RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1994 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/zk522640g 21 economic growth of the colony "While naturally trading for their own benefit, they think that they may justly claim to have contributed in no small way to the development, growth of prosperity of the Colony, and in their capacity as peaceful traders they consider themselves and their businesses a valuable asset to the community It has taken decades of hard work to create such an asset which they consider particularly valuable to the Colony since they have as impartial traders been instrumental to a great extent in attracting to this part business from all quarters of the globe thereby promoting British trade more than that of any other nation." As reasonable as this argument might seem to those who could differentiate between trade and politics, it found no sympathetic response among those who were responsible for the defence of the island and the patriotic call of God and King (CO129/144, p.573 No.520005) The letter was signed by the following firms with the date of their founding: Siemssen and Co. 1848 Arnhold, Karberg and Co. 1865 Melcher and Co. 1866 Sander, Wiele and Co. F. Blackhead and Co. 1854 Reuter, Brockelmann and Co. 1846 Garrels, Borner and Co. 1860 William Meyerink and Co. 1889 Carlowitz and Co. 1866 Deutsche-Asiatische Bank 1900 Carl Bodiker and Co. 1860 Raderkers and Co. 1868 The Medical Hall 1853 Jebsen and Co. 1894 Berblinger and Co. 1908 Bume and Reif 1905. Ferd. Bornemann and Co, 1888 Kruse and Co 1868 C.M. Schellhass Hans Schubart G. Prien 1880 Ulerup and Schluter 1905 China Export Import and Bank Compagnie 1856 Charles J. Gaupp 1859 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1994 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/zk522640g 39 Emile Ernest William Vogel had previously been an assistant in the large American firm of Russell and Co. After Mr. Hagedorn and Mr. Vogel dissolved their partnership, Vogel continued in business as Vogel and Co, until he left Hong Kong in 1881/82. E and J Meyer, Meyer and Co, Garrels, Börner and Co, Meyer, Alabor and Co, Meverink and Co, Rodatz and Co The firm of E. and J. Meyer was in operation by the year 1863. The 1866 Hong Kong Directory names the partners as Heinrich Constantine Meyer, Wilhelm Daniel Johannes Meyer (absent) and Otto Benecke. One of the assistants was G.C.F. Rodatz, who later went into business as Rodatz and Company. The same year the firm executed a deed of assignment of its assets to Frederick August Julius Menke and Albert Eduard Deetjen (GG 1 Dec. 1866). Heinrich Constantine Eduard Meyer later appears in 1891 as a partner in the firm of Meyer and Company. At about the same time as the firm of E and J. Meyer closed, the firm of Bahlmann and Company had financial reversals. It was dissolved. The liquidators were A. Letham and Adolph Meyer (DP 25 Aug. 1866). Adolph Emil Meyer is on the Hong Kong jury lists in 1865 as a clerk of (E. and J.) Meyer and Co., in 1866 as a merchant in Bahlmann and Co., in 1867 as an independent broker, from 1868 to 1871 as a merchant, and then successively with Meyer, Alabor and Co. and Meyer and Co. He died in March, 1884 at Hamburg, aged thirty-nine. His obituary states he was a partner in Messrs. Meyer and Co, Hong Kong (DP 9 May 1884). Johannes Alabor and Adolph E. Meyer entered into a partnership about the year 1873. In 1872, J. Alabor is listed as an assistant to A.E. Meyer, and from 1869 to that year he was an assistant in Schellhass and Company. The partnership between Meyer and Alabor, as Meyer, Alabor and Co., was dissolved in 1876 (DP 1 May 1876). Shortly after, Mr. Alabor opened an office in his own name (DP 1 July 1876) until the year 1880, when there must have been financial reversals, for he then became an assistant in the firm of Lammert and Co. He died in Hong Kong in May 1891, leaving a small estate of $1,500 (GG, H.K. Probate Calendar, 1891). The interest of Adolph Meyer was acquired after his death by Heinrich Constantine Eduard Meyer, of Hamburg and London. Johann Heinrich Garrels, who had become a partner about 1884, retained his interest in the firm. Page 60 Page 61 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1994 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/zk522640g 40 firm and Mr. Friedrich Christian Lemke was authorised to sign for the firm (GG 1 Jan. 1885). From 1879 to 1881 Mr. Garrels had been an assistant in Siemssen and Company, but in 1882 transferred to Meyer and Co. He remained a partner of Meyer and Co. until its name was changed in 1908 to Garrels, Bomer and Co. Heinrich Friedrick Myerink was admitted a partner in Meyer and Co. in 1878 (DP 1 Jan. 1878). He left the firm by 1884. From 1890 he was connected with the firm of William Meyerink and Co. The head office was in Shanghai, and a partner Max Tiefenbach was in Hamburg. Hermann Friedrich Meyerink died at Kobe on 10 September 1908, aged fifty-eight (DP 21 Sept. 1908). William Meyerink died in 1928, aged eighty-two (SCMP 31 Oct. 1928). Another partner of Meyer and Co. was O. Grabe, who was authorised to sign for the firm at Tientsin in 1874 (DP 3 Jan. 1874). His interest as a partner ceased in 1879, but he continued to sign until 31 May 1880 (DP 1 Jan. 1880). Gustav Fischer replaced Grabe as a partner. Johann George Ludwig Schroter and Hermann Friedrich George Borner became partners in 1896. The latter had been a former assistant in Siemssen and Co. before joining the staff of Meyer and Co. as an assistant. In 1896 the firm operated in Shanghai under the name of Meyer, Lemke and Co. There was a name change in 1908. Meyer and Co. became Garrels, Börner and Co., though there was not a change in partnership at the time. The partners were J. Heinrich Garrels, Herman Borner, Paul Wassendorf, and Carl Schroter. Hartwig Nellmer continued to sign for the firm (SCMP 1 July 1908). The Company was placed under liquidation in 1914. One of the three assistants in E. and J. Meyer and Co. in 1866 was Gottfried Carl Friedrich Rodatz. He left in 1868 to open a ship chandlery with Rudolph Freeks. The business continued until 1878 (DP 11 May 1878). Mr. Rodatz was Secretary of Club Germania in 1876. Heuermann, Herbst and Co. Leopold Frickel conducted a ship chandlery and sail-making establishment on Queen's Road from 1862. The business later became McEwen, Frickel and Co. It was not placed under liquidation in 1914 but became bankrupt the following year (CM 4 June 1915). In 1910 Ernest ================================================================================