Chaloner Alabaster

{{Short description|English administrator in China}} {{For|his son, the lawyer|C. Grenville Alabaster}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} thumb|Alabaster c.1898 '''Sir Chaloner Grenville Alabaster''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCMG}} (1838–1898) was an English administrator in China.

==Early life==

He was born in Bournemouth and was the son of Mr. J.C. Alabaster. He attended King's College London and matriculated at London University in 1852.<ref>Illustrated London News, 9 July 1898</ref>

==Career in China==

In 1855, he went to China as a student interpreter, remaining there during the Second Opium War and the Taiping Rebellion.

Between 1869 and 1873, he was British Vice-Consul in Shanghai and subsequently became Consul General at Hankow, Wuhan from 1880 to 1886, then at Canton from 1886 until 1891. He retired in 1892 and was made knight commander in the Order of St Michael and St George.

==Marriage and family==

In 1875, Chaloner married Laura, daughter of Dr. D. J. MacGowan of New York City. He was also a freemason.<ref>[http://www.freemasonry.bcy.ca/aqc/china.html Freemasonry in China]</ref> His son, who was named Chaloner Grenville Alabaster but went by the name Grenville, became Attorney General in Hong Kong from 1930 to 1945.

Chaloner Alabaster's elder brother, Henry Alabaster, also entered the consular service, serving as acting consul in Siam before leaving his position to act as an advisor to King Chulalongkorn.<ref name="Jisc">[https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/ffda9ac5-b936-3d2b-9198-98cb2de01f7b "Personal Correspondence of Henry Alabaster and Palacia Alabaster"], from the archives of the University of London</ref>

==Death==

Alabaster died on 28 June 1898 at Boscombe, Bournemouth, England.<ref>Illustrated London News, 9 July 1898</ref> He was buried in East Cemetery, Bournemouth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56807366|title = Sir Chaloner Alabaster}}</ref>

Papers relating to his official work in China are held at the SOAS Archives.<ref>[http://archives.soas.ac.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=MS+380451&pos=2 SOAS Archives]</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alabaster, Chaloner}} Category:1838 births Category:1898 deaths Category:British diplomats in China Category:People from Bournemouth Category:Alumni of King's College London Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Consuls-general for the United Kingdom in Guangzhou Category:Burials in Dorset Category:Freemasons