Battle of Chusan

Conference between Commodore Sir James John Gordon Bremer and Chinese Admiral Zhang Chaofa (Governor of Chusan) with the chief Mandarins, on board HMS Wellesley of Captain Thomas Maitland, on 4 July 1840, in the harbour of Chusan, the evening before the taking of the island. Karl Gützlaff (centre) served as interpreter.̈ Seated on the British side (left to right): Sir Harry Darell, Brigadier George Burrell, and Commodore James Bremer. Standing is Captain Thomas Maitland (top left) and Lord Robert Jocelyn. Seated on the Chinese side (left to right): Admiral Zhang, his flag captain Qian Binghuan, and chief magistrate of Chusan Yao Huaixiang.

Capture of Ting-hai, Chusan.

Capture of Ting-hai, Chusan.

Conference between Commodore Sir James John Gordon Bremer and Chinese Admiral Chang (Governor of Chusan) with the chief Mandarins, on board HMS Wellesley, Captain Thomas Maitland, on 4 July 1840, in the harbour of Chusan, the evening before the taking of the island. Karl Gützlaff (centre) served as interpreter.

First taking of Chusan, 5 July 1840

HB Sketches No 667. The Taking of Chusan (caricature) Print HB Sketches No 667. The Taking of Chusan (caricature)

HB sketches No. 667. The taking of Chusan (caricature) Print

Taking the Island of Chusan by the British, July 5th 1840 On 21 June 1840, sixteen British ships of war, four armed steamers and twenty-eight transports carrying 4000 soldiers had assembled off Macao. A small force was left behind to blockade Canton while the rest left immediately for Zhejiang. On 5 July, the British fleet reappeared off Chusan and bombarded the island for nine minutes. This image shows the ships attacking the island as British troops preparing to land.

Taking the island of Chusan by the British, 5 July 1840.

A satire of the Bedchamber Crisis. The assault of the Conservative Party on the Whig government is compared to the British taking of Chusan during the First Opium War (1839-42). It shows Robert Peel in the stern and Wellington in the bow of a man-of-war's boat full of Conservatives, approaching a fort, on which Viscount Melbourne, dressed as a Chinaman, hangs a board inscribed: "Spare Us for the Sake of Our Women". In 1839, Viscount Melbourne resigned as Prime Minister and Queen Victoria asked Peel to form a new government. However, the Conservatives were a minority in the House of Commons and fearing that forming a weak government would damage his future, Peel refused unless the Queen purged her ladies of the bedchamber, her closest companions, many of whom were the wives or daughters of Whig politicians. No agreement was reached, so Melbourne was persuaded to stay on. On 8 December 1840, The Times reported the assault on Chusan: "On landing, the troops found the city and suburbs abandoned by the inhabitants, with the exception of one man, who was holding up a board, with this inscription upon it - 'Save us for the sake of our wives and children'." Doyle could not let the opportunity for satire pass. The Conservatives continued to make headway and in 1841 Peel got a majority in the General Election, replaced Melbourne and removed the Whig ladies. As Victoria had married Albert in 1840 she relied on them less and so made no complaint.[1]

Conference between Commodore Sir James John Gordon Bremer and Chinese Admiral Zhang Chaofa (Governor of Chusan) with the chief Mandarins, on board HMS Wellesley of Captain Thomas Maitland, on 4 July 1840, in the harbour of Chusan, the evening before the taking of the island. Karl Gützlaff (centre) served as interpreter.̈ Seated on the British side (left to right): Sir Harry Darell, Brigadier George Burrell, and Commodore James Bremer. Standing is Captain Thomas Maitland (top left) and Lord Robert Jocelyn. Seated on the Chinese side (left to right): Admiral Zhang, his flag captain Qian Binghuan, and chief magistrate of Chusan Yao Huaixiang.