Shewan, Tomes & Co.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Trading |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Founder | Robert Shewan, Charles Alexander Tomes |
| Defunct | 1951 |
| Fate | Taken over by Wheelock Marden & Co. |
| Headquarters | Central, Hong Kong , Hong Kong |
Area served | Hong Kong, China, Japan, United Kingdom, United States, Philippines, Straits Settlements |
| Products | Raw silk, tea, matting, firecrackers, cassia, rhubarb, aniseed, ginseng, rattan; cotton textiles, wool products, glassware, iron and steel materials, coal |
Shewan, Tomes & Co. stood as a prominent trading enterprise operating in Hong Kong and China throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s.
History
After the closure of Russell & Co. in 1891, two former staff members—Robert Shewan, a Scotsman, and Charles Alexander Tomes, an Englishman—established Shewan, Tomes & Co. in 1895, utilizing the assets and facilities of the defunct firm. The company set up branches in key locations including Hong Kong, Canton, Shanghai, Tianjin, Kobe, London, and New York. It also maintained agencies in Amoy, Fuzhou, Formosa, Hankou, Manila, and the Straits Settlements. The main headquarters was situated at the in Central, Hong Kong.
Operating from its Canton office, Shewan, Tomes & Co. exported a variety of goods such as raw silk, tea, matting, firecrackers, cassia, rhubarb, aniseed, ginseng, and rattan. Its imports consisted of cotton textiles, wool products, glassware, iron and steel materials, coal, alongside other essential commodities.
The firm broadened its scope by overseeing several significant enterprises based in China. These included the China and Manila Steamship Company, American-Asiatic Steamship Company, Green Island Cement Company, Hong Kong Rope Manufacturing Company, China Provident Loan and Mortgage Company, Equitable Life Assurance Society, and Canton Land Company. Furthermore, it served as an agent for shipping firms such as the Shire Line and represented marine insurance providers like the Yangtsze Insurance Association and North British and Mercantile Insurance Company. The company also acted on behalf of organizations including the Electric Traction Company of Hong Kong and Shanghai Pulp and Paper Company.
In 1901, Shewan, Tomes & Co. played a key role in founding the China Light and Power Company, which has grown into one of Hong Kong's leading electricity suppliers.
The business was eventually taken over by Wheelock Marden & Co. in 1951.
See also
References
- Financial services companies of Hong Kong
- Trading companies of China
- British Hong Kong
- British companies established in 1895
- Financial services companies established in 1895
- Chinese companies established in 1895
- 1895 establishments in Hong Kong
- Defunct companies of Hong Kong
- History of foreign trade in China
- History of Hong Kong