'Noble House' fictional companies

Submitted by Compradore on Sun, 03/18/2012 - 09:26

I have just re-read James Clavell's masterpiece Noble House. If any other gwulo members have read the book or seen the miniseries, there are some things I would like to discuss (especially the financial dealing)

First, Struan's is reportedly based on Jardine and Rothwell-Gornt is Butterfield Swire. What about the other companies mentioned in the novel, who were they based on in reality? Specifically I am wondering about the following:

Asian Properties (Jason Plumm taipan)
Hong Kong General Stores (Richard Pugmire)
Hong Kong and Lan Tao Farms (Sir Dunstan Barre)
Bank of London, Canton and Shanghai (aka Blacs, Compton Southerby)
Kowloon Investment (Ian Dunross) - most likely Wharf & Godown?

re: Noble House' fictional companies

The Wikipedia page for Noble House mentions several names for real people that characters & companies were based on:

	Fiction	Based on

Company	Straun & Co.	Jardine Matheson
	Rothwell-Gornt	"based on then Butterfield and Swire, now known as Swire Pacific."
	Asian Properties	Hongkong Land
	H. K. General Stores	Wellcome

Person	Ian Dunross	"believed to be a composite character of two real life Jardine Matheson tai-pans, Sir Hugh Barton and Sir Michael Herries."
	Quillan Gornt	"based on two Swire taipans John Kidston 'Jock' Swire and William Charles Goddard Knowles."

Re: Noble House fictional companies

Thanks David. Did not realize there page on wikipedia was that detailed.

Great book though I have never been quite able to comprehend some of the dealings that Quillan Gornt engages in. The first time I read the book I thought the numbers simply did not add up or make much sense.

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