Sir David Ford | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Governor of Hong Kong | |
Acting | |
| In office 3 July 1992 – 9 July 1992 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Chief Secretary | Himself |
| Preceded by | SirDavid Wilson |
| Succeeded by | Chris Patten |
| Chief Secretary of Hong Kong | |
| In office 12 February 1987[1] – 28 November 1993 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor | SirDavid Wilson Chris Patten |
| Preceded by | SirDavid Akers-Jones |
| Succeeded by | Anson Chan |
| Secretary for the Civil Service | |
| In office August 1985 – December 1986 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor | SirEdward Youde |
| Preceded by | John Martin Rowlands |
| Succeeded by | Harnam Singh Grewal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1935-02-22)22 February 1935 |
| Died | 10 September 2017(2017-09-10) (aged 82) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4, includingMandy Ford |
| Alma mater | Royal College of Defence Studies |
| Occupation | Army officer, civil servant |
Sir David Robert Ford,KBE, LVO (Chinese:霍德; 22 February 1935 – 10 September 2017) was the fifth and the last non-ethnic ChineseChief Secretary of Hong Kong and Deputy Governor of Hong Kong from 1987 to 1993 and was Hong Kong Commissioner in London from 1980 to 1981 and again from 1994 until 1997.
Ford was born on 22 February 1935 and educated at theTaunton School in southwest England. He joined the military service at 20 as a regular army officer in theRoyal Artillery, serving in 17 different countries on five different continents. In his last five years of service, he served inAden andBorneo with the Commando Brigade. During theHong Kong 1967 Leftist riots, Ford was seconded to the Hong Kong government. The riots instigated by the local communists left 51 people dead.[2]
Ford left thearmy in 1972 and began working in the Hong Kong government, holding a number of appointments as a senior civil servant . He became the Director of theInformation Services Department in 1974 where he engaged in propaganda warfare with the communists in Hong Kong. He was Under Secretary in theNorthern Ireland Office between 1977 and 1979 during the resurgence of theIrish Republican Army in the period known asThe Troubles. Pro-Beijing newspapers believed Ford was anMI6 agent due to his portfolio.[2]
Ford returned to Hong Kong in 1979 and studied at theRoyal College of Defence Studies between 1980 and 1983 before he became Hong Kong Commissioner in London. He was theSecretary for the Civil Service from 1985 and 1986. He became theChief Secretary of Hong Kong and Deputy Governor of Hong Kong in 1986, serving as the most senior civil servant with the highest position in the civil service. During this period, he initiated the planning forHong Kong's new international airport atChek Lap Kok in 1989. He was the actingGovernor of Hong Kong for a week beforeChris Patten reported for duty on 9 July 1992.[3] He held the position until 1993 when he retired and took the position of Hong Kong Commissioner in London for the second time later in 1994.[2]
Ford retired from public service in 1997, focusing on breeding rare cattle and sheep in Devon. He was a director of theCampaign to Protect Rural England between 2000 and 2003. In 2002, he became a non-executive director atPCCW Limited. From 2003 to May 2017, he was chairman of UK Broadband Limited, a subsidiary of PCCW. Later, UK Broadband was sold toThree UK in May 2017.[4] He visited Hong Kong several times after his departure, attracting interest from the pro-Beijing media which speculated on his strategising withpan-democrat opposition and "meddling" in Hong Kong's internal affairs.[5]
Ford died on 10 September 2017, at the age of 82.[6] His wife, Lady Gillian Ford was a founder and subsequently patron of the Hong Kong Children's Cancer Foundation from 1987 to 1992.[7]
In 1958, Ford married Elspeth Anne (née Muckart). Together they had four children; two sons and two daughters. Their marriage was dissolved in 1987, and the same year he married Gillian Petersen (née Monsarrat).[8] One of his daughters isMandy Ford, an Anglican priest who has been Dean of Bristol since 2020.[9]
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Nigel John Vale Watt | Director of Information Services 1972–1975 | Succeeded by Richard Lai Ming |
| Preceded by | Hong Kong Commissioner in London 1980–1981 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Director of Housing 1983–1984 | Succeeded by Y. L. Pang |
| Preceded by | Secretary for Housing 1985 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Secretary for the Civil Service 1985–1987 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief Secretary of Hong Kong 1987–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Hong Kong Commissioner in London 1994–1997 | Succeeded by |