Charles Henri Maurice Bosman

Charles Henry Maurice Bosman, born in 1839, was originally a Dutch Jewish person who moved to Hong Kong after 1842 to develop his career. As the father of Ho Tung, Hong Kong’s first wealthy merchant after the port opened, he conducted business in Hong Kong from 1859 to 1873, owning the company Bosman & Co., and in 1868, he invested part of his shares in the Hong Kong Hotel. When Bosman served as the Dutch consul in 1869, he migrated to Britain and in 1873 established the "Eastern Agency." He continued working for another company until 1885. Bosman’s naturalization as a British citizen in 1888 led to misunderstandings regarding his family lineage. The surname “Ho” was a Sinicized variant of his original surname Bosman, adopted during his time in Hong Kong. His partner in Hong Kong was a woman named Shi Di (施娣), with whom he had one daughter and four sons; his eldest son was Ho Tung, who later became a prominent wealthy figure in Hong Kong and Macau. After Bosman left Hong Kong, Shi Di married a Chinese man named Kwok Hing-yin, with whom she had additional children. Details of her life after are less known and often misunderstood. Bosman died in 1892 due to illness and was buried in London. His remaining family history and identity have sparked multiple interpretations and questions, especially concerning his mother Shi Di’s background and experiences. The name inscribed on Ho Tung’s tombstone differs from traditional Chinese styles, reflecting his children’s mixed heritage and the complexities of their identity.