The Hubback Genealogy

Note: The following sections contain a fictional letter, written from the perspective of Arthur Benison Hubback as if he were reflecting on his life and family. It is crafted to help readers imagine the thoughts and feelings of a man who lived through a remarkable era - but it is not a historical document. Enjoy it as a work of imagination, inspired by real events.

A Letter from Malaya

"They say a man leaves his mark on the world through the buildings he creates. I left Liverpool as a young man of twenty-four, armed with little more than a sharp pencil, a steady hand, and a restless spirit. I had no university degree - just a solid apprenticeship under Thomas Shelmerdine, the City Architect of Liverpool, and a burning desire to see what lay beyond the horizon.

The steamship carried me eastward, past Gibraltar, through the Suez Canal, across the Indian Ocean - each day drawing me further from the grey skies of my homeland and closer to the promise of the East.

When I first set foot in Malaya in 1895, I was just a draughtsman in the Public Works Department. But I had eyes that could see what others could not - the potential in this land, the beauty in its architecture, the stories waiting to be told in brick and mortar. The heat was oppressive, the smells unfamiliar, the languages a jumble of Malay, Chinese, Tamil, and English. But the possibilities - oh, the possibilities! Here was a land being shaped by empire, where a young draughtsman could dream of buildings that would stand for centuries."

Signed : Arthur Benison Hubback. This is his story. This is his family's story.

Liverpool Docks circa 1890 – the Landing-Stage, where young Arthur Benison Hubback would have departed for Malaya in 1895.

Picture of Liverpool Docks circa 1890
The Landing-Stage

📖 Table of Contents

The Era They Lived In
Family Tree (Genealogy)
The Father – Joseph Hubback
The Siblings
The Grandson – Arthur Gordon Voules Hubback
The Granddaughter – Yvonne Barbor (née Hubback)

The Era They Lived In

The Hubback family's story spans multiple eras, with each generation living through distinct historical periods. Here is a quick overview of the key periods that shaped their lives:

Period	Years	Hubback Family Connection
Industrial Revolution	~1760-1840	Joseph Hubback (1814-1882) lived through its peak
Victorian era	1837-1901	Joseph, Arthur, Theodore, George, Joseph Guy, and the sisters were all born and raised in this era
Edwardian era	1901-1910	The siblings came of age and began their careers
World War I	1914-1918	Arthur served as a brigadier general
Interwar period	1918-1939	Theodore established Taman Negara, George became a bishop
World War II	1939-1945	George served as Bishop of Calcutta Arthur Gordon Voules served in the Royal Navy
Post-war	1945-present	George, Joseph Guy, Arthur Gordon Voules, and Yvonne lived into the mid-to-late 20th century

The family's timeline stretches from the height of the Industrial Revolution through the Victorian and Edwardian eras, across two World Wars, and into the modern age - a remarkable span of over 170 years.

Family Tree (Genealogy)

Below is a visual representation of the Hubback family lineage, modelled after the classic WikiTree style.

Joseph Hubback (1814-1882)
- ↳ m. Georgina Eliott-Lockhart
  - Arthur Benison Hubback (1871-1948)
    - ↳ m. Margaret Rose Frances "Daisy" Voules (1877-1969)
      - Arthur Gordon Voules Hubback (1902-1970)
      - Yvonne Barbor (née Hubback) (c.1912-2010)
  - Theodore Rathbone Hubback (1872-1942)
  - Joseph Guy Hubback (1876-1951)
    - ↳ m. Ina Agness Mainwarring Pitt
  - George Clay Hubback (1882-1955)
  - Mabel Josephine Hubback
  - Ellen Charlotte Hubback

Note: Yvonne is the daughter of Arthur. Spouses and further descendants are not fully explored in this summary.

The Father - Joseph Hubback

Joseph Hubback (1814-1882) was a prominent merchant and public figure in Liverpool, England. He served as the Lord Mayor of Liverpool in 1870. His legacy in Liverpool includes the opening of Stanley Park, a 110-acre park designed by Edward Kemp, which he inaugurated during his mayoralty.

Joseph Hubback married three times. His third wife was Georgina Hubback (née Eliott-Lockhart). Upon his death in 1882, Georgina was left to bring up their five young children.

Born: 1814
Died: 1882
Occupation: Merchant, Lord Mayor of Liverpool (1870)
Notable Achievement: Opened Stanley Park, Liverpool

The Siblings - Arthur, Theodore, George, Joseph & The Sisters

Joseph and Georgina Hubback had five sons and two daughters. The sons made their mark in architecture, conservation, the church, and commerce. The daughters, typical of Victorian women, lived quieter lives, their stories often overshadowed by their brothers.

Arthur Benison Hubback (1871-1948)

Brigadier General Arthur Benison Hubback C.M.G., D.S.O., FRIBA was an English architect and army officer. He is the most well-known member of the family in Malaysia, credited as the master architect behind many iconic buildings in the region.

Unlike modern architects, Arthur did not hold a university degree. He trained through a traditional apprenticeship under Thomas Shelmerdine, the City Architect of Liverpool. He arrived in Malaya in 1895 as a draughtsman in the Public Works Department and rose through the ranks to become Chief Government Architect of the Federated Malay States - a testament to his talent and hard work.

In 1901, he married Margaret Rose Frances "Daisy" Voules (1877-1969), daughter of Sir Gordon Blennerhassett Voules. They had two children: a son, Arthur Gordon Voules Hubback (1902-1970), and a daughter, Yvonne Voules Hubback (1912-2010) who later married Dr. Ronald Barbor.

His professional standing was formally recognised when he was made a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA), the highest level of membership in the institute, awarded in recognition of his distinguished work.

To explore his full list of works and contributions in detail, please visit his dedicated spotlight page.

Born: 13 April 1871
Died: 8 May 1948
Occupation: Architect, Army Officer
Professional Title: FRIBA

Theodore Rathbone Hubback (1872-1942)

Theodore Rathbone Hubback initially came to Malaya to work with his brother Arthur as a civil engineer on the Malayan Railway tracks. He later became a plantation owner and a renowned game hunter.

In a remarkable transformation, he traded his guns for conservation and became one of Malaya's earliest wildlife conservationists. He published numerous journals and books on wildlife. The Malayan Gaur (Bos gaurus hubbacki) is named in his honour.

His greatest legacy is the formation of The King George V National Park (now Taman Negara), where he lobbied the Sultans of Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan to set aside land for conservation. He served as its first Chief Warden at his own expense.

Born: 1872 (approx.)
Died: 3 April 1942
Occupation: Engineer, Plantation Owner, Hunter, Conservationist
Notable Achievement: Founded Taman Negara

George Clay Hubback (1882-1955)

George Clay Hubback was the youngest of the three brothers. He began his career as a civil engineer before being ordained as an Anglican priest in 1910. He rose to become the Bishop of Calcutta and later the Bishop of Assam.

Born: 7 April 1882
Died: 1955
Occupation: Civil Engineer, Anglican Priest, Bishop

Joseph Guy Hubback (1876-1951)

Joseph Guy Hubback was the brother who chose commerce over fame. He began his professional life as a civil engineer stationed in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. In 1919, he made a significant career move, relocating to Singapore to become a rubber broker, working as Manager for the firm Messrs. Lewis & Peat at the heart of the region's booming rubber trade. He married Ina Agness Mainwarring Pitt in 1909 at St. George's Church in George Town, Penang. He passed away on 14 August 1951 at his home in Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent.

Born: 1876
Died: 14 August 1951
Occupation: Civil Engineer, Rubber Broker

Mabel Josephine Hubback & Ellen Charlotte Hubback

Mabel Josephine and Ellen Charlotte Hubback were the two sisters of the Hubback family. While their brothers shaped skylines, founded national parks, and rose to bishoprics, the sisters lived within the constraints of Victorian society. Their lives were guided by the doctrine of "separate spheres" - the public sphere for men, the domestic sphere for women.

Like many middle-class Victorian daughters, their education was designed not for careers but for the "drawing room" - to become the "Angel in the House". They were taught accomplishments such as sewing, embroidery, drawing, piano-playing, dancing, and French conversation, rather than science or classics.

Their stories are a reminder of the countless Victorian women whose lives remain invisible in the historical record, their contributions unrecorded, their portraits unpreserved.

The Grandson - Arthur Gordon Voules Hubback (1902-1970)

Arthur Gordon Voules Hubback was the son of Arthur Benison Hubback and Margaret Rose Frances "Daisy" Voules. Born on 11 September 1902 in Kuala Lumpur, he forged a distinguished career in the Royal Navy, rising to the rank of Vice-Admiral.

Educated at the Royal Naval College, Osborne, and Dartmouth, he served in the Plans Division at the Admiralty during World War II, where he was involved in planning the Norwegian campaign. He later commanded HMS Gregale and served on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Fleet.

After the war, he commanded the cruiser HMS Glasgow and held senior administrative posts, including Commodore Superintendent at Malta (1947) and Admiral Superintendent at HM Naval Base Portsmouth (1951). He was promoted to Vice-Admiral in 1954 and served as Fourth Sea Lord from 1958 until his retirement. In retirement, he became the Managing Director of Bailey's Dockyard in Malta.

He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1953 and knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1957. He married Elizabeth Pearson Rogers in 1930 and, after her death, married Sheila Mary Roberton in 1949. He passed away on 25 August 1970 in Christchurch, Hampshire.

Born: 11 September 1902
Died: 25 August 1970
Occupation: Royal Navy Officer (Vice-Admiral)
Notable Achievements: Fourth Sea Lord, KBE, CB

The Granddaughter - Yvonne Barbor (née Hubback)

Yvonne Barbor (née Hubback) was the daughter of Arthur Benison Hubback and Margaret Rose Frances "Daisy" Voules, and the sister of Arthur Gordon Voules Hubback. She played a crucial role in preserving the family's legacy, serving as the primary link between the past and the present.

In 2008, at the age of 95 (turning 96 that October), she met with the curator/founder of this online tribute. She shared invaluable stories, photographs, and documents about her father and uncles, which formed the foundation of this archive.

Yvonne was married to Dr. Ronald Barbor, who took up wood carving in his later years. The couple lived in Somerton, UK. She remained active in her literature club well into her old age, demonstrating the same vigour that characterized her father.

Born: c. 1912
Died: 2010
Occupation: Keeper of the Hubback family archive
Notable Achievement: Preserved and shared the Hubback family history

"We are not makers of history. We are made by history." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Thank you for reading. This summary is part of an ongoing effort to preserve the legacy of the Hubback family for future generations.

This online archive is a labour of passion, kept alive through personal funding and a deep respect for our shared heritage. If you spot any errors or have stories to share, feel free to reach out.

Originally Published: 27 June 2026 | Last Updated: 28 June 2026