E. A. Hewett

Edbert Ansgar Hewett, (5 September 1860 – 24 November 1915) was a prominent British merchant in Hong Kong and China and member of the Executive Council and Legislative Council of Hong Kong.

Family and early life Hewett was born on 5 September 1860, second son of the Sir George John Routledge Hewett, 3rd Baronet., descent of Sir George Hewett, 1st Baronet, and Clara von Pochammer. On 2 February 1893 he married Ruth Jeannette McKendrick, daughter of Quentin K. McKendrick of New York.

He was educated mainly by private tutors. At the age of seventeen he joined the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company at their head office in London. He arrived in Hong Kong in 1880 and acted as agent for the company in Shanghai for seven-year, in Yokohama for two years, and in Kobe for six months. He became the Superintendent of P&O Co. Hong Kong branch, responsible for the whole traffic in the Far East from Yokohama to Penang.

Shanghai Hewett was the member of the Shanghai Municipal Council from 1897 to 1901 and served as chairman in 1900 to 1901. During the Boxer Rebellion he was active in preparations for the defence of the Settlement when the naval fleet sailed to Peking leaving about 12,000 white population and nearly half a million Chinese under his charge. As civil commandant of the volunteers he enrolled all able-bodied men and had a force of nearly 1,200 whites under arms. He also organised the first company of Japanese volunteers that had ever been raised outside Japan. The highest encomiums were passed upon him by both the naval and military authorities. A special committee consisting of the English, German, American, French and Dutch ministers was formed as a result and adopted Hewett's proposals as the chamber's representative which were embodied in the protocol.

He was also on the governing board of the Queen's College and committee of the Diocesan Boys' School.

Honours He received the English Medal for China, 4th Class Sacred Treasure of Japan, Iron Crown of Austria and decorated as a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau of the Netherlands for his services in Shanghai.

Justice of Peace Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) English Medal for China 1900 Iron Crown of Austria (3rd Class) – 1902 – in recognition of services rendered during the recent Military Operations in China. Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau Imperial Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure (4th Class) – 1902 – in recognition of valuable services ... during the disturbances in China in the year 1900. Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (F.R.G.S.)