Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Sir John Francis Davis, 1st Baronet KCB (1795 1890) was a British diplomat, Sinologist, and the 2nd Governor of Hong Kong. He was the son of Samuel Davis and nephew to William Thomas Mercer (later Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong). ohn Davis was appointed writer in East India Company's factory at Canton in 1813. Because of his linguistic abilities, he was chosen to accompany Lord Amherst on his embassy to Peking in 1816.