Rennies Flour Mills [1905-1935]

Here are a few more details about AH Rennie and his "Hongkong Milling Company". He was born on 17th November 1857 in Ontario, Canada.

He arrived in Hong Kong in 1890 as sales representative for an American company Portland Flouring Mills whose principal stockholder was TB Wilcox. Rennie went into partnership with Paul Chater and H.N. Mody and persuaded them to invest in what became Rennie’s mill. He also invested money he had saved during his time with Portland Flouring Mills.

His mill failed for a number of reasons. There was too large a capital investment and the mill was too big (“a two thousand barrel mill”). There was no demand in China for millfeed, a byproduct which provided much of the profit for the American millers. Rennie tried to use this to feed several hundred pigs most of which died. Buyers in China remained loyal to Wilcox’s brands, therefore sales of the Hong Kong mill were slow.  A cargo of Indian wheat introduced weevils into the mill which proved difficult to get rid of. Finally, Rennie issued false financial statements showing large profits which caused great scepticism amongst those in the business.

He committed suicide on 14th April 1908 on his way by boat to the mill in Junk Bay.  Apparently he did this by throwing himself overboard with a dispatch box tied to his neck. 

1.HKBRAS Journals Vol. 28, 1988  “The HK Milling Company's Failure”

2. pp366-367 “Dictionary of Hong Kong Biography”, Ed.M Holdsworth + C.Munn

    HK University Press, 2012

3. http://www.onlinebiographies.info/or/wilcox-tb.htm

According to the Wikipedia article 'Shun Lee' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shun_Lee), 'Rennie's Farm' is the name for that area in Kowloon where Shun Lee Estate and a few other public housing estates with names beginning with 'Shun' are (this area is identified as 'Cha Liu Au' on Google Maps). Is this place also named after Albert Rennie and related to Rennie's Mill? Is this piece of information credible?

These mills, properly called the Hong Kong Milling Co, started operations in late 1906.

Source PWD report 1906 (No 22)

The 1905 PWD report gives the location as Junk Bay

203. Demolition of Rennie’s mills: - The work of demolition which was commenced in February and completed in September was carried out by Messrs. Koon Tai & Co. A credit of $14,560.00 was received from them for the old materials

Source: 1935 PWD Report

I cleaned up and zoomed in on this old photo of Rennie's Mill. 

A few things of interest here are the two large villas on the hillside. Was one of these Rennie's house?

The other is Ma Wu Shan tower which was a Qing dynasty lookout for the China Customs Station on Fat Tong Chau/Junk Island. A beacon would have been lit at night, or smoke during the day, to send signals to the customs station.

The marker should be moved a bit to the east where today’s Choi Ming Court is located. Compared to 2011 when the place was created, we have better maps today. 

This is an article published in the Twentieth century impressions of Hong-kong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China : Wright, Arnold. 

The publishing date is 1908, therefore the article was likely written in 1907 which was before the company's troubles.

THE JUNK BAY FLOUR MILLS.

One of the largest and most important industries, not only in Hongkong but throughout the East, is that carried on at the Junk Bay Flour Mills by the Hongkong Milling Company, under the management of Messrs. A. H. Rennie & Co. The story of the establishment of the mills is an interesting chapter in the development of the Colony. The scheme had its origin in the mind of Mr. A. H. Rennie, who, as agent for an important American milling company, was for many years the leading man in the flour business in the East. Grasping the fact that, with the spread of Western ideas in China, the demand for flour must increase tremendously, Mr. Rennie perceived the immense possibilities underlying the establishment of such a concern in the Colony. The necessary capital ($ 1 ,000.000) was privately subscribed, several of the most prominent business men in Hongkong, including Sir Paul Chafer, K.C.M.G., and Mr. H. N. Mody, taking a large share in the venture. With untiring energy Mr. Rennie personally superintended every detail of the erection of the magnificent pile of buildings and the installation of the intricate and scientific plant, which make up the mills to-day. Many ingenious devices in the equipment of the mills for the saving of time and labour bear striking testimony to the fertility of Mr. Rennie's invention.

The Company having acquired some 435 acres of land on the shores of Junk Bay, with a sea frontage of 2½ miles, Mr. Rennie turned the first sod in May 1905, and the work was pushed forward with such rapidity, in the face of many difficulties, that in January 1907, the mills were ready for formal opening by the Hon. Mr. F. H. May, C.M.G., at that time the officer administering the government. The magnitude of the enterprise is clearly shown by the fact that the mills are capable of producing 8,000 bags of the highest-grade flour every twenty-four hours, which means that about 6,000 tons of wheat pass through its machines every month. This entitles them to rank with the largest flour mills in the world. The godowns are substantially built of brick, with steel stanchions and principals and iron roofs, and have a storage capacity of about 26,000 tons of wheat, 250,000 bags of flour, and 10,000 bags of bran. Elaborate apparatus has been installed to facilitate the handling of wheat and flour, and very particular attention has been given to ventilation. The mill is a five-storey building, and the machinery is of the most approved and modern roller plant, with complete washing apparatus and electric bleachers. The motive power consists of two 250 horse-power and one 150 horse-power Diesel engines. Electric light is used throughout, and special precautions have been taken against fire, the buildings being shut off from each other by fire-proof doors, while an abundant supply of water at about double the pressure of that in the Hongkong mains is procured from the Company's own reservoir situated about 2½ miles away.

Both in the godowns and in the actual milling processes the utmost cleanliness is insisted upon, and the result is shown in the excellent quality and colour of the flour produced, which is in great demand not only in China but also in Japan, Indochina, the Straits, Burmah, and India.

The mills run throughout the whole twenty-four hours, except on Sundays. As Mr. Rennie appreciates to the full the wisdom of looking properly after good servants, every possible consideration is given to the employees, who are housed in bungalows on the hill side and on the hulk Maple Leaf, formerly a sailing ship, moored off the mill, which is electrically lighted and supplied with fresh water from the shore. Strict precautions are taken to ensure healthful conditions on board, and there has been practically no sickness among the employees, who number about 125, since the mills started.

The Company does not confine its attention to flour, for a plant is in course of erection which will produce 24 tons of the best quality clear ice every twenty-four hours, and the establishment of a brewery and aerated water factory is also under consideration.

The mills are a valuable addition to the assets of the Colony, for they could at any time, if necessary, supply the entire population, including naval and military forces, with food for a period of at least four months

Here's a photo from the publication mentioned above: