Hung Chiu KAN [????-????]

Submitted by jill on Tue, 01/01/2019 - 02:32
Names
Given
Hung Chiu
Family
Kan
Sex
Male
Status
Deceased

I’d be interested to know more about the identity of Kan Hung Chiu, purchaser of 30-32 Des Voeux Road from C. E. Warren & Co. Ltd. for the sum of $125,000 on 2 July 1921 and what the building then became. The funeral of his widow in the following China Mail report of 16 September, 1927 cited by Carl Smith indicates a man of some wealth: Mrs Kan Hung-chui, wife of prominent businessman – one of largest funeral processions in HK stretched from Central Market to Arsenal St. 3,000 people (employees of Nanyang Tobacco Co. and 2,000 coolies.)

Carl Smith also gives Kan Hung Chiu as the purchaser in a power sale of 12 July 1926 and describes him simply as a “merchant”. 

Tags

Other reference
Nanyang Tobacco Co.

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Comments

Can anyone help me find a record of which company, if any, took over the 30-32 Des Voeux Road Central premises after 1921? It could be the Nanyang Tobacco Co., given that the purchaser, Kan Hung Chiu, seems to have mobilised their entire work force for his wife's funeral procession in 1927.  Searching in the online HK Govt Reports for 1921-1935 brings up http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkgro/view/G1925/96298.pdf   which seems to be an advertisement but I can't open it. The server was down on 1st January but should be up by now. I'm getting zero results from my attempts at a newspaper search, but am no doubt leaving out a vital step. Sorry David!

Kan Hung Chiu (簡孔昭) was a member of the Kan's family who started the Nanyang Brothers Tobacco Company Ltd. 
He was probably the head figure of the family in Hong Kong around the 20s. The office of the company was at 165 Des Vouex Road at that time. 
On top of his tobacco business, he was very active in the early 20s - developed the Shiu Fai Terrace area which was named after him (Shiu Fai is his alias 字), built a big house on Broadwood Road - Long Yuen (朗園) i.e. present day Beverly Hill, as well as donated a piece of land on Caroline Hill Road for building the Confucius Hall. 

I suppose 30-32 Des Voeux Road was for his tobacco business. 

 

 

Thank you, Ashley, for this extra information about Kan Hung Chui, and especially his alias. I will try to find confirmation that 30-32 Des Voeux Road Central became premises for the Nanyang Brothers Tobacco Co. Ltd. Interesting that Kan Hung Chui built a big house in Broadwood Road. My grandfather, C.E. Warren built his own house there in 1915-16. I can't find Kan Hung Chui's name in the Valuation Tables pages devoted to 7-21 Broadwood Road in the 1920s, but I think Beverly Hill corresponds to one of the earlier numbers, doesn't it? I believe the early numbers were built pre-1916 and perhaps before Broadwood Road was actually named.

The HKGRO record you linked:

In the Supreme Court of Hong Kong
No. 11 of 1925
Notice of Receiving Order and First General Meeing of Creditors. 
Re: The Nam Hing Yuen Hong Merchants at Nos. 30 & 32 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong. 

Petition dated the 26th day of June, 1925. 

Receiving Order datad the 18th day of April, 1925. 

Notice is hereby given that Wednesday, the 29th day of July , 1925, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon precisely, has been fixed for the First General Meeting of Creditors in the above matter, to be held at the Official Receiver's Office, Victoria, Hongkong....

Dated the 8th day of July 1925,
CHARLES DICL MELBOURNE, 
Official Receiver