Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 14th Oct 1858 - 8th Jan 1959 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
2 items
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Sir John Bowring was born in Exeter. His father was a wool merchant to China. As a young man he travelled extensively, becoming a partner in his father's company in 1818, selling herrings to Spain and France. He became editor of the Westminster Review in… read more
Name of creator
Repository
Archival history
The material was commissioned by Sir John Bowring who sent them to the Royal Asiatic Society.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The material was acquired from Sir John Bowring. His letter of donation and the translation were read at the General Meeting of the Society on 8 January, 1859.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
A facsimile of a monumental inscription at the Fa-hsing Temple, Canton (Guangzhou), acquired by Sir John Bowring, whilst Governor of Hong Kong. The facsimile measures 155cm x 90cm and is black ink on white paper, probably created from a squeeze… read more
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open. Please contact the archivist. Details can be found here : https://royalasiaticarchives.org/. The archive is open on Tuesdays and Fridays 10-5, and Thursdays 2-5. Access is to any researcher without appointment but it will help if an appointment is… read more
Conditions governing reproduction
Digital photography (without flash) for research purposes may be permitted upon completion of a copyright declaration form, and with respect to current UK copyright law.
Language of material
- English
- Chinese
Allied materials area
Related units of description
The Minutes of the General Meetings of the Society, 8th January 1859, record the reading of a letter from Sir John Bowring and the translation of the inscription.
The Society's collections also hold several publications written by Bowring. Details can be found https://ras.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl?idx=kw&q=John%20Bowring&sort_by=relevance_dsc&count=20&limit=au:Bowring,%20John,%201792-1872.
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Bowring Sir John 1792-1872 (Subject)
- Gibson J (Subject)
Description control area
Description identifier
Archivist's note
These papers were catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2022.