Old Hong Kong-4 — Page 10

DENT & CO.

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Reference to the City Hall foundation stonelaying, last week and the recent article on the Clock Tower ( originally sponsored by Mr. John Dent) recall his gift to the Colony of a fountain, which stood for many years opposite the City Hall. Mr. John Dent came out to China in the Twenties of last century, being one of the pioneer merchants at Canton. He founded the mercantile firm of Dent and Company which moved over to Hongkong shortly after the island was ceded to Britain. The firm became early property owners here, and obtained a grant of land ( in June 1841 ) on both sides of Queen's Road Central. They built offices and godowns (then on the seafront) with a pier nearby, on a site next to the present Exchange Building, and the "taipan's " house known as " Green Bank " (see 7-3-34 nearby on the slopes alongside Zetland Street. I give two sketches from old plans (of the Forties which show Dent's Pier and also " Greenbank " It is interesting to find in the old chronicles that Dent's premises were among several which were attacked by armed Chinese robbers in April, 1843.

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Mr. John Dent himself was identified with practically all the local questions which concerned the mercantile community, also took an active part in urging administrative and other reforms. We find his name associated with most of thepetitions and commissions of those early years until well into the Sixties and he was one of the original batch of Justices of thePeace appointed in Hongkong in 1843. He was also appointed an Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council in December, 1857. He resigned in 1861, but was re-appointed in 1866: he finally resigned in 1867, when his firm failed.

In 1855 Mr. John Dent was prominent in the opposition to the Government's first Praya Central scheme : whereby the authorities reasserted their foreshore rights, and the lot-holders had to pay rent for the acquired areas after carrying out a small reclamation opposite their properties. This reclamation and seawall gave the city its first Praya ( so named after the Macao fashion, and retai- ned until to-day which is now des Voeux Road, Central. The opposition triumphed at first, but the scheme was eventually put through.

Dent & Co.as a pioneer concefn of good standing, were doing a propesrous business, and flourished here for over twenty years, We find that in 1844, an addition to their shore accommodation

(which presumably proved inadequate for all thier merchandise ) they possessed a floating warehouse, in the form of a hulk moored In the harbour, known as the " John Barry ".

Dent's also owned the premises known as Exchange Building i on the site where the Queen's Theatre and China Building now

tand) which they sold to the Government in 1847. for use as

Supreme Court (see 25-10-34 ).

Dent & Co., had as an agency the Union Insurance Society of Canten (see-31-10-34 ) and also issued ( in 1864 ) the prospectus of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Company now the great H.K. and S. Banking Company, Borp., The old firm was near its end, however, In 1867 it proved unable to weather the commercial depression and failed: the repercussions were felt by other local firms and institutions.

The name of Mr. John Dent may have died out with his own generation but for his gift to the Colony of a fountain or long known, as the City Hall Fountain. This structure was erected on

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