# William Caine

_British colonial administrator (1798-1871)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/william-caine
Last updated: 2026-11-02

> William Caine was the first head of the Hong Kong Police Force, Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1846 to 1854. He attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel prior to his secretary appointment. Caine was also the acting Governor of Hong Kong between May and September 1859.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 17 March 1799 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q877000#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Maynooth ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q877000#P19))
- **Died:** 19 September 1871 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q877000#P570))
- **Place of death:** Granville Park ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q877000#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Kingdom of Great Britain; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q877000#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q877000#P106))
- **Positions held:** Governor of Hong Kong ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q877000#P39))

## Questions

**When was William Caine born?**  
William Caine was born on 17 March 1799 in Maynooth.

**What positions has William Caine held?**  
Positions held by William Caine include: Governor of Hong Kong.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): William Caine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Caine_(Hong_Kong)) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q877000](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q877000) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Captain William Caine.jpg by police.gov.hk (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Captain_William_Caine.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article William Caine, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Captain William Caine.jpg — police.gov.hk, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"William Caine". DigiNepal. Last updated 2 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/william-caine. Retrieved 15 November 2026.