George Bonham

Sir Samuel George Bonham, 1st Baronet (Chinese Translated Name 般咸, 文咸 or 文翰) (7 September 1803 – 8 October 1863) was a British colonial governor, who became the 4th Governor of the Straits Settlements and the 3rd Governor of Hong Kong.

Early life Samuel George Bonham was born in Faversham, Kent on 7 September 1803. He was the son of Captain George Bonham, of the maritime service of the East India Company.

Governor of Straits Settlements Bonham became deputy to the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Kenneth Murchison, in 1833. However, as Murchison was away from Southeast Asia for much of his governorship, Bonham was in effect responsible for the administration of the Straits Settlements. He took over from Murchison as Governor on 18 November 1836, a post he held until January 1843. He was involved in the partial abolition of bond slavery, and provided a ship to combat piracy in the region. In an attempt to reduce the cost of administration, he reduced the number of senior officials from 19 to 8.

Bonham was known for his calm demeanor and gentle nature. It was due to these qualities that he gained the trust of the British Government and the good relationship of many Hong Kong people.

In 1850, upon his request to the Viceroy, a successful expedition was conducted against the pirates in the neighborhood of Hong Kong, and Bonham attempted to open direct communication with the central government at Peking, and in furtherance of this object sent Mr Medhurst to the Hai River with a dispatch, but the effort proved fruitless.

In 1853 after fall of Nanjing in 1853 during the Taiping Rebellion, the British became fearful of their foreign concession in Shanghai. After realizing the potential danger, Bonham called for a volunteer force to be created in Shanghai which would ultimately become the Shanghai Volunteer Corps which would participate in the Battle of Muddy Flat.

Bonham retired from the position of Governor in Hong Kong in April 1854 and returned to England.

Baronet of Malmesbury In November 1850 Bonham was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) as a reward for his services in China, and following his return to England a Baronetcy was conferred upon him on 27 November 1852.

Personal life In 1846, Bonham married Ellen Emelia Barnard, the eldest daughter of Thomas Barnard. They had one son, George Francis Bonham (28 August 1847 – 31 July 1927), who succeeded to the Baronetcy. Bonham's wife died in 1859 and he survived her until 8 October 1863, dying aged 60, of undisclosed causes. He was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery, London.

Legacy Fort Canning Hill in Singapore was formerly named after Bonham as (Malay: Sir Bonham's Hill), as was Bonham Street near Raffles Place, Singapore. Bonham Road and Bonham Strand on Hong Kong Island were also named after him.