The T. K. Bellis Turtle Co., Ltd.
Thomas Kerrison Bellis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Liverpool, England |
| Died | April 24, 1929 (aged 88) |
| Occupation(s) | Merchant, importer |
| Known for | Importing turtles and turtle-based products |
Thomas Kerrison Bellis (5 February 1841 – 24 April 1929) was a British merchant renowned for importing turtles. Nicknamed "The Turtle King," he established a prosperous enterprise in London during the late 1800s, specializing in turtle-based products that became essential to Victorian gourmet cuisine and official banquets, promoted for their purported health advantages.
Career
Hailing from Liverpool and an alumnus of Liverpool College, Bellis relocated to London where he gained experience at a West India trading house, likely acquiring expertise in the turtle industry. In 1874, he founded his own company and earned a silver medal for his turtle products at the International Fisheries Exhibition in 1882. By the close of the 19th century, Bellis had almost secured a monopoly over the British market for turtle goods. His company manufactured items such as turtle soup and pâté, turtle herbs, turtle oil soap, sun-dried turtle meat, and preserved turtle products, with Queen Victoria among his clientele.
Importing turtles
Bellis exclusively imported chelonia mydas turtles sourced from the Gulf of Mexico. These were transported by schooner to Kingston, Jamaica, and then shipped via Royal Mail steamer to the United Kingdom. Around 1898, shipments consisted of approximately one hundred turtles every two weeks; live turtles were maintained in salt-water tanks aboard vessels, although many perished during transit due to cold temperatures. Each turtle weighed over 100 pounds; larger specimens were avoided because their meat tended to be tougher. Initially, turtles were kept alive in Bellis’s cellar facilities but were later slaughtered and processed immediately upon arrival.
In 1905, a shortage of live turtles occurred in London caused by a conflict between Kingston fishermen and Nicaraguan officials, disrupting supplies for significant occasions such as the Lord Mayor's Banquet. As the principal British importer, Bellis expected that British naval intervention would resolve the dispute and allow imports to resume.
The T.K. Bellis Turtle Company Limited underwent liquidation in 1912, followed by T.K. Bellis Turtle Co. (1911) Limited being dissolved in 1922.
Publications
- Tables of the British Sugar Duties commencing May, 1873, etc. E. Marlborough & Company, 1873.