When Colonial Officials Colluded with Pirates

During the first two decades of British rule on Hong Kong Island, piracy ran rampant in the surrounding waters as the Royal Navy struggled to locate and destroy pirate fleets. Worse still, British colonial officials occasionally colluded with some of the region's most notorious pirates.

The most scandalous case occurred in the late 1850s, when Daniel Richard Francis Caldwell—a linguist and interpreter serving the Hong Kong government—was found to be in league with local pirate leader Ma-chow Wong.

In 1857, American pirate Eli Boggs was captured and put on trial for murder and piracy. In his closing statement, Boggs described how his rival, Ma-chow Wong, and Daniel Caldwell had orchestrated a mutually beneficial protection racket. Ma-chow Wong would inform Caldwell of the locations of rival pirate fleets, and Caldwell would use his influence to have Royal Navy warships destroy them.

During a subsequent raid on Ma-chow’s house, investigators uncovered incriminating documents. However, Caldwell’s high-ranking ally, Acting Colonial Secretary Dr W.T. Bridges, ordered the documents burned. Frustrated by the political chaos, Governor Sir John Bowring chose to protect Caldwell despite the overwhelming evidence, retaining him as Registrar General.

In 1859, the succeeding Governor, Hercules Robinson, was ordered to reopen the investigation. Caldwell was ultimately found guilty of perverting the course of justice and furthering the “nefarious designs” of a notorious pirate, resulting in him being declared permanently unfit for public service.

Astonishingly, in 1866, facing a severe lack of local intelligence, Governor Richard MacDonnell rehired Caldwell as a private agent and informant coordinator to combat crime. Caldwell later went on to manage Hong Kong's first legalized gambling syndicate, eventually dying a wealthy man in 1875.