of each others' families. Upon receiving a miniature portrait of Pottinger's wife, Pottinger wrote that Keying "placed it on his head—which I am told is the highest token of respect and friendship—filled a glass of wine, held the picture in front of his face, muttered some words in a low voice, drank the wine, again placed the picture on his head and then sat down" to complete the ceremony of long-term amity between the two families and the two peoples.<ref>{{cite book |last=[[Yeewan Koon|Koon]] |first=Yeewan  |editor-last=Johnson |editor-first=Kendall|title=Narratives of Free Trade: The Commercial Cultures of Early US-China Relations|publisher=Hong Kong University Press |date=2012 |pages=131–148 |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/8340388 |chapter=The Face of Diplomacy in 19th-Century China: Qiying's Portrait Gifts }}</ref>

== Governor of Hong Kong ==
[[File:Pottinger's house.jpg|thumb|Pottinger's residence in [[Victoria, Hong Kong|Victoria]], Hong Kong, 1845]]
Pottinger became the second Administrator of Hong Kong (1841–1843) and the first [[Governor of Hong Kong]] (1843–1844). When he forwarded the treaty to Aberdeen, Pottinger remarked, "the retention of Hong Kong is the only point in which I have intentionally exceeded my modified instructions, but every single hour I have passed in this superb country has convinced me of the necessity and desirability of our possessing such a settlement as an emporium for our trade and a place from which Her Majesty's subjects in China may be alike protected and controlled."<ref>Pottinger, George (1997). ''Sir Henry Pottinger: First Governor of Hong Kong''. Sutton Publishing. p. 106. {{ISBN|0-312-16506-4}}.</ref>

On 26 April 1843, Pottinger's residence, now the [[Former French Mission Building]], was burgled. In May 1843, he recommended a police force of four officers and 50 men be recruited from Britain, but this was rejected on financial grounds.<ref>Hamilton, Sheilah E. (2008). ''Watching Over Hong Kong: Private Policing 1841–1941''. Hong Kong University Press. pp. 17–18. {{ISBN|978-962-209-900-5}}.</ref>

On 26 June 1843, he was appointed to become the Chief Commander of the British troops stationed in Hong Kong.

During his short tenure, Pottinger established executive and legislative chambers, with one discussing political affairs and one designing legal codes. However, the chambers did not convene often, and this gave Pottinger wide-ranging powers to decide on policy.

Towards the end of his tenure, Pottinger lost the support of the local British merchants and was isolated. He left on 7 May 1844.

During his governorship, Hong Kong became the major port for trading opium in China.

== Later life{{anchor|Sir H. Pottinger's Annuity Act 1845}} ==
Pottinger returned to Britain in 1844. He became a member of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]] on 23 May 1844, was presented with the freedom of many cities, and in June 1845 the House of Commons voted to grant him £1,500 a year for life. In 1847, he served as [[Governor of the Cape Colony]]. He returned to India as [[Governor of Madras]] from 1848 to 1854, and was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1851. He died in retirement in [[Crown Colony of Malta|Malta]] on 18 March 1856. He was buried in the Protestant cemetery, now known as the [[Msida Bastion Garden of Rest|Msida Bastion Historic Garden]], in [[Floriana]]. A marble plaque is still visible.<ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/98408629/henry-pottinger Henry Pottinger], ''findagrave''</ref>

== Family ==
In 1820, Pottinger married Susanna Maria Cooke (1800–1886), daughter of Captain Richard Cooke. They had three sons and a daughter:<ref name="ODNB" />
*Eldred Elphinstone Pottinger (born 1822); died in infancy.<ref>Burke, Bernard (1878). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=YyJNAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA970 A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage]''. 40th ed. London: Harrison and Sons. p. 970.</ref>
*[[Frederick Pottinger|Frederick Pottinger, 2nd Baronet]] (1831–1865); police inspector.
*Henry Pottinger, 3rd Baronet (1834–1909); barrister; married in 1863;<ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=_z89AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA476 Thom's Irish Almanac and Official Directory]''. Dublin: Alexander Thom. 1874. p. 476.</ref> one daughter who married [[Henry Meysey-Thompson, 1st Baron Knaresborough]].
*Henrietta Maria Pottinger (died 1905); married in 1850; three sons and a daughter.<ref>Foster, Joseph (1881). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=uFE4AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA509 The Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage of the British Empire for 1881]''. Westminster: Nichols and Sons. p. 509.</ref>

== Namesakes ==
*[[Pottinger Street]], Central, Hong Kong
*[[Pottinger Peak]], Hong Kong
*Pottinger Gap, Hong Kong
*Pottinger Battery, [[Devil's Peak, Hong Kong|Devil's Peak]], Hong Kong
*[[The Belfast Entries|Pottingers Entry]], Belfast, Northern Ireland
*Pottinger House, [[Belfast Royal Academy]], Northern Ireland
*[[Belfast Pottinger (UK Parliament constituency)|Belfast Pottinger]], UK Parliament constituency
*[[Pottinger County]], New South Wales, Australia

==Honours==
* {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} '''1839''' [[Pottinger baronets|Baronetcy]] (Bt)
* {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} '''2 December 1842''' [[Order of the Bath|Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]] Civil Division (GCB)
* {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} '''23 May 1844''' Member of [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council]] (PC)

===Freedom of the City===
* {{flagicon|England}} '''13 February 1845''': [[City of London|London]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Manuscript certificate recording gift of the Freedom of the City of London to Sir Henry Pottinger, 1845|url=https://artcollection.culture.gov.uk/artwork/5153a/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531193909/https://artcollection.culture.gov.uk/artwork/5153a/|archive-date=31 May 2021|access-date=31 May 2021|website=Government Art Collection}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Glasgow]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=|date=26 June 2015|title=Freedom of the City Recipients|url=https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/15962/Freedom-of-the-City-Recipients|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517163048/https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/15962/Freedom-of-the-City-Recipients|archive-date=17 May 2021|access-date=31 May 2021|website=Glasgow City Council}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Edinburgh]]<ref>{{Ukhansard|house=HC|date=03 June 1845|vol=80|cc=1374-94}}</ref>

{{Incomplete list|date=February 2021}}

== Works ==
*''[https://www.wdl.org/en/item/16939/ Travels in Beloochistan and Sinde]''. London: Longman. 1816.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite DNB|wstitle=Pottinger, Henry|volume=46|pages=224–226}}
* {{Commons-inline}}

{{s-start}}
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{{Governor of Hong Kong}}
{{British Governors of the Cape Colony}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pottinger, Henry}}
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1789 births]]
[[Category:1856 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century Anglo-Irish people]]
[[Category:Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:British East India Company Army officers]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Maratha War]]
[[Category:British people of the First Opium War]]
[[Category:Governors of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Governors of the Cape Colony]]
[[Category:People educated at the Belfast Royal Academy]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Belfast]]
[[Category:British people of the Great Game]]
[[Category:19th-century British politicians]]
[[Category:City founders|P]]
[[Category:British spies]]