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Semi-official and other correspondence between Hong Kong and Australia, Korea, Kuching and New York, 1954-1955

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0012/MS JM/J1/119

Scope and Contents

Semi-official and other correspondence between Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, and Balfour, Guthrie & Co. Ltd, New York; Robert Gillespie Pty Ltd, Sydney; L.G. Frost (Resident Representative of Jardine, Matheson & Co. Ltd in Australasia), Barron Heads and Sydney, Australia; Jardine Matheson, Seoul, Korea; and Henry Waugh & Co. Ltd, Kuching, with a few letters between other correspondents. Some letters have been placed in separate files, but there are sheets listing their contents.

NEW YORK

1. Miscellaneous unnumbered correspondence between Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, and Balfour, Guthrie & Co. Ltd, New York, including private, personal and private and confidential letters: copies of letters from H.D.M. Barton and R. Gordon, Hong Kong, to A. Davidson, C.E. Thompson and A.S.R. Williamson, New York, 11 March 1954-6 July 1955, and original letters from C.E. Thompson, New York, to R. Gordon and J.H. Keswick, Hong Kong, 3 March 1954-21 March 1955.

2. Copies of letters from R. Gordon, Hong Kong, to J.H. Keswick, New York, 26 April-11 May 1954, and original letters from Keswick to Gordon, 6 May-12 May 1954.

3. Three original unnumbered letters from Balfour, Guthrie & Co. Ltd, New York, to Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong: A.S.R. Williamson to R. Gordon, 12 January 1955; C.E. Thompson to J.H. Keswick, 28 January 1955; and A. Davidson to H.G.M. Barton, 30 June 1955.

4. Unnumbered original semi-official letters from A. Davidson, C.E. Thompson and A.S.R. Williamson, Balfour, Guthrie & Co. Ltd, New York, to H.D.M. Barton, R. Gordon and J.H. Keswick, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, 3 March 1954-27 June 1955.

5. Copies of semi-official letters nos 1-12 and 14-28 from H.D.M. Barton, R. Gordon and J.H. Keswick, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, to A. Davidson, C.E. Thompson and A.S.R. Williamson, New York, 12 January-29 December 1955.

6. Copies of semi-official letters nos 1-18 from R. Gordon and J.H. Keswick, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, to A. Davidson, C.E. Thompson and A.S.R. Williamson, New York, 6 January-31 December 1954.

The subjects covered include Allis Chalmers; Canon Cameras; Canon Sales Co. Inc.; Cluett, Peabody & Co. Inc.; Denver Equipment Co.; Ewo Cotton Mills; Henry Waugh & Co. Ltd; and Jardine, Balfour Inc.

AUSTRALIA

1. Copies of three unnumbered letters from H.D.M. Barton (21 and 23 June 1955) and J.H. Keswick (7 July 1955), Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, to Robert Gillespie, Robert Gillespie Pty Ltd, Sydney.

2. Copies of semi-official letters nos 1-15 from H.D.M. Barton and J.H. Keswick, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, to Robert Gillespie, Robert Gillespie Pty Ltd, Sydney, 8 July-29 December 1955.

3. Original unnumbered semi-official letters, 9, 17 and 27 June 1955, no. 1, 29 June 1955 (numbered in pencil), and nos 5-12, 23 August-19 December 1955, from Robert Gillespie, Robert Gillespie Pty Ltd, Sydney, to H.D.M. Barton, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong. Three unnumbered letters of 20 June 1955 and 17 June 1955 (2) and nos 2-4, 2 August 1955, and 4a, 17 August 1955, have been removed to other files, but there are sheets listing their contents.

4. Copies of semi-official letters nos 1-2 from L.G. Frost, Barwon Heads, to (respectively) I. Aucott, Tokyo, 1 June 1954, and F. Jolly, Osaka, 1 June 1954, and an original unnumbered letter from L.G. Frost, Robert Gillespie Pty Ltd, Sydney, to R. Gordon, Hong Kong, 29 September 1954.

5. Original semi-official letters from L.G. Frost, Barwon Heads, to Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong: nos 1 to R. Gordon, 1 February 1955, 3 to H.D.M. Barton, 14 May 1955, and 5 to H.D.M. Barton, 20 July 1955. Nos 2, 17 May 1955, 4, 17 May 1955, and 5A, 18 October 1955, have been removed to other files, but there are sheets listing their contents.

6. Original semi-official letters nos 1-20 from L.G. Frost, Barwon Heads, to R. Gordon, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, 9 February-23 August 1954, with an unnumbered letter from Frost, Sydney, to Gordon, Hong Kong, 22 October 1954.

7. Copies of semi-official letters nos 1-12 from H.D.M. Barton, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, to L.G. Frost, Barwon Heads, 28 May-24 October 1955.

8. Copies of semi-official letters nos 1-16 from R. Gordon, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, to L.G. Frost, Barwon Heads, 21 January-15 November 1954.

The subjects covered include Robert Gillespie (New Guinea) Ltd; Hurley & Dewhurst; Lee Chong & Co.; property; residential premises at Port Moresby; I.R. Shaffer (staff); and South West Pacific Trading Co. Ltd.

KOREA

1. Original letter no. 42 from R.D. Johnstone, Jardine Matheson, Seoul, to the Correspondence Office, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, 21 June 1955.

2. Original semi-official letters from Jardine Matheson, Seoul, to Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong: unnumbered letters from Frederick Jolly to H.D.M. Barton and R. Gordon, 13 April-9 May 1955, and nos 1, 2 and 4-24 from Frederick Jolly and R.D. Johnstone to H.D.M. Barton, 11 July-31 December 1955. Letter no. 1 is numbered incorrectly as no. 26, and letter no. 2 (originally numbered 28) includes a note that no. 26 should actually be numbered 1.

3. Copies of semi-official letters nos 1-5 and 7-26 from H.D.M. Barton and J.H. Keswick, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, to R.D. Johnstone and Frederick Jolly, Jardine Matheson, Seoul, 4 May-23 December 1955. There are also four earlier letters from R. Gordon, Hong Kong, to F. Jolly, Korea, 25 March 1955, 1 April 1955, 9 April 1955 and 12 April 1955, which are not part of the semi-official correspondence series.

The subjects covered include administration; Geigy Trading Co. Ltd; Heydemanns; registration of the Seoul Branch Office; staff; and taxation.

KUCHING

1. Copies of unnumbered letters from H.H. Tod, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, to Henry Waugh & Co. Ltd, Brunei, 7 September-27 November 1954.

2. An original letter from C.L.C. Blott, Henry Waugh & Co. Ltd, Kuching, to J.H. Keswick, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, 7 September 1954.

3. Copies of letters from R. Gordon, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, to C.L.C. Blott, Henry Waugh & Co. Ltd, Kuching, 2 and 13 September 1954.

All the letters concern the transfer of Joseph Philip Smith from Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, to Henry Waugh & Co. Ltd, Brunei.

Dates

  • Creation: 1954-1955

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

From the Fonds:

Access to the collection is subject to special conditions and is at the discretion of Matheson and Co. Ltd, part of the Jardine Matheson Group. A statement of the conditions and an application form are available in the Manuscripts Reading Room. Printed copies of the form are available by post (please contact the University Library). An electronic version can also be found at https://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/files/jm_application_form_2024_02.pdf.

Records described in the catalogue as being in a bad condition are in a fragile state that precludes them being made available to readers.

Access is generally available to documents dated up to 1969. Access to some earlier records may be restricted under the terms of the Data Protection Act, 1998.

Extent

1 volume(s) (1 volume)

Language of Materials

English

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Fair condition, but the binding has broken and has been replaced with treasury tags.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Received from Matheson & Co. Ltd, London, 29 September 2011.

Related Materials

J1/172/2 includes semi-official letters nos 2 and 4 from L.G. Frost to Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, 1955, which are missing from this volume.

General

No. 13 from Hong Kong to New York, 1955, is missing from both this volume and the corresponding London file (J1/198) without explanation.

Repository Details

Part of the Cambridge University Library Repository

Contact:
Cambridge University Library
West Road
Cambridge CB3 9DR United Kingdom