PARKES, SIR HARRY SMITH English diplomatist, son of Harry Parkes, founder of the firm of Parkes, Otway and Company, ironmasters, was born at Birchills Hall, near Walsall in Staffordshire, in 1828, and was educated at King Ed ward's school, Birmingham. In 1842 he received an appointment in the consular service, and accompanied Sir Henry Pottinger to Peking, and witnessed the signing of the treaty on board the "Cornwallis" in August 1842. By this treaty the five ports of Canton, Amoy, Fuchow, Ningpo and Shanghai were opened to trade. After short residences at Canton and the newly opened Amoy, Parkes was appointed to the consulate at Fuchow. Here he served under Rutherford Alcock. In 1849 he returned to Eng land, returning to China in 1851. After a short stay at Amoy as interpreter he was transferred in the same capacity to Canton. In May 1854 he was promoted to be consul at Amoy, and in 1855 was chosen as secretary to the mission to Bangkok, being employed in negotiating the first European treaty with Siam.
In June 1856 he returned to Canton as acting consul, a posi tion which brought him into contact with the obstinate Commis sioner Yeh. When, in Oct. 1856, as a climax to many outrages, Yeh seized the British lorcha "Arrow" and made prisoners of her crew, Parkes at once closed with his enemy. In response to a strongly worded despatch from Parkes, Bowring, governor of Hong-Kong, placed matters in the hands of Admiral Sir M. Seymour, who took Canton at the close of the same month but had not a sufficient force to hold it. In December 1857 Canton was again bombarded by Seymour. Parkes, who was attached to
the admiral's staff, was the first man to enter the city, and Parkes virtually governed this city of a million inhabitants for three years.
Meanwhile the treacherous attack at Taku upon Sir Frederick Bruce led to a renewal of hostilities in the north, and Parkes was ordered up to serve as interpreter and adviser to Lord Elgin (July, 186o). While arranging for a meeting between Lord Loch and the Chinese peace commissioners he, Mr. (afterwards Lord) Loch, Mr. de Norman, Lord Elgin's secretary of lega tion, Mr. Bowlby, the Times correspondent, and others, were treacherously taken prisoners (Sept. 18, 186o) and incarcerated for some days. In revenge Lord Elgin burned down the Summer Palace of the emperor. Towards the end of 186o Parkes returned to his post at Canton. On the restoration (Oct. 1860 of the city to the Chinese he returned to England on leave, and received the K.C.B.
On his return to China he served for a short time as consul at Shanghai, and was then appointed minister in Japan (1865). For eighteen years he held this post, using his influence in support of the Liberal party of Japan. So earnestly did he throw in his lot with these reformers that he became a marked man, and incurred the bitter hostility of the reactionaries, who on three separate occasions attempted to assassinate him. In 1882 he was trans ferred to Peking. He died on March 2 1 , 1885.