My understanding about Claymore House (also known as Clanmore) is that is was located in Pokfulam (located on the present day grounds of Chi Fu Fa Yen Housing Estate and the name Claymore Avenue remains) and was used as Butterfield & Swire's first Hong Kong Taipan's residence (Edwin Mackintosh - Hong Kong Manager in 1879, and later that year he became partner in the firm Butterfield & Swire) in the 1880s. In June 1885 Swire sold the house to the Nazareth community of Jusuit priests, and the Swie's constructed a Taipan house on the Peak in 1889. The villagers of Pokfulam called the house "Taikoolao" after the Chinese words "Tai Koo" the name that Swire atopted for their Hong Kong sugar refining company. Evidently Claymore had issues as a site known for the strange "Hong Kong fever", and after the purchase of the house several Jusuit priests became ill while living in Claymore, and eventually the Nazareth community moved to Richmond Terrace in Kennedy Town in April 1891 to escape the Hong Kong fevor of Claymore. Eventually Claymore was sold to the Dairy Farm Company and was demolished. I am trying to accss a photo of this house - will try to post shortly.
Sources:
Le Pichon, Alain. Bethanie & Nazareh- French Secrets from a British Colony. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2006.
"From the Archives: Bethanie, Nazareth and Claymore," Swire News (Summer 2007): 14-15.
Comments
Claymore House
My understanding about Claymore House (also known as Clanmore) is that is was located in Pokfulam (located on the present day grounds of Chi Fu Fa Yen Housing Estate and the name Claymore Avenue remains) and was used as Butterfield & Swire's first Hong Kong Taipan's residence (Edwin Mackintosh - Hong Kong Manager in 1879, and later that year he became partner in the firm Butterfield & Swire) in the 1880s. In June 1885 Swire sold the house to the Nazareth community of Jusuit priests, and the Swie's constructed a Taipan house on the Peak in 1889. The villagers of Pokfulam called the house "Taikoolao" after the Chinese words "Tai Koo" the name that Swire atopted for their Hong Kong sugar refining company. Evidently Claymore had issues as a site known for the strange "Hong Kong fever", and after the purchase of the house several Jusuit priests became ill while living in Claymore, and eventually the Nazareth community moved to Richmond Terrace in Kennedy Town in April 1891 to escape the Hong Kong fevor of Claymore. Eventually Claymore was sold to the Dairy Farm Company and was demolished. I am trying to accss a photo of this house - will try to post shortly.
Sources:
Le Pichon, Alain. Bethanie & Nazareh- French Secrets from a British Colony. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2006.
"From the Archives: Bethanie, Nazareth and Claymore," Swire News (Summer 2007): 14-15.