JARDINE MATHESON & CO. (contd.)
586
On Dr. Jardine's departure from Canton, the foreign community entertained him at a dinner in the dining-room of the old East India Company factory, a large gathering of all nationalities being present.
He was succeeded in the management of the firm by Mr. James Matheson, who finally left China in 1842. Mr. James Matheson was a gentleman of great suavity of manner and the personification of benevolence.
Following Mr. James Matheson came his nephew Alexander (afterwards Sir Alexander Matheson, Bart., of Ardross) who had received his early business training in India, joining his uncle in Canton in 1835.
In 1842, having been driven out of Macao owing to the short-sighted policy of the Portuguese authorities, the firm transferred its headquarters to the then almost barren island of Hongkong, where the isolated promontory of East Point was purchased, substantial offices, godowns, and dwelling houses erected, and a slipway laid down for the hauling up and repairing of the fleet of schooners and brigs employed by the firm in the coasting trade of that day.
The offices erected at that time continued to be used as such by the firm until the year 1864, when a move was made to the central part of the town, the buildings thereafter being used as junior mess quarters. The dwelling houses erected for the senior and junior partners at East Point, now probably the oldest houses in the Colony, are situated on a hill some 200 feet in height overlooking the harbour, and surrounded by an unusually large compound containing a very fine avenue of trees, now known as Lee Gardens. Though erected over ninety years ago, these houses remained in excellent condition, their wide verandahs, spacious and lofty rooms and passages, and finely dressed stone exterior bearing evidence of the good work performed by the Chinese workmen in 1842. The property was sold to the late Mr. Lee Hysan about eight years ago.
*******
On the retirement of Mr. Alexander Matheson in 1852, the firm was successively ruled by members of the Jardine family, Messrs. Andrew, David, Joseph and Robert (afterwards Sir Robert Jardine, Bart., of Castlemilk), all nephews of the founder of the house, and all of whom worthily maintained their uncle's reputation for shrewdness and business capacity combined with benevolence, love of sport, and hospitality.
With the advent of steam and telegraphs, the method of conducting business in the Far East underwent radical change, and to a very great extent the "merchant" was displaced by the "commission agent". Those controlling the policy of Jardine, Matheson and Co. were, fortunately, shrewd enough to fall into line with the altered state of affairs before it was too late, and thus escaped the disaster which overtook so many of the grand old China houses.
From its early days, a fundamental principle of the firm has been that its senior positions should be filled, and the controlling influence exercised, by the immediate relatives and descendants of its founders. So far there has never been wanting a cadet of either family successfully to guide the destinies of the enterprise so well initiated by these shrewd and able Scots.
**
With all that concerns the welfare of the Colony of Hongkong those connected with Jardine, Matheson and Co. Ltd. have ever been closely identified. Streets bear the names of long-departed partners, the recently demolished City Hall was built mainly owing to the public-spirited generosity of Sir Robert Jardine, while on the Legislative and Executive Councils it has been seldom indeed that the firm's representative has not held a seat.
For a great many years the active management of affairs was in the hands of Mr. William Keswick, M.P., a kinsman of Sir Robert Jardine. Under his management the firm prospered and extended its branches to every Treaty port in China, to Japan and to the United States.
In 1905, Sir Robert Jardine died, and for family reasons the firm was then turned into a private Limited Liability Company, the first governing director being Sir R. W. Buchanan-Jardine, Bart., with Messrs. Wm. Keswick, M.P., W. J. Gresson, and Henry Keswick as its managing directors.
The history of the firm since then, is known to most people, its shipping and engineering departments being offshoots of the great trading enterprise the
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JARDINE MATHESON & CO. (contd.)
586
بو
On Dr. Jardine's departure from Canton, the foreign community entertained him at a dinner in the dining-room of the old East India Company factory, a large gathering of all nationalities being present.
He was succeeded in the management of the firm by Mr. James Matheson, who finally left China in 1842. Mr. James Matheson was a gentleman of great suavity of manner and the personification of benevolence.
Following Mr. James Matheson came his nephew Alexander (afterwards Sir Alexander Matheson, Bart., of Ardross) who had received his early business training in India, joining his uncle in Canton in 1835.
In 1842, having been dirven out of Macao owing to the short-sighted policy of the Portuguese authorities, the firm transferred its headquarters to the then almost barren island of Hongkong, where the isolated promontory of East Point was purchased, substantial offices, godowns, and dwelling houses erected, and a slipway laid down for the hauling up and repairing of the fleet of schoon- ers and brigs employed by the firm in the coasting trade of that day.
The offices erected at that time continued to be used as such by the firm until the year 1864, when a move was made to the central part of the town, the buildings thereafter being used as junior mess quarters. The dwelling houses erected for the senior and junior partners at East Point, now probably the old- est houses in the Colony, are situated on a hill some 200 feet in height over- Looking the harbour, and surrounded by an unusually large compound containing a very fine avenue of trees, now known as Lee Gardens. Though erected over ninety years ago, these houses remained in excellent condition, their wide verandahs, spacious and lofty rooms and passages, and finely dressed stone exterior bearing evidence of the good work performed by the Chinese workmen in 1842. The property was sold to the late Mr. Lee Hysan about eight years ago.
*******
On the retirement of Mr. Alexander Matheson in 1852, the firm was succes- sively ruled by members of the Jardine family, Messrs. Andrew, David, Joseph and Robert (afterwards Sir Robert Jardine, Bart., of Castlemilk), all nephews of the founder of the house, and all of whom worthily maintained their uncle's reputation for shrewdness and business capacity combined with benevolence, love of sport, and hospitality.
With the advent of steam and telegraphs, the method of conducting business in the Far East underwent radical change, and to a very great extent the "mer- chant" was displaced by the "commission agent". Those controlling the policy of Jardine, Matheson and Co. were, fortunately, shrewd enough to fall into line with the altered state of affairs before it was too late, and thus escaped the disaster which overtook so many of the grand old China houses.
From its early days, a fundamental principle of the firm has been that its senior positions should be filled, and the controlling influence exercised, by the immediate relatives and descendants of its founders. So far there has never been wanting a cadet of either family successfully to guide the destinies of the enterprise so well initiated by these shrewd and able Scots.
**
With all that concerns the welfare of the Colony of Hongkong those con- nected with Jardine, Matheson and Co. Ltd. have ever been closely identified. Streets bear the names of long-departed partners, the recently demolished City Hall was built mainly owing to the public-spirited generosity of Sir Robert Jardine, while on the Legislative and Executive Councils it has been seldom indeed that the firm's representative has not held a seat.
For a great many years the active management of affairs was in the hands of Mr. William Keswick, M.P., a kinsman of Sir Robert Jardine. Under his manage- ment the firm prospered and extended its branches to every Treaty port in China, to Japan and to the United States.
In 1905, Sir Robert Jardine died, and for family reasons the firm was then turned into a private Limited Liability Company, the first governing director being Sir R. W. Buchanan-Jardine, Bart., with Messrs. Wm. Keswick, M.P., W. J. Gresson, and Henry Keswick as its managing directors.
The history of the firm since then, is known to most people, its shipping and engineering departments being offshoots of the great trading ́enterprise the
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