Francis Brinkley | |
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| Born | (1841-12-30)30 December 1841 Leinster, Ireland |
| Died | 12 October 1912(1912-10-12) (aged 70)[1] Tokyo, Japan |
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| Occupations | Military advisor, journalist |
Francis Brinkley (30 December 1841 – 12 October 1912) was an Anglo-Irish newspaper owner, editor and scholar who resided inMeiji period Japan for over 40 years, where he was the author of numerous books on Japanese culture, art and architecture and an English-Japanese Dictionary. He was the great-uncle ofCyril Connolly.
Frank Brinkley was born at Parsonstown House,County Meath in 1841. He was the thirteenth and youngest child of Richard Brinkley J.P., of Parsonstown and his wife Harriet Graves.John Brinkley, the lastBishop of Cloyne and the firstRoyal Astronomer of Ireland, was his paternal grandfather.Richard Graves, aSenior Fellow ofTrinity College and the Dean of Ardagh, was his maternal grandfather.[2] One of Brinkley's sisters, Jane (Brinkley) Vernon ofClontarf Castle, was the grandmother ofCyril Connolly. Another sister, Anna, became theDowager Countess of Kingston after the death of her first husband,James King, 5th Earl of Kingston and was the last person to live atMitchelstown Castle.Richard Francis Burton, a distinguished linguist who shared Brinkley's passion for foreign cultures, was related to him through the latter's maternal family.[3]
Brinkley went toRoyal School Dungannon before enteringTrinity College, where he received the highest records in mathematics and classics. After graduating, he chose a military career and was subsequently accepted at theRoyal Military Academy, Woolwich, becoming anartillery officer. In this capacity, his cousin, SirRichard Graves MacDonnell the 6th Governor of Hong Kong (1866–1872), invited him out to the east to serve as hisAide-de-camp andAdjutant.[3][4]
In 1866, Brinkley visitedNagasaki on his way to Hong Kong. During the visit, he witnessed aduel between twosamurai warriors. The victor covered the opponent he had slain withhaori, and "knelt down with hands clasped in prayer". Reportedly, Brinkley was impressed by the warriors' conduct, which enticed him to live in Japan permanently.[3]
In 1867, Brinkley returned toYokohama, Japan, never again to return home.[4] Attached to the British-Japanese Legation and still an officer in theRoyal Artillery, he was assistantmilitary attache to the Japanese Embassy. He resigned his commission in 1871 to take up the post offoreign advisor to the newMeiji government and taught artillery techniques to theImperial Japanese Navy at the Naval Gunnery School.[3] He mastered the Japanese language soon after his arrival, and both spoke and wrote it well.[3] In 1878, Brinkley was invited to teach mathematics at theImperial College of Engineering, which later became part ofTokyo Imperial University, remaining in this post for two and a half years.[3]
In 1878, media in Japan reported that Brinkley was married to Yasuko Tanaka, a daughter of a former samurai from theMito clan. The Japanese government approved the marriage in March 1886. Interracial marriages could be registered under Japanese law from 1873. It was the first official English-Japanese cross-culturally married couple in Japan. The British Legation, however, rejected Brinkley's marriage due to concerns about Tanaka's nationality issue arising from the marriage. Brinkley fought the rejection and eventually succeeded by appealing to the British judiciary in February 1890. They were the parents of two sons and a daughter. One of his sons was named Jack Ronald Brinkley.[5][6]
In 1881, Brinkley purchasedThe Japan Weekly Mail (also known as theJapan Mail). Since then and before his death, he was the newspaper's owner and editor-in-chief.Japan Mail merged with theJapan Times afterwards.[7][8] The Japanese government financially supports theJapan Mail. In exchange, the newspaper aligned with the Japanese government.[9][10] While theJapan Mail was the most widely read English newspaper in the Far East, many people criticised the newspaper's government support: Robert Young, owner ofJapan Chronicle, described the newspaper as "paid advocacy"; while some of them even criticised the newspaper as nothing more than a "government propaganda organ".[7][11]
After theFirst Sino-Japanese War, Brinkley succeededHenry Spencer Palmer and became the Tokyo-based correspondent forThe Times of London. He gained fame for his dispatches during theRusso-Japanese War of 1904–1905.[12] Brinkley was awarded theOrder of the Sacred Treasure byEmperor Meiji for his contributions to betterAnglo-Japanese relations. He was also an adviser to theNippon Yusen Kaisha, Japan's largest shipping line.[7]F.A. MacKenzie, a prominent English journalist, wrote:[5]
Captain Brinkley's great knowledge of Japanese life and language is admitted and admired by all. His independence of judgment is, however, weakened by his close official connection with the Japanese Government and by his personal interest in Japanese industry. His journal is regarded generally as a government mouth-piece, and he has succeeded in making himself a more vigorous advocate of the Japanese claims than even the Japanese themselves. It can safely be forecasted that whenever a dispute arises between Japanese and British interests, Captain Brinkley and his journal will play the part, through thick and thin, of defenders of the Japanese.
Brinkley's last dispatch toThe Times was written from his deathbed in 1912, reporting on aseppuku:Emperor Meiji had recently died and to show fealty to the deceased emperor, GeneralNogi Maresuke together with his wife committedhara-kiri.[5][11]
Frank Brinkley had many hobbies, which included gardening, collectingJapanese art andpottery,cricket, tennis, horse riding and hunting. Part of his significant collection of art and pottery was donated to various museums around the world, but most of it was reduced to rubble and ash after theGreat Tokyo earthquake andWorld War II.[13]
He wrote books for English beginners interested in the Japanese language, and his grammar books and English-Japanese Dictionary (compiled with Fumio Nanjo and Yukichika Iwasaki) were regarded as the definitive books on the subject for those studying English in the latter half of the Meiji period.[clarification needed]
He wrote much onJapanese history andJapanese art. His bookA History of Japanese People: from the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era, which was published after his death byThe Times in 1915, covered Japanese history, fine arts and literature from the origins of the Japanese race up until the latter half of the Meiji period.[14][15]
In 1912, at the age of 71 and one month after General Nogi's death, Francis Brinkley died. At his funeral, the mourners included the Speaker of theHouse of Peers,Tokugawa Iesato, the Minister of the NavySaitō Makoto, and the Foreign MinisterUchida Kosai. He is buried in the foreign section of theAoyama Reien cemetery in central Tokyo.[16]
After his deathErnest Satow wrote of Brinkley toFrederick Victor Dickins on 21 November 1912: "I have not seen any fuller memoir of Brinkley than what appeared in "The Times". As you perhaps know I did not trust him. Who wrote "The Times" notice I cannot imagine. As you say, it was the work of an ignorant person."[17]
Before his death, Frank Brinkley had told his son, Jack, of an episode that occurred during the Russo-Japanese War. After the Japanese had defeated the Russians at theBattle of Mukden, the Chief of the General Staff,Kodama Gentarō, rushed home in secret to urge the Japanese Government to conclude a treaty with Russia. At the time it was a hugely consequential secret and yet he confided this national secret to Brinkley, the foreign correspondent ofThe Times, demonstrating the utmost confidence in which the Chief of the General Staff held Brinkley.[13]
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