Sean writes:
My grandfather, John Olson, worked for many years in Des Veoux Road with a company named C.E.Warren and Co. His brother-in-law was Charles Warren who gave his name to the firm. They were sanitary supplier and sometime "architects" and monumnetal masons. They started in No 30 in 1904 and as business grew also bought number 32.
However, when a family split occurred the buildings were sold and The South China Morning Post reported in 1921 that the Des Voeux Road building owned by C.E.Warren and Co had been sold to a Chinese syndicate for HK$130,000 and that at the beginning of the year it had been purchased by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce for HK$80,000.
I don't tink the buildings are shown here but would be interested to know if anybody has an image of them.
Photos that show this Place
Comments
King Fook building
Thanks David. Is there anything you don't know about the topography of HK?
phik has also come to the same conclusion but makes the point that the building is not the same one and was probably built in 1971.
Question for me now is whether there is anybody out there with a 1920s postcard or picture of the street which shows 30-32.
Just like I need an 1870s picture of what is now 388 Queen's Road.
One day I am going to stop looking for needles in haystacks.
Again thanks,
Sean
Re: 30-32 Des Voeux Road Central
I think the second building on the right separated by the lane is 30-32 DVRC.
1910s DVRC (DVRW on the postcard is incorrect)
Re: 30-32 Des Voeux Road
Thanks Moddsey. Truly amazing to have a visual of where the ancestors were. I really am most grateful.
I will be updating my website in the autumn and wonder if you can tell me where I might seek permission to use the picture and indeed where I might get a better print.
David will give you my private web address if you need it.
Again many thanks.
All good wishes from Ireland.
Sean Olson
Re: Address
It is a photo postcard. David will assist you.
You could also try ebay and search for Des Voeux.
Two pictures of 30-32 Des
Two pictures of 30-32 Des Voeux Road Central from c1894 and c1900. It is the two verandah wide building towards the right hand side of the pictures, with Carmichael & Clarke on the roof in the 1894 photo. The building was constructed c1890.
30 & 32 Des Voeux Road
30-32 Des Voeux Road was bought by the Hong Kong Chinese Commercial Union in 1900. C.E. Warren & Co. and Carmichael & Clarke possibly shared the building from some time in 1903. At any rate, the SCMP placed the ads for the two companies side by side on a daily basis from 16-22 November, 1903 on their p. 3. C.E. Warren & Co. gives 30 Des Voeux Road as its address. Carmichael & Clarke doesn’t give an address. The earliest record that I have seen of one of the partners of C.E. Warren & Co. stating his address at both 30 & 32 Des Voeux Road is in the Jurors List of 1916.
First date for 30-32 Des Voeux Road Central
For the record, the earliest date that I have seen for the plot at 30-32 Des Voeux Road Central which was a Crown Lease, is 24 June 1858. The length of the lease on offer was 984 years. The first purchaser in 1859 was George Urmson.
This plan was attached to…
This plan was attached to the sale documents of 30-32 Des Voeux Road Central. I previously uploaded the image as Li (previously Lee) Yuen Street East which runs down one side of the building.