FALCONER & CO.
One of the older-established firms in Hongkong is Falconer and Co.; whose beginnings (under a different name) can be traced back to 1846, when Mr. Douglas Lapraik set up here as a watchmaker. Old chronicles give Mr. Douglas Lapraik's establishment a location in D'Aguilar Street, apparently near the junction with Queen's Road. He is described as a watch and chronometer maker, and he had as assistant (1847) Mr. Harry Rutherford. The business increased and by 1863 he had quite a large staff, the most senior of whom was Mr. George Falconer.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lapraik had become interested in shipping and in 1860 had founded a small concern which later (1883) developed into the Douglas Steamship Company, Ltd. (see 8-11-33).
About 1865, or thereabouts, Mr. George Falconer appears to have bought the Lapraik interests in the watchmaking firm, and it developed into the present Falconer and Co.
It is interesting to find that the older name appears on a timepiece still in use. In the Stamp Office, on the second floor of the General Post Office buildings, is a wall clock with the name "D. Lapraik, Hongkong" across its face.
Perhaps one of the best-known pieces of mechanism of this nature they provided was that which they fitted into the old Clock Tower which stood at the top of Pedder Street. The following extract from an old chronicle gives the history of the Colony's former town clock:
"At the suggestion of Mr. J. Dent a public meeting on July 28, 1860 took into consideration the proposal to erect by public subscription a clock tower (80 feet high) with town clock and fire bell, the tower to be connected with a drinking fountain and arrangements were also to be made for the firing of a time ball. A Committee was appointed (J. Brodersen, C. St. G. Cleverly) to collect subscriptions which at first flowed in generously. Delay in the execution of the scheme soon caused the enthusiasm to cool down, subscriptions stopped, the scheme had to be curtailed, all the decorative features of the original pretty design had to be abandoned and the result was an ugly tower obstructing the principal thoroughfare.
"Mr. D. Lapraik came generously to the rescue of the Committee and provided at his own cost, the town clock, which sounded for the first time on New Year's Eve (December 31, 1862) ushering in the year of 1863. (Mr. John Dent gave a separate drinking fountain, which used to stand opposite the City Hall.)
It might be noted that a subscription list for a town clock had been circulated as early as 1856.
The Clock Tower was demolished in 1913, though the work appears to have been commenced some time in 1912. It is understood that the clock itself was sold to the Canton Customs, and is still in use in their premises (see 30-6-33).
In the Public Works Department report on 1913, appears the following item of expenditure: "Clock Tower removing clock and taking down tower at junction of Pedder's Street with Queen's Road, Central $560."