Farming in early Hong Kong

Submitted by anonymous-01 on Mon, 03/15/2010 - 20:18

On the birth certificates of his first two children my great grandfather, Jons Jakobsson aka John Olson describes himself as a Farm Keeper though he held a liquor licence for The Natiional Tavern at the time. Much later he descibes himself as a landowner on the birth certificate of his last child.

I wonder is it likely that a Swedish sailor - albiet from an agricultural boyhood - would have got a job as a Farm Keeper on Hong Kong Island in the 1860s or was he coveringup a dishonourable trade?

Is there any record of what sort of farming Europeans carried out in those days?

Not a farmer at all, but one who held a Government license to deal in opium.  All the big fortunes were based on it, and then with their drug money (described without shame as "the drug") bought land, and - behold a "landowner".

Google "opium farmer hong kong"

"Farm keeper" however, is not a term I have seen.

Is it likely that a 20 something non-British man would have got a licence to deal in opium? But I suppose that running a drinking establishment would make for a ready outlet.

Food for thought here and might explain the apparent knowledge of finance and mortgages which is revealed in his will. See end of www.thehongkonglegacy.com Might also explain how he lived with no visible means of support from around 1892 to 1918 when he died as well as various propert he seems to have owned.

Is there any way of checking who was issued with the licences or was such a thing a well guarded secret?

 

 

 

Just as wholesale shipping and selling of nicotine by the Tobacco Industry today is considered perfectly respectable - even though the drug kills a million Chinese men each year - the "opium farmer" was the euphemism for the middleman - not the actual farmer (who was in India) or the fellow who ran the local opium den.

"Opium may be imported free of duty, but can only be sold to the opium farmer or his agents.  In the event of no arrangement being effected with them for the sale of the opium it shall be re-exported, and no impost or duty shall be levied thereon"

The Directory & chronicle for China ...  1894

5. Fong A-yat, an accountant of the "Fau-On" pawnshop at Wellington Street, was convicted on the 1st instant [April-Ed.] of having in his possession a quantity of prepared opium without a permit from the Opium Farmer. He was fined $200 or three months' imprisonment with hard labour and the whole of the opium and utensils seized, together with a moiety of the fine, if paid, were declared by the Magistrate as forfeited to the Opium Farmer [The person or company that had bought the monopoly license from the government that year to exclusively vend opium to retailers]

from this blog

I'm guessing that "Farmkeeper" means agent of the Government monopoly opium drug pusher.  That would make John Olson a pusher of the drugs opium and alcohol - and I expect tobacco as well.

Thanks for that information.

I was naturally aware that opium built HK in the early days and that it was not grown there. However, I did not know that there were "agents" who either shipped it into China or were licenced to sell it in HK itself. I assumed it was shipped from India and HK was simply the entrpot port to China.

I take it from your italicised paragaph that you feel it is entirely possible that my great grandfather was an agent of the Government permitted to sell opium in the same way as he was licenced to sell strong drink. Before I make that assumption can you tell me if you have come across such cases before where young Europeans were granted such licences. Also if there is, to your knowledge, any record of the issue of such licences.

This could well be a reason why my great grandfather was written out of family history so comprehensivel so I need to research this possibility very carefully.

Doubtless, as I mentioned in my previous posting, a public house would have been an ideal place to push opium and of course in the days when tobacco was considered harmless it would have been another source of profit. Two and two make four there. I need another two plus two.

If you wish you can reply to infohklegacy@gmail.com

Many thanks.

 

 

This all revolves around the word "Farmkeeper" and my theory that it may link  to "opium farmer".  I big IF... 

As to not being "respectable" many who engaged in the drug trade later became "Sir" this or that.  The empire fully honored the drug pushers.  Especially when they sanitized their profits and became land developers and "philanthropists".  Today the top executives at BAT and Philip Morris participate in the highest social circles in Hong Kong and are members of the top Clubs.  There is no social stigma attached to pushing drugs in Hong Kong - or smuggling.  (find the quote from a well known BAT executive closely connected to the most recent two British prime ministers, where he says they want BAT products on sale on both the legal and the black markets)

As to how it worked ...

For sale on the local Hong Kong market: Think about tobacco today in Hong Kong.  Tobacco is imported, put in a bonded warehouse, taxed, and then the Tobacco wholesaler sells it on to the retailer who does not need a license to sell it on.   Opium worked the same way, except it was a monopoly.

Anyone who wanted to be an "agent" cut a deal with the monopoly owner - and no Government license was needed.  And, just like tobacco today, the big money was made on wholesale (and smuggling), not retail. 

So if you are looking for a Government record, there was only the "opium farmer" at the top of the heap - all the rest were unlicensed "agents".

For smuggling into China: If the opium farmer did not want your drug, you transhipped (smuggled in plain sight) the drug into China.  Same as tobacco today.

[this info on opium is just from my casual reading, I have not done exhaustive research on the topic.  Tobacco I do know about. ]

From what you say it is possible that by calling oneself a Farm Keeper - two words - both on a birth certificate of his second child and also the death certificate of his first child it may have been an indication that my great grandfather was involved in the opium trade.

I wonder was there a question of financial status involved here? The child who died was the product of a relationship with a Chinese woman who he never married. But they buried this their first child in Happy Valley with a somewhat crytic headstone. See The Chinese Connection in www.thehongkonglegacy.com

Certainly the Empire honoured many who contributed to its purse by dubious means and it certainly is a possibility that John cut a deal with the monopoly owner.

Will see what more I can find out about these unlicensed agents. If anything turns up will let you know.

In the meantime many thanks for the info.

for a great and very readable history of opium, my old friend Martin Booth wrote a great book, simply titled Opium: A History:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kHRyZEQ5rC4C&dq=opium+martin+booth&source=bl&ots=1L7lJ7axcI&sig=0h1yX71_MBDDgU5BsroDQpwdQHU&hl=en&ei=ipyfS9yUI86IkAWjnZm5DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAkQ6AEwAA

a considerable part concerns Britain's trade in the narcotic with China and Hong Kong's role in it

I'm not so sure about the suggested Opium link. It seems a stretch to get from  "Farm Keeper" to Opium Farmer.

The 1876 census (the two birth certificates with 'Farm Keeper' on were issued in 1879 and 1880) has a page listing occupations, and how many people were employed in each occupation. For 'Opium' we have:

  • 108 x Opium Boilers
  • 65 x Opium Dealers (prepared)
  • 41 x Opium Dealers (unprepared)
  • 1 x Opium Farmer

So the Opium Farmer was at the top of the heap.

As for having a good market, was opium popular among western sailors at that time, or would they have stuck to beer and spirits?

Though I can't see a link to opium, I can't think of any better suggestion in its place. The list of occupations doesn't have an entry for 'Farm keeper', or 'Farm' anything. The nearest I can find to his Tavern job is 'Spirits Sellers', but there are only 2 of them. I don't think the census department were trying to play down the number of taverns, after all there are 109 'Brothel-keepers' listed!

Then maybe as Sean suggests, John chose to write down a profession he considered more respectable? Or is there any chance he was in line to inherit a family farm back in Sweden?

Thanks for that David.

First no farm back in Sweden. Father sold out and brought family to Karlshamn to get a job in the shipyard.

So we are left with why should he mention farm at all. I suppose there was no farming as we know it in HK in those days. Scrub and mountain mainly. So there's the problem.

Have yet to change things on www.thehongkonglegacy.com and any more thought from elsewhere would be appreciated. It is something of a leap to make but maybe he was one of the 65 opium dealers.

Thanks for all the research.

 

From looking through various files it now seems to me that the opium farmer was always Chinese and that the amounts he had to pay the government for the licence was very high. One figure I saw was over $250,000. A lot of money at that time.

Through the last years of the 19th Century there is a rise in the sellers of opium but I have been unable to find any names of these sellers. It was quite clearly organised as the sellers had to report their daily sales to the "farmer" according to some of the documents I have seen.

This is spelled out in the regulations set out for sellers in government documents describing the licensing rules for such sellers.

Does anybody have any idea if there are lists of those who sold opium - I think the highest number I have come across is just over 100 licenced sellers. Somewhere there must be a list of names.

Ideas and help appreciated.

Sean

 

 

I found this on a fun search - "Opium" up to 1920

1845

 Bond: by George Duddell, Alexander Martin Mathieson, Peter Padenach, and Charles Markwick for $2,800. The said George Duddell and the said Alexander Martin Mathieson have been licensed for one year the privilege of selling and retailing opium for consumption in any quantity less than one chest. ,   03.03.1845

after 1903 -

1. Peak chair coolie quarters - as to a licence issued by the opium farmers to a man living at the - 2. Regulations relating to public vehicles and chairs agreement for letting the peak chair coolie quarters

http://www.grs.gov.hk/PRO/srch/english/search_fields.jsp?p1=opium&p2=&T_CoveringYears_Fr=&T_CoveringYears_To=1930&INTYP=ALL&a=10&srchscreen=sys_all&skd=fields&cp=database&om=0&f=0&l=0&f1=fulltext&f2=TITLES&f3=SUBJECTS&s=HKPRO_Archive_web&version=INTERNET&op1=%26&op2=%26&op3=%26&op4=%26&op5=%26&op6=%26&fop1=%3D&fop2=%3D&fop3=%3D&fop4=%3D&fop5=%3D&fop6=%3D&I2.x=0&I2.y=0&o=T_SORTSTRING

 

Thanks for that annelisec. There are lots of things available when you know where to look.

I will chase up some of those references and see if they raise any smoke signals pn my great grandfather.

I think he was a man of many parts. As late at the turn of the Century he was being investigated for allowing his premises at 98 WEancahi Road to be used for the cleaning of human hair! I hope it was destined for the wig trade and that it was bought and not borrowed!

He was cleared of any nuisance and I have the reports of the inspectors.

For the purpose of completeness I want to insert on my website (www.thehongkonglegacy.com) some of the speculation regarding his possible involvement in the opium business because it does look as if by declaring himself a "Farm Keeper" on a birth and death certificate he had a link of some sort.

Thanks for th help and any other thoughts/ideas much appreciated.

Happy Easter from Ireland to all.

Sean