17 Facts About Henry Butters

Henry Robert Butters was a Scottish colonial civil servant.

Henry Butters was the first Labour Officer of Hong Kong and Financial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1939 to 1941.

Henry Butters was educated at the Glasgow High School and won a scholarship to the Glasgow University in 1916.

Henry Butters joined the Eastern cadetship and was appointed to Hong Kong in 1922.

Henry Butters served as District Officer North, Assistant Secretary for Chinese Affairs, Deputy Clerk of Councils and Assistant Colonial Secretary.

Henry Butters was appointed police magistrate on five occasions in the New Territories, Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.

Henry Butters took the law examinations and was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn.

Henry Butters was appointed by Sir Geoffry Northcote the first Labour Officer of Hong Kong when the Hong Kong government was under pressure from London to give attention to the Chinese child labour.

Henry Butters completed a comprehensive study entitled Report on Labour and Labour Conditions in Hong Kong, the first report in Hong Kong labour history.

Henry Butters acknowledged the prevalence of tuberculosis and the problem of opium or heroin addiction among the working poor.

Henry Butters drafted two bills, a Trade Union Ordinance and a Trade Boards Ordinance, in which the latter was passed in 1940 but the earlier was not enacted.

Henry Butters went on leave in 1941, travelling to America and returned to Hong Kong in November, five weeks before the Japanese invasion.

Henry Butters was one of the civilian defenders during the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941 and was interned in the Stanley Internment Camp.

Henry Butters was sent home to recuperate after the war and Geoffrey Follows arrived as financial advisor to the military administration, who later replaced him as the Financial Secretary.

Henry Butters was assigned to Nyasaland and Colonial Office in 1947 as assistant secretary to head the Finance Department.

Henry Butters married Jean Bain in 1926 and had two daughters and a son.

Henry Butters died in Stirling, Scotland on 1 March 1985 at the age of 86.