Background
Reginald was born on October 13, 1874, in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Reginald was born on October 13, 1874, in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Reginald received his education at Edinburgh University in Scotland. He also studied at Magdalen College in Oxford. He gained the Gray prize at Edinburgh for an English Essay and was Proxime accessit for the Lord Rector's essay. He also gained first class certificates in Rhetoric and English Literature and Constitutional Law and History. He graduated from Oxford in 1898 with Honours in History.
He was appointed Cadet in the Hongkong Civil Service in 1898. In 1900-1902 he was a private secretary to the Governor. Till 1904, he worked as an assistant colonial secretary. The same year he was appointed a secretary to the Government at Weihaiwei. He became a district officer and magistrate in 1906.
In 1917 he was offered the honorary degree of Doctor of Law by the University of Hongkong. In 1917-1918 he administered the Government of Weihaiwei. He also created the Companion of the order of the British Empire. In 1919 he accepted the invitation of the Chinese Government to become Tutor to the ex-Emperor of China.