CHOW Tie Family

Before I met Adrienne SHAW, the chairperson of the Lawrence Chinese Camp Charitable Trust, we had already had much email correspondence about the name of her Chinese great-great grandfather CHOW Tie. Like many other Chinese families, nowadays, CHOW’s descendants have adapted the name Tie (or Tye) as the family name. In Alexander DON’s roll of Chinese, CHOW Tie’s formal name [大號] is Sai Ping [世平].

Tie [泰] or Chu Taai [朝泰] is therefore the milk-name [乳名] or nickname. This means the current adapted family name originates from CHOW’s milk-name instead of his formal name.

CHOW and his Scottish wife, Grace KERRS, arrived in New Zealand in the 1870s. They met each other through the Chinese Empire Hotel, in Lawrence. They married and resided in the Chinese Camp of Lawrence in 1885. Described by historian James NG as an exceptional family, CHOW’s descendants have an intricate relationship with Lawrence.

After several generations, they became ‘westernised’ (as described by SHAW) in appearance and cultural thoughts. Pleasingly, with SHAW’s help, I was able to gather some of CHOW’s descendants from a few different families to pose for a family photo inside the Chinese Empire Hotel.

Situated next to the Chinese Empire Hotel, the interior of the Poon Fah Joss House has a hyperreal vibe. Despite its run-down appearance that requires renovation, it is scrupulously decorated with traditional Chinese elements. As such it is incongruously pleasing and welcoming. The pair of gold and black Chinese couplets [往來俱梓友  談笑盡鄉人] hanging at the centre wall of the Joss House literally say it is a gathering place for friends from the same villages to have fun and leisure.

I have chosen a CHOW family photo where the members* are unfettered and yet amiable in their poses. The pairing of the two photographs resonates with the Chinese couplet to welcome any guests that come along.

* From left to right: Lynda GEMMILL, Isaac LLOYD, Jesse GEMMILL, Matilda GEMMILL, Luke GEMMILL, Samuel LLOYD, Rachel GEMMILL, Lily GEMMILL, Jonathon BASHFORD, Adrienne SHAW

King Tong HO

2018

周泰家族

与 Lawrence Chinese Camp Charitable Trust 主席 Adrienne SHAW 会面前，我们曾就她高祖父周泰的中文名字、以电邮与她通讯数次。犹如很多华裔家庭，现在周泰的后代都以［泰］为他们的姓氏。在 Alexander DON 的华人名册中，周泰的大号是世平；［泰］或［朝泰］是他的乳名，换言之现在他的家族姓氏原自他的乳名。

周泰与妻子 Grace KERRS 分别在一八七零年代从中国及苏格兰来到纽西兰。他们在 Lawrence 的 Chinese Empire Hotel 邂逅，于一八八五年结婚，及后住在 Lawrence 的 Chinese Camp。据历史学家伍德明描述，周泰的后代与 Lawrence 很有渊源。几代之后、跟据 SHAW 所形容，他的家族在外貌和文化思想上已很「西化」。幸得 SHAW 的帮忙，使能聚集几个周泰的后代家庭，在 Chinese Empire Hotel 内合照。

位于 Chinese Empire Hotel 左邻的 Poon Fah Joss House，室内很有超真实的感觉。巧究的中国传统装饰元素与那有待修葺的破落感格格不入，却惊喜地有迎客的气氛; 十分切合挂在室内正中墙上黑底金字的中式对联［往来俱梓友   谈笑尽乡人］，意思是此处是乡亲友好聚首欢笑的地方。

我选择的周氏家庭照片*，成员们姿态无拘无束、和霭可亲; 与Poon Fah Joss House 室内气氛和对联含意互相辉影, 和谐地迎接亲朋的到来。 

* 由左至右：Lynda GEMMILL, Isaac LLOYD, Jesse GEMMILL, Matilda GEMMILL, Luke GEMMILL, Samuel LLOYD, Rachel GEMMILL, Lily GEMMILL, Jonathon BASHFORD, Adrienne SHAW

何经棠

2018

周泰家族

與 Lawrence Chinese Camp Charitable Trust 主席 Adrienne SHAW 會面前，我們曾就她高祖父周泰的中文名字、以電郵與她通訊數次。猶如很多華裔家庭，現在周泰的後代都以［泰］為他們的姓氏。在 Alexander DON 的華人名册中，周泰的大號是世平；［泰］或［朝泰］是他的乳名，換言之現在他的家族姓氏原自他的乳名。

周泰與妻子 Grace KERRS 分别在一八七零年代從中國及蘇格蘭來到紐西蘭。他們在 Lawrence 的 Chinese Empire Hotel 邂逅，於一八八五年結婚，及後住在 Lawrence 的 Chinese Camp。據歷史學家伍德明描述，周泰的後代與 Lawrence 很有淵源。幾代之後、跟據 SHAW 所形容，他的家族在外貌和文化思想上已很「西化」。幸得 SHAW 的幫忙，使能聚集幾個周泰的後代家庭，在 Chinese Empire Hotel 內合照。

位於 Chinese Empire Hotel 左鄰的 Poon Fah Joss House，室內很有超真實的感覺。巧究的中國傳統裝飾元素與那有待修葺的破落感格格不入，卻驚喜地有迎客的氣氛; 十分切合掛在室內正中牆上黑底金字的中式對聯［往來俱梓友   談笑盡鄉人］，意思是此處是鄉親友好聚首歡笑的地方。

我選擇的周氏家庭照片*，成員們姿態無拘無束、和靄可親; 與Poon Fah Joss House 室內氣氛和對聯含意互相輝影, 和諧地迎接親朋的到來。

* 由左至右：Lynda GEMMILL, Isaac LLOYD, Jesse GEMMILL, Matilda GEMMILL, Luke GEMMILL, Samuel LLOYD, Rachel GEMMILL, Lily GEMMILL, Jonathon BASHFORD, Adrienne SHAW

何經棠

2018