Charles St George Cleverly

Charles St. George Cleverly (Chinese: 基化厘 or 急庇利) (1819 – 14 August 1897) was the second Surveyor General in Hong Kong. He worked under the Colonial Secretary and was responsible for public infrastructure, town planning and land auction.

Cleverly is famous for the construction of Government House. The construction began in October 1851 and finished in October 1855.

His name was often registered in the Hong Kong Government Gazette in relation to the public auction of crown land and buildings.

Charles Cleverly was born in Kilworth, County Cork, Ireland, but it is believed that his family were not native Irish. According to his will, his address was Collingham Place, South Kensington, Middlesex in England.

Charles was the grandson of William Cleverly who owned a shipyard beside the River Thames in London. He built many large ships for the British East India Company.

Charles had a brother named Osmund Cleverly who worked in Hong Kong.

One of Charles's sons was Osmund Somers Cleverly, the Principal Private Secretary of Prime Ministers Stanley Baldwin, and Neville Chamberlain. Another was Peter Cleverly, an architect.

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