Albert Heard
Albert Farley Heard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | March 26, 1890 (aged 56) Washington, D.C., United States |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, diplomat |
| Known for | Second-highest ranking member on the founding board of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC); head of Augustine Heard & Co. |
Albert Farley Heard (October 4, 1833 – March 26, 1890) was an American financier and diplomat, recognized as the second-highest ranking member on the founding board of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC). He was born to Elizabeth Ann Farley and George Washington Heard and was the sibling of Augustine Heard. After completing his education at Yale University, he joined his uncle’s enterprise in China, eventually becoming the head of the trading company Augustine Heard & Co.
Professional Life in China
Heard entered the world in Ipswich, Massachusetts on October 4, 1833. He graduated from Yale in 1853, presenting a thesis focused on the philosopher John Huss. Soon after, he relocated to Canton (present-day Guangzhou) to work with the family-owned firm Augustine Heard & Co., becoming a partner by 1856 and later assuming the role of managing partner. During his tenure, the company contended with fierce rivalry in the Yangtze River steamer sector from the American competitor Russell & Company.
In 1860, together with Shanghai entrepreneurs R.C. Antrobus, James Whittal, and Henry Dent, Heard acquired 40 mu (approximately ) within the Shanghai Race Club grounds for sporting activities. Additionally, he held the position of Russian consul general in Shanghai and acted as a representative for the Chinese government in Russia. His 1887 publication, The Russian church and Russian dissent, offered an examination of Russian Orthodoxy.
During the Second Opium War in 1857, Heard journeyed from Shanghai to Hong Kong aboard the steamer Antelope. Outside of his commercial pursuits, he amassed a collection of works by pioneering photographer Felice Beato.
Later Years in the United States
In May 1873, Heard departed China after transferring ownership of a plot located at the intersection of Aberdeen and Staunton Street in Hong Kong to Lam Kew-fong, a Chinese woman under his protection. Upon returning to America, he married Mary Allen Livingstone. Heard passed away on March 26, 1890, in Washington, D.C.