Research in progress.
Selected Bibliography: Hong Kong's First [online].
temp.notes:
Wilson, D.
Merchant
D. Wilson & Co. was a Calcutta based general merchant of British origin, which established itself in Hong Kong in 1841-42 mainly as a grocer. There must be a Mr. D. Wilson in the firm, but I found no trace of him existing in Hong Kong. Additionally, I was unable to find other names of persons who were employed by or associated with the firm. Here is the long-and-short of their story in Hong Kong. On November 10, 1842, the firm opened the Auckland Hotel on Queen's Road, after having established their grocery business here. Due to lack of business, the hotel was up for sale by auction only months after its opening. The auction took place in February 1843 and was handled by auctioneer C.V. Gillespie of 46 Queen's Road. Oddly enough, according to Friend of China, it was D. Wilson, the firm, who bought the hotel at the auction with the intention of turning it into “commission sales rooms for the display of goods that Wilson have for sale from London and from their office in Calcutta...”. And then in November the same year, the firm decided to pull out of Hong Kong and returned to Calcutta. They asked auctioneer P. Townsend, whose office was practically next door to the hotel/showrooms on Queen's Road, to handle the closing-down sale of stock on November 17 and 21. The came and went of people and businesses were quite common in this period of time in Hong Kong, more so than those who came and stayed; some left with less than when they arrived, some a whole lot more.
Selected bibliography: Friend of China, November 17, 1842; February 23, August 31; November 9, 1843.
0 comments:
Post a Comment