CHINA. THE ALBUM OF MRS MARY MILLICENT O'BRIEN-BUTLER

CHINA. THE ALBUM OF MRS MARY MILLICENT O'BRIEN-BUTLER, NEE WEATHERSTON, C1888-1905 filled with invitations to balls, clubs, programmes, church services, menus, shipping memorabilia, visiting cards of many of the consular staff of foreign nations, telegrams, family memorabilia and a photograph (half plate albumen print) of her wedding at Chinkiang, contemporary half maroon morocco (c 31 x 25cm) worn, wanting spine (190 approx)Provenance: Pierce Essex O'Brien-Butler (1858-1954) and his wife Mary Millicent Weatherston (1877-1960). P E O'Brien-Butler was educated in Germany, appointed a student interpreter with Her Britannic Majesty's Consular Service in China in 1880 and promoted Pro-Consul at Tainan, Taiwan in 1888, a post he held until 1893. In 1902 he was promoted Consul at Wenchow serving in 1906 at Amoy [Xiamen] before his appointment as Consul General in 1908 at Chengtu [Chengdu], moving in 1909 to Yunnan-Fu [Kunming] and in 1913 to Mukden [Shenyang]. He was appointed High Commissioner for Siberia in 1919 taking up residence in Valdivostok.His wife Mary Millicent Weatherston was born in Hankow. The present album also records the first few years of the life of their first child Ida, who was born on 22 July 1901 at Kiungchow [Qiongzhou].An interesting album that vividly illustrates the frenetic social life those in the consular service enjoyed in China at the end of the 19th c. The many events included the Funeral services at the British Episcopal Church in Foochow [Fuzhou] for Queen Victoria and President William McKinley in February and September 1901. In August 1900 a thanksgiving service was held at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Shanghai for the deliverance of the minsters and other residents in Peking during the Boxer uprising. A barrister fluent in several languages, the album contains a letter that O'Brien-Butler has transcribed from the Chinese General and Viceroy at Foochow in which he writes "The Anglo-Chinese intercourse is so intimate and his honour is so kind and just that their [Excellencies] can not easily forget him"