Guest Speaker: Professor Ian Gow
Held on: Monday 3rd of March 2025 at 7pm
lan, standing in for the scheduled speaker, gave an engaging talk on Admiral Sir James Stirling, from Drumpellier, Coatbridge, 10 miles from Glasgow. This is part of his ongoing research project “Scots in Tokugawa Japan (1600-1868)”.
Stirling, as C-in-C of the China and East Indies Fleet, was in pursuit of the Russian Pacific Fleet (Crimean War). He sailed into Nagasaki in 1854 seeking an understanding of the Japanese authorities on how they would deal with the two fleets during the war if they entered Japanese harbours. Much to his surprise he was offered a full Treaty of Friendship. This unexpected voluntary concession by the Japanese meant that this Scot had almost single handedly reopened diplomatic relations between Britian with Japan after more than two centuries when the East India Company factory in Hirado closed in 1623.
lan gave a fascinating overview of the gradual breakdown on Japan’s self-imposed Isolation policy towards western powers (except the Dutch) in the first half of the 19th century. He then explained why it was the Americans under Commodore Perry who were first to obtain a treaty and not the more powerful British. He then showed the sophisticated way in which Stirling dealt with the Japanese authorities and the difficulties of negotiation, especially translations. He then addressed the reasons why Stirling’s achievements have been overshadowed by Commodore Perry in 1853 and Lord Elgin in 1858 arguing that this outstanding Scottish naval officer and colonial official (Governor of Western Australia) has not received the recognition he deserves by contemporaries and scholars to this day.
