1941-01-20 — Page 132

· “CHINA MALL, PAGE-84-

2 AX

HONG KONG CENTENARY NUMBER.

1941

1841

A Glimpse Of The Americans

MUCH of the Colony's early

history is bound up with the records of the old firms, whose beginnings are often of the great. est interest to us now, and deserve to be placed on record.

A firm which can claim to be the oldest-established out here is Shewan,

Company. Tomes and with a connection going back to 1818. when its predecessors, Samuel Russell and Co. (later Russell and Ca.) came into being at Canton. The original firm was an American vue, originating in Boston, and its history not only gives us a valuable insight 10 America's early trade with China, tions which have always existed between the British and Amer- icans in this Colony.

Perkins And Co.

Some of the old documents and and pictures relating to Russell Co. are still preserved in Shewan, Tomes and Co's office here; and references to the firm occur in Hunter's "Fan Kwae at Canton" as well as a comparatively recent publication, "Old Shipping Days in Boston."

The early American commercial dealings with China were extab- ished by Major Shaw, who made a final voyage to this part of the world in 1789. In his wake came uther American merchants, one of these being Colonel Thomas Han- dasyd Perkins, one of Boston's foremost merchants and head of the Boston house of J. & T. H. Perkins. He founded the house of Perkins and Co. at Canton, then the second largest American firm in China, in 1803.

The house of Perkins and Co. had a successful career, and was merged in 1824 with Russell and Co. Many prominent men were connected with the old house of Perkins, and owed their success and fortunes to this fact.

King Of Salem

Colonel Perkins in his youth had been employed by the Messrs. Shattuck, one of the most active firms of merchants in Boston at one time, and in 1789 he first turn- ed h's attention to China, coming oth as supercargo in the "Astraea," which was owned by Elias Hasket Derby, often called the King of Salem Merchants. The "Astraea" a few years later was the first ve sel to carry the American flag to Manila.

The most important American firm east of the Cape of Good Hope, however, was Russell and Co., which was established under that name at Canton in 1824, but commenced in 1818. This house was usually referred to as Kee Cheong by the Chinese, and its successors retain the name to-day. Canton was then the only port in China open to foreigners, but later vight other branches were estab- lished — at Hong Kong, Foochow, Shanghai and other places.

The partners of this house in- cluded many well-known New York, Connecticut, and Massa- chusetts names, among the latter such men as Augustin Heard of Ipswich, (who later founded his own firm in Hong Kong), W. H. and A. A. Low, both of Salem, Thomas T., John M., R, B., M., and F. B. Fobes, all of Boston, Warren and Edward Delano of Fairhaven, Russell Sturgis, Joseph Coolidge, Robert Shaw Sturgis, Edward Cunningham, George Tyson, H. S. Grew, W. H, Foster, Jr., E. D. Barbour, Walter Scott Fitz, and David O. Clark also of Boston, E. W. Stevens of Law-

rence. and F. Delano Hitch of Fairhaven, These men ploughed distant seas in their New England built ships, and transacted busi- ness with every port of the world, and, while in China, practically lived in exile for many years at a time.

Samuel Russell

The firm was originally founded by Samuel Russell, who came out to China from Middletown, Con- necticut, in 1818, ds representative of B. and T. "C. Hoppin of Pro- vidence. Later he and Philip Amidon, who represented Brown and Ives, also of Providence, formed a partnership; and Mr. J. P. Cushing, who was placed in charge of the house of Perkins and Co. of China at the age of 16, effected a consolidation in 1824 of these two great drms, John M. Forbes. Augustin Heard, and W. A. Low being taken into partner- ship.

The house of Russell and Co. was therefore actually constituted on January 1, 1324, in succession to that of Samuel Russell and Co. which had existed from December 26, 1818, to December 26, 1823. It confined itself strictly to agency business. From January 1, 1824, until the middle of 1830 the sole partners were Mr. Russell and Mr.

In Philip Amidon.

September, 1829, Mr. W H. Low arrived from Salem in the ship "Samatra" and in November, 1830, Mr. Augustin Heard, Senior, arrived from Bos- ton in the barque "Lintin." These two gentlemen (Mr. Low and Mr. Heard) became partners in the house, the first until the end of the year 1833, when, having been ubliged to leave Canton from ill- health, he was landed and died at the Cape of Good Hope.

Picturesque Figure

One

of the most picturesque figures in the firm, thereafter, was Captain Robert Bennet Forbes, who was in addition а master mariner, and is perhaps best re- membered as the captain of some famous ships in the China trade.

Russell and Co. expanded its business and soon became the most powerful American house in the East, having connections in London with Baring Bros, and Co. and the Rothschilds in France, in India with Jamesetjee, Jejeebhoy and Sons, and in Boston at differ ent times with J. and T. H. Per- kins, Bryant and Sturgis, W. Appleton and Co., and Robert G. Shaw. The offices of Russell and Co. were in the centre of the row of Hongs or "factories" established at Canton. They later moved to Hong Kong, as we shall see.

About the late Thirties the Western trade at Canton was at its peak, and presently with the founding of Hong Kong a new - aspect was given to the develop- ment of this commerce, and Rus- sell and Co, extended its interests to the Colony.

Shewan, Tomes and Co, became the successors of Russell and Co. in Hong Kong, occupying the same offices. Upon the walls can still be seen the pictures of some of the famous ships that belonged to the firm; and even the linen re- lained by the new firm bears the inscription "R. and Co." and the same "Kee Cheong" blue and white flag, that has sailed over 50 many seas, is in use.

Let us revert to the old firm, and note the names of the prin- cipals in the Thirties. These were. Mr. Samuel Russell (the founder), Mr. Philip Amidon, Mr. W. II.

4

Low and Mr. Augustin Heard. Mr. Low, however, died at the end of 1833. During the term of 1834-5, consequent upon the death of Mr. Low, there were admitted Mr. John C. Green, Mr. John M. Forbes and Mr. Joseph Coolidge: and Mr. Heard retired.

on

The term of 1837-8-9 saw the withdrawal of Messrs. Forbes and Coolidge, the first December 31, 1838 and the latter on Decem- ber 31, 1839. Partners admitted on January 1, 1837, were Mr. A. A Low (nephew of Mr. W. H. * Low) who had come out to join the office in 1833, and Mṛ, W. C. Hunter, (the author of the book "The Fan Kwae at Canton,” from which book some of this history is taken). Mr. Edward King, who came out in 1834, was taken in the office on arrival, and became a partner on July 1, 1837: Mr. Robert B. Forbes who arrived in Canton in October, 1838, was ad- mitted on January 1, 1839 and became the chief of the house.

The term of 1840-41-42, Mr. A.

George Smith, the first Bishop of Victoria, 1850. From an en. graving in the Chater Collection by G. Richmond.

A, Low having retired, began with the admission of Mr. Warren Delano (formerly of the house of Russell, Sturgis & Co. of Canton and Manila). He succeeded Mr. Forbes as chief of the house when ̈ the latter left for New York on July 1, 1840, Mr. Russell Sturgis, also a former partner of Russell Sturgis & Co. bécame a partner on January 1, 1842. Mr. King and Mr. Hunter retired on December 31, 1842.

Russell and Co, continued for some time at Canton, the firm's address in 1848 being' given as "No. 1, 2 and 3, Swedish Hong." The partners that year were Paul. S. Forbes (who acted also 09 American Consul at Canton), W. H. King and George Perkins.

The firm opened a branch in Hong Kong in the Fifties, and established themselves in Queen's Road, Locally resident partners in 1880, were Warren Delano, Jr., · · and George Tyson. By 1864 the staff had considerably grown, and the agencies were all in charge of principals of the concern. In 1859 they had established in excellent river steamer service between Canton and Hong Kong, and later, as we shall see, were connected with insurance and shipping busi- ness on a big scale.

The late Mr. Robert Gordon She- wan joined the firm in 1881, having been engaged by the London

agents, the well-known banking firm of Baring Bros. and Co. He arrived in Hong Kong in February that year, on St. Valentine's Day, and was connected with the Colony until his death ધ (ew years ago. At the time of Mr. Shewan's arrival, Mr. William Howell Forbes was in charge of the local office of Russell and Co., with Mr. C. Vincent Smith as his assistant, and Mr. Charles Alexan- der Tomes was also a member of the firm, originally in charge of Mr. T. the shipping department. B. Cunningham was at the time running the Canton office.

The head book-keeper in Hong Kong, was Mr. E. U. Smith, quite a character in his way; and others of those days connected with the firm included Captain Thebaud, master of the "Esmeralda" and later of the "Diamante," running across to Manila, and who was the first to suggest the establishment locally of a rope works. There are few now who recollect the old "Esmeralda" and "Diamante," but they were fine little ships in their day, and their masters will be re- membered, Caplain McCaslin, Captain Talbot and Captain Cul- len, all fine types of seafarers,

Unique List

In 1891 the business of Russell and Co. was reorganised, the firm coming to an end, and being taken over by Mr. Shewan under the firm name of Shewan and Com- pany. In 1895 he was joined in partnership by Mr. C. A. Tomes, and the firm adopted its present name of Shewan, Tomes and Co. Mr. Tomes retired as recently as 1914, and his death, it will be re- called, occurred in 1933.

Mr. I. W. Shewan and Mr. A. L. Shields are the sole partners to- day.

Some of the enterprises with which the firms of Russell and Co. and Shewan, Tomes and Co. have been connected form an al- most unique list of industrial schemes, pointing to the steady development of the Colony.

We might consider the following:

Messrs. Russell and Co. started the Hong Kong Rope Manufac- turing Co., the Yangtze Insurance Co. of Shanghai, and the, Shanghai Steam Navigation Co. which was subsequently sold to the China Merchants Steam Navigation Co.; and also founded the China Manila Steamship Company, which was wound up in 1914, the "Ruby" and "Zafiro" being the last two ships of that line.

On Waterfront

Messrs. Shewan, Tomes and Co. started the Green Island Cement Co.; the China Light and Power Co.; China Provident, Loan and Mortgage Co.; and Sandakan Light and Power Co., all of which are In existence to-day.

From the original offices in Queen's Road, the business of Russell and Co. was moved to Des Voeux Road, then on the water- front to a house on the site of the present Exchange. Building,

Shewan, Tomes and Co. had their origin in these old premises, and the company's mess was on the top floor. The building stood for a long time, and several other businesses were

afterwards con-

ducted

therein, including the "South China Morning Post" in its earlier days. The next move by Shewan, Tomes was to St.. George's Building, and in 1983 they took offices in the National Commercial and Savings Bank Building.