Custom, Land and Livelihood in Rural South China: The Traditional Land Law of Hong Kong's New Territories, 1750–1950

Other and Miscellaneous Deeds and Documents (Deeds 101–119)

Other and Miscellaneous Deeds and Documents (Deeds 101–119) Leases for a Term of Years (101) White Deed for the Annual Lease of Rice-Land (Tsuen Wan), 1937 立約人 曾昭鈺，今將古坑，土名瓦窰龍，耕地三斗種，租與彭九兄。定明每年租 穀四百五十斤，每年分季繳交，不得拖欠。起租日由 一九三七年七月廿六日起（即民國二十六年丁丑六月十九日）。 特立條紙為憑 公曆一九三七年七月廿六日 農曆丁丑年六月十九日 田主曾昭鈺立字 (signature) This deed of lease is issued by Tsang Chiu-yuk. He has leased today to elder brother Pang Kau rice-land three tau tsung in area at Kwu Hang, at the place called Nga Yiu Lung. It was agreed that the annual rent should be 450 catties of grain. This should be paid after each harvest. No shortfall can be allowed. Rent is to be paid from the 26th July, 1937 (that is, the 19th Day of the 6th Moon of the Ting Chau Year, Republic 26th Year). This piece of paper has been issued as proof. 26th July, 1937 Lunar Calendar, 19th Day, 6th Moon, Ting Chau Year The landlord, Tsang Chiu-yuk, has issued this deed (signature) (From the collection of Dr J. W. Hayes, copy deposited in the Hong Kong Public Records OfÀce) Note: See Chapter 8. Leases, as temporary documents, did not require middlemen. This lease is probably for an annually renewable lease. 366 Customary Land Deeds (102) White Deed (Stamped with One-Dollar Stamp, Cancelled with Stamp Duty OfÀce Seal) for the Lease of a House-Site for a Term of Years (Tsuen Wan), 1940 立出批地合同人陳林氏、烱章，茲將四百四十九約第叁百號地段，批與陳 帶為建築屋宇。双方訂明，每年租銀拾捌圓，批於拾伍年為期。租銀每年 繳交清禁，不得拖欠。如有拖欠租銀，業主隨時取銷批約。中途不得加 租，又不得藉端收回此地。批客不得轉批別人。上蓋牌費若干，批客負担 繳納，與業主無涉。業主在中途變賣，定將批客建築費補回。期滿之後， 不能繼續出批。批客將建築物料拆回，不得延長時間。此批約由双方簽字 日起，發生効力。口恐無憑，立字為據 業主陳林氏、烱章 (signatures) 批客陳華、帶 (signatures) 見證楊廷森 (signature) 一九四拾年六月十四日 (One-dollar revenue stamp cancelled with Stamp Duty OfÀce seal) This deed of lease of land is a contract issued by M. Chan Lam Shi, and Kwingcheung . They have leased Lot 300 in Demarcation District 449 to Chan Tai, for him to build a house there. The two parties have agreed that the annual rent should be eighteen dollars. The term of the lease is Àfteen years. The rent must be paid in full each year, it is totally forbidden for there to be any shortfall. Should there be any shortfall, the landlord may at his pleasure cancel the lease. The rent may not be raised during the term of the lease, nor may any attempt be made to re-enter. The costs of construction shall be borne by the tenant, and shall not involve the landlord . Should the landlord sell the land during the term of the lease, the tenant shall be compensated the costs of construction. Following the end of the tenancy period, there shall be no further tenancy issued. The tenant shall then remove all structures from the site. There can be no extension of the term. The two parties to this lease have signed it, as a statement that they will follow. Fearing that a verbal agreement has no force, this written deed was drawn up as evidence. Landlord, Chan Lam Shi, Kwing-cheung (signatures) Tenant, Chan Wa, Tai (signatures) Witness, Yeung Ting-sham (signature) 14th June, 1940 Other and Miscellaneous Deeds and Documents 367 (One-dollar revenue stamp, cancelled with Stamp Duty OfÀce seal) (From the collection of Dr J. W. Hayes, copy deposited in the Hong Kong Public Records OfÀce) Note: See Chapter 8. Given that the lessee in this current deed had to build a house, but would only be able to use it for Àfteen years, it is clear that this house was of only Áimsy construction, that is, a squatter house. While building a squatter hut on agricultural land was, strictly speaking, illegal, this deed was registered at the Land Registry as an encumbrance, presumably on the assumption that, after the Àfteen-year term, the land would revert to agricultural uses. The lessors are a woman and her son. The son was, presumably, a minor at the date of the transaction, with the mother acting as trustee. It is probable that the entire family of the lessor died during the chaos of the Japanese attack. The lease-holders kept the leases (both in this case and in that of Deed 101) to give their continuing occupation some colour of legality. * * * * * * Miscellaneous Deeds Relating to Sales or Divisions of Rice-Land (103) White Deeds Relating to a Division of Land between Brothers (Shek Pik), 1742 (recte 1782) (a) 立分單。父起達，母文氏所生五男：長男勝其、次男三伯、三男勝現、四 男勝朝、五南勝科。目今見得婚嫁，結果已完，念吾夫妻年老，由恐風前 之燭，敬請諸親，族老、房長會議，將祖父經分及續置房屋，田園，地 叚，禾場等業。但係二男三伯中年去世而亡。眾議餘出南坡頭、艇頭貳處 田，實種貳斗。巷口園仔壹邊，並連砲臺頂松山壹幅，交與勝現。日後子 孫繼與三伯，永作祭祀油香。其餘剩田園物業，各等作為長、三、四、五 四份均分。在本家堂前拈曹為定。各人名份拾得，福膺所受，各管各業， 勿以偏側美好，爭長說短，致傷孔懷同氣之親，手足又不可因財失義，以 全天性之醇風矣。既開隨業，輸將各勤其事，各勵其志，守家祖業，以詒 燕翼于萬[-]心。今立關書五本一樣，以為各執一本，以為子孫世代，創紹 迷之計。此 照。 房長日發、日明 耆老陳廣進、徐奇顯 乾隆七年十一月初五日 立分單父起達 368 Customary Land Deeds (b) 立分單。父起達、母文氏所生五男：長男勝其、次男三伯、三男勝現、四 男勝朝、五南勝科。目今見得婚嫁，結果已完，念吾夫妻年老，由恐風前 之燭，敬請諸親族老房長會議，將祖父經分及續置房屋，田園，地叚，禾 場等業。但係三男勝現將田分作五份，眾議餘出龍口埗頭，並連[鼻]坡頭載 實種貳斗，禾寮地塘等業，一切分明作為做屋，歷年租米輸納無異。當日 與本家堂前拈定，各人名份拾得福膺。所受田園房屋禾寮地塘一切勝現。 日後子孫永遠所管，各管各業，勿以偏側，恐後有爭長說短，致傷孔懷同 氣之親，手足又不可因財失義。以全天性之醇風矣。今立關書五本一樣， 以為各執一本。以為子孫世代創紹執存照。 房長日發、日明 耆老陳廣進、徐奇顯 乾隆七年拾壹月初五日 立分單父起達 (a) This is a deed of division. Hei-tat, the father, and M. Man, the mother, had Àve sons, the eldest Shing-kei, the second Sam-pak, the third Shing-yin, the fourth Shing-chiu, and the Àfth Shing-foh. Now since they are married, our responsibility (as parents) has...