Los 8036
1845 (July 24): Entire letter from Colombo to Hong Kong endorsed at top 'per Lady Mary Wood, from Galle', struck on departure with superb oval 'Crown / COLOMBO / POST PAID' in black and rated 1/2d. in manuscript. Reverse with double arc HONG KONG arrival cds (Aug 13) in black. Scarce and very fine; the 'Lady Mary Wood' was the first P&O steamer to arrive in Hong Kong. Opinion Holcombe (1987).
The addressee, William Leslie, was partner of the Hong Kong merchant Dent & Co. Dent & Co., or ‚Dent’s‘ was one of the wealthiest British merchant firms active in China during the 19th century. George Baring (1781-1854) of the eponymous banking family founded the firm later to become Dent & Co. in 1809. William Davidson joined the firm, becoming sole partner between 1813-1820, the year Thomas Dent came on board. In 1824 the company changed its name to „Dent & Co.“. Lin Zexu’s warrant for the arrest of Lancelot Dent, brother of Thomas Dent, in 1839 to force him to hand over his store of opium was the opening shot of the First Opium War. Later Dent was one of the very first traders to open offices when Shanghai opened to foreign trade in 1843 following the First Opium War. Dent’s was one of the founding members of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd. in March 1865.
Provenance: John Sussex (Christie's 1987)
