1842 Map of Initial Land Sales in the Colony | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

1842 Map of Initial Land Sales in the Colony

1842 Map of Initial Land Sales in the Colony
Tags: 

Likely edited to add Lots & Buildings from subsequent land sales. There are some inconsistencies such as two different lots having the same number.

Jardine Matheson also bought Town Lot 42 in 1841 where Flagstaff House is today.

National Archive Reference: FO 925_2427_1842

Below is a list of the first land sale in 1841 and who purchased which lot and for how much

First Land Sales in Hong Kong 1841

 

34 Lots of Land were sold in Hong Kong on 14th June 1841- GBP3,238 per annum raised in rents

 

Record of sale:

 

Sale order    Lot Number     Successful Bidder        Winning Bid - GBP    Notes

 

Marine Lots 1-15 ran along the north side of Queens Road east to west  from the present HSBC building to the Central Market

1        ML 15:       R Webster            20.00

2        ML 14        H Leighton            21.20

3        ML 13        Gemmell & Co            32.10

4        ML 12        Holliday Wise & Co        38.10

5        ML 11        Heerjeebhoy Rustomjee    52.00

6        ML 10        Heerjeebhoy Rustomjee    52.00

          ML 9          Reserved

7        ML 8          Dirom & Co            57.00

8        ML 7          A Parsee            50.00    

9        ML 6          M/s Hooker & Lane        43.00

10      ML 5          D & M Rustomjee & Co    50.00

11      ML 4          Dent & Co            65.10

12      ML 3          Dent & Co            64.00

13      ML 2          Lindsay & Co            80.00        

14      ML 1          Gribble Hughes & Co        80.00

 

Lots 20-26 were in Admiralty & ran along the north side of Queens Road east to west from Morgans Bazaar to below Flagstaff House. Starting with Jardine Matheson’s lots which became the Commissariat within a decade almost all the lots eventually became part of the Military cantonment

 

15        ML 20        D & M Rustomjee & Co    111.00

16        ML 21        Innes Fletcher & Co        150.00

17        ML 22        Gemmell & Co            140.00

18        ML 23/24   Heerjeebhoy Rustomjee    160.00

19        ML 26        Jardine Matheson & Co    150.00

20        ML 27        Jardine Matheson & Co    185.00

21        ML 28        Jardine Matheson & Co    230.00

 

These Lots ran west to east and were between Admiralty and Spring Gardens. - all but one had lapsed to the Government by the late 1840’s. I am unsure if the lot numbers are correct.

 

22        ML xx?      R Gully            35.00

23        ML 30?      M/s Jamieson & How        60.00

24        ML 32?      John Smith            57.00

25        ML 36?      John Smith            67.00

26        ML xx?       Framjee Jamsetjee        25.00

27        ML 38?       Captain Hart            57.00

 

Lots 40 to 47 ran west to east to roughly opposite today's Hopewell centre on the North Side of Queens Road East

ML 49 is possibly the other side of Morrison Hill just before Canal street. ML 51 is East point

 

28        ML 40        MacVicar & Co        75.00

29        ML 41        MacVicar & Co        95.00

30        ML 42        Turner & Co            100.00

31        ML 43        Turner & Co            115.00

            ML 44        Reserved

            ML 45        Reserved

32        ML 46        T Larkins            265.00

33        ML 47        Fox MacVicar & Turner    250.00

         ML 49           Unsold

34        ML 51        Captain Morgan        205.00

 

 

Terms of sale were read to the assembled people and the lots immediately put up for sale. If this is A R Johnstone’s first official act (he is appointed Governor of Hong Kong by Charles Elliot a week after the auction) it is worrying. Aliens cannot own British imperial land without the sovereign’s permission but several appear to have won title at this auction.

 

Some other lots were sold to a total of 50 lots with additional terms apparently related to all lots, e.g:

the buyers will build to a minimum appraised value of £1,000 on each lot within 6 months of sale;

a £500 deposit as security is required with the first year’s quit rent in advance.

 

Each lot is a marine lot (between the proposed road and the sea) and has a frontage of approx 100 feet but overall sizes vary from 5,400 sq ft to 35,000 sq ft. Many of the purchaser’s names have now changed. It appears there was an immediate secondary market in the titles.

 

A reassuring indication of nascent co-operation amongst the community occurred. One English firm (believed to be Jardine's), which desperately needed warehouse space, had already built on Hong Kong before the lots were offered for sale. Friendliness amongst the bidders resulted in no competing bids being made for that part-developed lot.

 

Sources: Canton Register: Vol 14 No 25 – 22nd June 1841

Date picture taken (may be approximate): 
Saturday, January 1, 1842