About the FCC
Compradors Club
second rank) by the Qing government and awarded the prestigious peacock plume. Mok Sze-yeung’s second son, Mok Cho-chuen (1857-1917), entered the family business when he was just 14. He became chief comprador of Butterfield & Swire, Hong Kong in 1890, a post he held until 1917. This was a challenging period for the British company. It rapidly expanded its domestic China shipping fleet, and started its dockyard, insurance and sugar refinery businesses. Mok Cho-chuen not only proved himself a skillful comprador, he also ran businesses of his own at the same time he First Opium War of 1839- in philanthropic work, and served as including Tai Cheung Chan, Tung Li 1842 ended the trading monop- the Chairman of the Tung Wah HosChan and Tung Li Soy Factory in olies held by the Hong mer- pital in 1872 and 1878. In both Canton Guangzhou. He was an eminent and chants of Canton (Guangzhou). Into and Hong Kong he was recognized as benevolent gentleman who served the vacuum stepped the compradors, a successful businessman and a comas Director of the Tung Wah Hospital or middlemen, who smoothed trade munity leader. Mok Sze-yeung was in 1901 and Director of the Po Leung between the local and Western mer- appointed Grand Master for Assisting Kuk in 1905. Mok Cho-chuen was also chants operating on the China coast toward Good Governance (Mandarin awarded the same Qing official title in the 19th century. as his father. These Cantonese compraHis oldest son, Mok Kondors formed a business elite sang (1882-1958), succeeded in the early days of colonial him as chief comprador of Hong Kong. Indeed, many of Butterfield & Swire, Hong their descendants still do. Kong, serving from 1917 to Among them were the Mok 1931. Upon retirement as family from Xiangshan (modcomprador, he was actively ern-day Zhuhai), who served involved in public services as the Butterfield & Swire and served as Director of The compradors for three sucSun Company, The Kowloon cessive generations, tallying Motor Bus Company and also almost six decades of relathe Kai Tak Land Investment tions. Company. Mok Kon-sang was The relationship was forged appointed Grand Master for by Mok Sze-yeung (1820-1879). Forthright Service by the Qing He had served an apprenticegovernment (Mandarin fifth ship in the China trade with rank) before the 1911 Revoluthe Tong Shun Hong, one of tion. the Thirteen Hongs (tradHe was a Director of the ing houses) in Canton. From Tung Wah Hospital in 1917 1850, he was comprador of and together with Au Tack Augustine Heard & Company (Chak Mun) founded Munsang in Canton and Hong Kong. He College in Kowloon in 1920. became the chief comprador Mok Kon-sang was appointed of Butterfield & Swire, (moda Justice of Peace in 1921. ern-day Swire), Hong Kong in He also endowed the Swire 1873, and established his own School of Mechanical Engifirm, Wo Tai Hong, to run his neering at the University of own business in south-north Hong Kong and was appointtrade. He showed great care ed a life member of the Court for the community, especially Mok Sze-yeung (1820-1879) - Mok Family Collection of the University in 1923. He
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Kellyon Chan recounts the history of the Mok family who built the grand Conduit Road mansion that the FCC called home for almost a decade.
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THE CORRESPONDENT SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER 2008
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