Semi-official correspondence between Jardine Matheson, Canton, Hong Kong and Shanghai, with enclosed papers. The company's Shanghai office closed in 1954, but Thomas Beesley remained in China during the first part of 1955 to attend to outstanding issues relating to the the closure. The firm was represented subsequently at Shanghai by T.W. Pan, Y.C. Liu and Jack Yuan. Some letters have been transferred to other files, but there are sheets listing their contents. The volume contains the following letters:

HONG KONG & SHANGHAI

1. Copies of letters nos 1-53 from H.D.M. Barton and (mainly) R. Gordon to Thomas Beesley, 7 January-2 July 1955, and 54-70 from H.D.M. Barton (mainly) and J.H. Keswick to Y.C. Liu, 15 August-15 December 1955.

2. Original letters nos 1-13 from Jack Yuan, Shanghai, to H.D.M. Barton, Hong Kong, 26 July-12 December 1955. There are also unnumbered letters to Barton from T.W. Pan, Shanghai, 22 July 1955, and Y.C. Liu and Jack Yuan, Shanghai, 23 July-21 December 1955.

3. Original letters nos 1-72 from Thomas Beesley, Shanghai, to H.D.M. Barton and R. Gordon, Hong Kong, 3 January-19 July 1955, headed 'Letters recd before T. Beesley left Shanghai. 1955'.

There is an index preceding the letters containing the following entries:

Hong Kong-Shanghai: Accounts; Archives; C.A. Adam; British & Chinese Corporation; Belgian Trade Mission; H.D.M. Barton; I.D. Bruce; T. Beesley; Correspondence; Closure; China National Import-Export Corporation; East Asiatic Co.; Finance - Frozen Funds; Finance; John Keswick's Bungalow; Y.C. Liu; Conant Lee; Mills; Plattner's House; Peking; T.W. Pan; Remittance; Indo-China Steam Navigation Co. Ltd - Freight Rebate; Indo-China Steam Navigation Co. Ltd; Summer Time; Foreign Silk Association Debentures; Scrap Book; Loan to Voong; W.J. Wu; D.K. Wei; G.F. Wallis; Yu Hwa; Jack Yuan.

Shanghai-Hong Kong: Accounts, C.A. Adam; Ammonium Sulphate; British & Chinese Corporation; Belgian Trade Mission; I.D. Bruce; D.I. Bosanquet; H.D.M. Barton; T. Beesley; Correspondence; Closure; China National Import-Export Corporation; Y.K. Chang; Ewo Cotton Mills; East Asiatic Co.; Finance; Foochow Fertiliser Case; D.C. Geddes; Hankow Accounts; Inventory of Archives Stored in Shanghai British Consulate; John Keswick's Bungalow; Y.C. Liu; Miss V. Luttermann; Conant Lee; Mills; R. Plattner's House; T.W. Pan; Peking; Remittance; Shipping - Indo-China Steam Navigation Co. Ltd Freight Rebates; Shipping - Indo-China Steam Navigation Co. Ltd; Shanghai Ice & Cold Storage Co. Ltd Outstanding Rentals; Foreign Silk Association Debentures; Staff - Non Union Members; Scrap Book; Loan to Voong; W.J. Wu; D.K. Wei; Yu Hwa Textiles; Jack Yuan.

FOOCHOW & SHANGHAI

A sheet listing the contents of letter no. 1 from Jardine Matheson, Shanghai, to Jardine Matheson, Foochow, 17 January 1955 (filed elsewhere), regarding a claim for potatoes.

CANTON & HONG KONG

1. Original letters nos 2-9 from Conant Lee, Canton, to H.D.M. Barton and R. Gordon, Hong Kong, 10 January-4 July 1955.

2. Copies of letters nos 1-10 from H.D.M. Barton, R. Gordon and J.H. Keswick, Hong Kong, to Conant Lee, Canton, 20 January-15 July 1955.

The subjects covered include the closure of the Canton agency, Conant Lee's Hong Kong trip and Lee's personal affairs.

CANTON & SHANGHAI

1. A copy of letter no. 1 from Conant Lee, Canton, to Thomas Beesley, Shanghai, 8 February 1955.

2. A sheet listing letter no. 1 from Jardine Matheson, Shanghai, to Jardine Matheson, Canton, 27 January 1955, transferred to another file.

The letters are concerned with the closure of the Canton agency.