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Updated on December 25, 2011
Traders
Opium related operations of the following companies and individuals existed before the First Opium War, most were operating in Canton.
British East India Company
Free Traders
Before 1830s
John Jacob Astor .John Jacob Astor
[1] All-time Wealthest American
1. John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937), Estimated 2006 Net Worth: $305.3 billion
2. Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), Estimated 2006 Net Worth: $281.2 billion
3. Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877), Estimated 2006 Net Worth: $168.4 billion
4. John Jacob Astor (1763-1848), Estimated 2006 Net Worth: $110.1 billion
Bill Gates' 2006 Net Worth was at $52 billion and, Li Ka-Shing (not American, but just for the fun of comparing) $19 billion
1830 and later
Companies
Bell and Co. - British, [1], [2], [3], [6]
Bibby, Adam, and Co. [1], [2], [6]
K. H. Cama and Co. - Parsee [4]
P. F. Cama and Co. - Parsee [4]
P. & D. N. Casmaji & Co. - Parsee [4]
J. and W. Cragg, and Co. [1], [2]
Daniel and Co. - British, [1], [2], [3], [5] 1,400 chests, [6]
Dent and Co. - British, [1], [2], [3], [4], [5] 1,700 chests, [6]
Dirom and Co. - British, [1], [2], [3], [6]
Abdulally Ebrahim and Co. - Parsee
Habibbhoy Ebrahim Sons and Co. - Parsee
Fox, Rawson, and Co. [1], [2]
W. and J. Gemmell and Co. [1], [2], [3], [6]
Gibb, Livingston, and Co. - British, [1], [2], [3], [4], [6]
Ameroodin Jaffeerbhoy Co. – Indian, [2], [3], [4], [6]
Jardine, Matheson and Co. - British, [1], [2], [3], [5] 7,000 chests (including 5,000 chests owned by its Parsee partners
Layton and Co. [2]
Lindsay and Co. - British, [1], [2], [3], [4], [6]
MacVicar and Co. - British, [1], [2], [3], [5] 1,000 chests, [6]
D. N. Mody and Co. - Parsee [4]
Hadjee Mohomed and M. M. Hossein
Cassumbhoy Nathabhoy Sons and Co. - Indian [4]
Nowrojee and Co. - Parsee [4]
Cawasjee Pallanjee and Co. – Parsee, [6]
Robert Wise Holliday, and Co. - British [1], [2], [3], [4], [6]
Russell and Co. - American, [1], [2], [4], [5] 1,400 chests
Russell, Sturgis, and Co. - American, [1], [2]
David SassoonRustomjee Ruttonjee and Co. – Parsee, [5] 14 chests
Turner and Co. - British, [1], [2], [3], [4], [6]
Wetmore and Co. - American, [1], [2], [4], ceased to deal in opium after the First Opium War
Individuals
Amerally Abdoolally - Parsee
Allarakia Adam
Vully Mohommed Allobhoy - Parsee
D. J. Barradas
B. C. Bhabba - Parsee
Cursetjee Bomanjee – Parsee, [1], [2]
Sackhuson Burdrooden – British, [1], [2], [3], [6]
Hormuzjee Byramjee – Parsee, [1], [2], [5] 4 chests
Charles Compton – British, [3], [6]
Framjee Dadabhoy – Parsee, [1], [2], [6]
I. de Souza – Portuguese, [1], [2]
Dassabhoy Hormutzjee Dollakac – Parsee, [5] 67 chests
Nasserwanjee Dorabjee – Parsee, [1], [2], [5] 127 chests, [6]
Pallonjee Dorabjee – Parsee, [5] 51 chests
Mohommedbhoy Dossabhoy - Parsee
Solomon Ebrahim - Parsee
Cowasjee Edulgee – Parsee, [5] 232, [6]
Ahmad Hadjee Esaac - Parsee
Hormuzjee Framjee – Parsee, [1], [2], [5] 73 chests, [6]
Nasserwanjee Framjee – Parsee, [6]
A. and D. Furdonjee – Parsee, [1], [2]
Alladinbhoy Habibbhoy - Parsee
Silas Aaron Hardoon - British / Baghdadi Indian Jew
Henderson [2]
Bomanjee Honsanjee – Parsee, [1], [2]
Dossabhoy Hormusjee – Parsee, [1], [2], [6]
Bomanjee Hosonojeeee – Parsee, [5] 3 chests, [6]
James Innes - British, [1], [2], [3]
Framjee Jametjee – Parsee, [1], [2]. [5] 12 chests
Macdonald – British [2], [3]
Eglinton Maclean – British [2], [3]
Bomanjee Manuckjee – Parsee, [1], [2], [6]
Burjoorjee Manockjee – Parsee, [1], [2], [6]
Nasserwanjee Bomonjee Mody – Parsee, [5] 92 chests
Burjorjee Monackjee – Parsee, [5] 54 chests
Pallanjee Nasserwanjee – Parsee, [1], [2], [5] 9 chests, [6]
Hadjee Abdoola Nathan - Parsee
Framjee Nowrojee - Parsee
Jamasetjee Pestonjee - Parsee
Ahmadbhoy Ramtoola - Parsee
Heerjeebhoy Rustomjee – Parsee, [1], [2], [5] 1,700 chests, [6]
Jamsetjee Rutonjee – Parsee, [1], [2]
Shasmkkshaw Rustomjee – Parsee, [1], [2], [6]
Dadabhoy & Manockje Rustomkee – Parsee, [1], [2], [5] 970 chests, [6]
Bomanjee Ruttonjee – Parsee, [5] 4 chests
Cowasjee Saporjee – Parsee, [1], [2], [5] 67 chests
S. A. Seth
Muncherjee Pestonjee Setna - Parsee [4]
Cursetjee Shapoorjee – Parsee, [1], [2], [6]
Abaden and Jam Sooden – Parsee, [1], [2], [5] 25 chests
Burjorjee Suradjee – Parsee [5] 59 chests, [6]
Cowasjee Saporjee Taback – Parsee, [5] 13 chests, [6]
Stewart – British, [2], [3]
Thackers - [5] 86 chests
David Wilson, British, ship captain
Opium related operations of the following companies and individuals began after the First Opium War. Their operation was mostly Hong Kong based.
Augustine Heard and Co. - American, [4]
Fletcher and Co - British, [4]
Emmanuel Raphael Belilios 庇理羅士 - Baghdadi Indian Jew, longest serving director (1868-1888) of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, became HSBC Chairman in 1876, a position he held until 1882. He was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1881 and as the Council's Senior Unofficial Member between 1892 and 1900.
Douglas Lapraik - British, [4]
George DuddellGeorge Duddell - British
Alexander Martin Mathieson – British (of the firm of McEwen and Co.), who together with George Duddell, secured Hong Kong's first ever opium monopoly at a public auctionat 2pm on February 28,1845, for a period of one year at the monthly rate of $710. Duddell was the Government Auctioneer at that time. Entirely unable to enforce their monopoly, Duddell and Mathieson negotiated the surrender of the lease within three months.
Lo Aqui 盧亞貴– Chinese, and partner Fung Attai bought opium monopoly, the one surrendered by Duddell and Mathieson, at an auction in July 1845 at the monthly rate of $1,710.
Fung Attai – Chinese, partner of Lo Acqui in operating the opium monopoly in 1845.
Chan Tai-kwong – Chinese, who was a protégé of the Bishop of Hong Kong and the front man of Wo Hang company 和興 – a syndicate of merchants from Xinhui 新會, obtained the opium monopoly in 1858, paying GBP7,075 for a twelve-month period. Wo Hang was heavily involved in coolie trade and the general entrepot trade of Hong Kong. Wo Hang's well known brands of opium included Hong Kong Hop Lung 香港合隆 and Hong Kong Wa Hing 香港華興.
Yan Wo company 仁和 – a syndicate of merchants from Dongguan 東莞 and rival of Wo Hang company, obtained the monopoly in 1859 at a annual rent of GBP 6,812. Well known brands of opium produced by Yan Wo included Sheung Wan Fook Lung 上環福隆, Sheung Wan Lai Yuen 上環麗源 and Wik To Lei Victoria Tai Shun 域多厘泰巽.Sun Yee company – in March 1874, Wo Hang, Yan Wo and a third copmany named Chap Sing formed a new syndicate known as the Sun Yee company, Wo Hang's headman Li Tak-cheong became the headman of Sun Yee.
It was estimated that by 1876 each Chinese person in Hong Kong, in average, smoked half a kilogram of opium in that year. Also, a total of 4,638,750 kilogram of Bengal opium 公班土 and Malwa opium 白皮土 were imported to Hong Kong.
Man Wo Fung company in 1878 paid $205,000 per year for three-year monopoly. The company's front man in Hong Kong is Singaporean Tan King-sing. He represent the company's principle shareholder and manager - Ban Hap (aka Ngan Chan Wai), a Hokkien Chinese based in Saigon.
Man Wo Sang company – in 1880, Yan Wo abandoned Sun Yee and went into partnership with Ban Hap, in a new enterprise known as Man Wo Sang.
Lee Keng-yam – a Singapore who led a syndicate from Singapore in 1885 paid $182,400 a year for a three-year monopoly.
The Lee TheaterLee Hysan 利希慎 (b.1879 Hawaii - d.1928 Hong Kong) – Hong Konger, American-Chinese (born in Hawaii), highly respected land developer and entrepreneur, also known as the 'King of Opium', inherited opium business from his father Lee Leung Yik 利良奕, held opium monopoly in Macao at one time, shot death on April 20, 1928 while go to lunch in Central; son Harold Hsiao-Wo Lee 利孝和 was co-founder of Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB); granddaughter Vivienne Poy 利德蕙 is Canadian Senator, owner of fashion house ' Vivienne Poy Mode' and Chancellor of the University of Toronto; Lee at one time owned an area in Causeway Bay that is bordered by Hysan Road (a road named after him), Percival Steet, Pak Sha Road, and Yun Ping Road, and the land lot that housed the Lee Theater that he built in 1925.
[1] Those who were signatories of a letter titled 'The Foreign Merchants to the Imperial Commissioner'___________________________________________________________
Canton, March 25, 1839
The foreign merchants of all nations, in Canton, have received with profound respect the Edict of his Excellency the Imperial Commissioner; and now beg leave to address his Excellency, having already communicated through the Hong merchants their intentions of doing so with the least possible delay.
The beg to represent, that being now made fully aware of the Imperial commands, &c., the entire abolition of the traffic in opium, the undersigned foreigners in Canton hereby pledge themselves not to deal in opium, nor to attempt to introduce it into the Chinese Empire.
Having now recorded their solemn pledge, they have only further most respectfully to state to his Excellency, that as individual foreign merchants they do not possess the power of controlling such extensive and important matters, as his Excellency's edict embraces; and they trust His Excellency will approve of their leaving a final settlement to be arranged through the Representative of their respective nations.
(Signed)
[2] Those who were held in imprisonment (house arrest) between March 25 and May 4 by order of Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu.
[3] Those British (including Anglo-Indian) merchants were discharged on signing a bond on May 27, 1839, guaranteeing that they would never return to China.
[4] Founding Members of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce.
[5] All opium merchants were asked to surrender their inventories of opium to Charles Elliot on March 27, 1939, who in turn surrendered the same to Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu. This shows the known quantity of opium surrendered to Elliot.
[6] Those who were signatories of a letter titled 'Memorial from Her Majesty's Subjects to Viscount Palmerston', Canton, May 23, 1839; in which opium merchants were appealing their claims on account of the opium surrendered for Her Majesty's service.
Licensees of Opium Monopoly 1844-1910
1845-1845 George Duddell / Alexander Martin Mathieson (surrendered after 3 months)
1845- ? Lo Aqui / Fung Attai
?
1858/1859 Wo Hang firm, 12 months license
1859/1860 Yan Wo firm, 12 months license
?
1874- ? Sun Yee firm, Wo Hang, Yan Wo and a third company Chap Sing joined hands
1878-1880 Man Wo Fung firm, 3 years license, brought in by Governor John Pope Hennessy
1880- ? Man Wo Sang firm, a new alliance between Yan Wo and Sun Yee
1883/1884 Kwong Shang Lung firm 香港中環廣生隆 headed by Hung Kwong 孔廣 and Wing Cheung firm 香港中環榮昌 headed by Luk Hing 陸慶, 12 month license
1885-1887 Lee Keung-yam, 3 years license
1890s Fook Hing firm, also exported opium to North America
1897- ? Man Fook firm Fook Hing firm
1905 Chin Joo Heng firm, the opium farm monopoly at the time cost in excess of half a million dollars.
By this time, the opium monopoly was providing around 20% of government revenue.
___________________________________________________________
The following Hong Kong shipping report from the Friend of China, March 24, 1842 showed date of movement, ship name and tonnage, etc.
January Ship Movements:
2nd - Sri Singapore 85T to Whampoa with opium. Mavis 113T from Macau to Whampoa with opium.
13th - Young Queen 85T from Macau to Macau with opium.
24th - Sylph 317T arrived from Calcutta with General cargo; departed for Macau 2.2.42 with opium. Caroline 85T to Whampoa with opium.
26th - Young Queen 85T to Macau with opium.
28th - Lady Grant 236T to East Coast with opium.
February Ship Movements:
4th - Harlequin 292T from East Coast with specie for Macau.
6th American ship Anglona 108T to Macau with opium.
7th - Australasian Packet 194T to East Coast with opium.
13th - Thistle 140T to Macau with opium.
15th - Aurora 90T to Macau with opium.
16th - American ship Ariel 105T East Coast with opium.
17th - Young Queen 85T to Macau with opium. Anglona 108T to East Coast with opium.
24th - Harrier 163T to East Coast with opium.
28th - Young Queen 85T to East Coast with opium.
___________________________________________________________
Opium Namesake
These are streets or places named after people connected with the dealing of opium, one way or the other:
Anton Street 晏頓街 was named after Charles Edward Anton – 16th Taipan of Jardine, Matheson and Co.
Duddell Street 都爹利街 was named after George Duddell – government auctioneer;
Gresson Street 機利臣街 was named after William Jardine Gresson – grandson of Elizabeth Jardine, daughter of William Jardine’s brother David; director of Jardine, Matheson and Co. (1901-1906) and director (1916-1910)
Gutzlaff Street 吉士笠街 was named after Karl Friedrich August Gutzlaff – Prussian Missionary; interpreter of Jardine, Matheson and Co.; Chinese Secretary of the Hong Kong Government
Hysan Avenue 希慎道 was named after Lee Hysan – opium dealer nicknamed “King of Opium of Hong Kong and Macau”; single largest land owner in Causeway Bay
Jardine's Bazaar 渣甸街, Jardine's Crescent 渣甸坊 and Jardine Terrace 渣甸台 were named after William Jardine – co-founder of Jardine, Matheson and Co.
Keswick Street 敬誠街 was named after James Johnstone Keswick – 10th Taipan of Jardine, Matheson and Co.; co-founded Hong Kong Land with Paul Chater; Chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce (1893-1894)
Lan Fong Road 蘭芳道 was named Wong Lan Fong 黃蘭芳 – wife of Hysan Lee
Landale Street 蘭杜街 was named after David Landale – 13th Taipan of Jardine, Matheson and Co.; Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council (1946-1950); Chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce (1915)
Lee Garden Road 利園山道 was named after the amusement park Lee Hysan envisioned for building in the area but didn’t build
Matheson Street 勿地臣街 was named after James Matheson - co-founder of Jardine, Matheson and Co.
Percival Street 波斯富街 was named after Alexander Perceval – the 7th Taipan of Jardine, Matheson and Co.; a relative of the wife of James Matheson; founding Chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce (1861); Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council (1861-1864)
Spring Garden Lane 春園街 was named after the villa of John Dent built in that area in the 1840s; Dent is the Senior Partner of Dent and Co.
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