Peter Felix Richards
Encyclopedia
Peter Felix Richards was a prominent pioneer nineteenth-century Scottish merchant in post-Treaty of Nanjing Shanghai, and the founder of the Richards Hotel and Restaurant, the first foreign hotel in China, and the forerunner to the Astor House Hotel
.
, Forfarshire, Scotland), the daughter of David and Rebecca W. MacKenzie, and the sister of Margaret (born about 1823), Christian (born about 1829), James (born about 1830), Charles (born about 1832), David (born about 1834), and Robert (born about 1836). By 1848 Richards and his wife had their first child, Rebecca A. Richards (born about 1848 in Shanghai). Other children included: Adelaide (born about 1851 in Shanghai), Amelia (born about 1852 in Shanghai), Helen Mary (born about 1853 in Shanghai; died 10 February 1861 in Shanghai), Peter Felix MacKenzie Richards (born about 1863 in Shanghai; died 18 December 1920 in Colchester, Essex, England), and Frederick Edward Richards (born about 1864 in Shanghai).
Treaty of Nanking
was signed ending the First Opium War
(1839–1842) between the British
and Qing Empires
, and establishing five treaty ports
in China where British merchants could operate. In addition to Canton
, Amoy
, Foochow, and Ningpo, the port of Shanghai
was opened officially to foreign trade on 17 November 1843. According to Shanghai historian F.L. Hawks Pott, "The foreign population of the Settlement gradually increased. In 1844 it was 50, in the following year, 90, and after five years it had grown to 175. In addition there was a floating population, consisting of the men on shore from the ships in harbour."
), which operated a general store, ship chandler
, and commission agent business, on 4th Avenue (四马路) (now Fuzhou Road; 福州路) about a "block and a half to the west" of Sichuan Road. P.F. Richards & Co. imported and sold staples
of English diets, including "orange marmalade
, cheddar
and stilton cheese, mustard
, oatmeal
, cocoa powder, and oil of Bergamot, as well as French olives and Turkish figs", as well as soda water and aerated
lemonade
.
According to Pott: "The foreign population was then something over 100, of whom seven were ladies. There were 25 mercantile firms engaged in business." In 1846, Richards opened one of the first western restaurant
s in Shanghai and the first western hotel in China, south of the Yangkingpang (Yangjingbang) creek on the river front on The Bund
facing the Huangpu River
near Jinling Road East, in the Huangpu District
of Shanghai, in what became in 1849 the French Concession. Named after its founder, Richards' Hotel and Restaurant
(礼查饭店; "Licha"; Lee-zo), was "a single and ordinary building", in the Baroque style
. that targeted initially the seafaring clientele that made up the bulk of travelers to 19th century Shanghai. The very first public meeting of the British settlement
was in the newly opened Richards' Hotel on 22 December 1846. By May 1851 Richards added an auction
service to his business.
By 1854 Richards was the owner of the Pekin, a lugger
-rigged vessel, that successfully eluded a fleet of Chinese pirate junks, on a voyage originating in Shanghai on 10 June, with Richards on board. After an auction in Shanghai on 27 March 1855, Richards purchased the ship Margaret Mitchell, which had run aground off Woosung
on 1 February 1855 and required extensive repairs to make it seaworthy, from its master, Thomas Jameson for $20,000, (then worth nearly £7,000), which was paid on 16 April 1855. Additionally, repairs were estimated initially to cost at least $40,000, but increased due to further damage after a collision with the dry dock
gate at Shanghai on 4 April 1855. Richards had to mortgage the ship and other assets to finance the purchase, repairs and subsequent return voyage to England at an interest rate of 24%. On 26 March 1855 John Dewsnap, an American engineer who had constructed the dry dock at Hongkou in 1852, defended successfully a lawsuit brought by Jameson in the United States Consular Court of Shanghai for $20,000 for his part in causing the damage in the collision with the dry dock's gate. After 15 September 1855, the Margaret Mitchell left Shanghai under the control of ship master Captain Dewey Stiles, and after stops at Canton
; Whampoa
, where a mortgage of £1,336 was obtained from Anthon & Co. to finance insurance of the freight and the ship; Batavia; and Amsterdam
, arrived in London on 23 May 1856, by which time Richards had discharged the mortgage obtained in Hong Kong. Two of Rebecca's brothers, James Mackenzie (born about 1830) and David Mackenzie (born about 1834), assisted in the operation of Richards' business until their termination in September 1857.
From the Chinese New Year
(6 February) 1856, Richards announced that his would take Mexican dollars at par value
to make purchases and settle accounts, however this decision was rescinded on 1 March 1856, and the discounted rate would be in effect. After 1 March 1856, Richards announced that his company would be renamed "Richards & Co.".
, and that both were authorised to sign by procuration
. On 15 May 1856, while in New York, Richards' company was declared insolvent by decree of the British Consular Court in Shanghai, and all of his assets (including the Margaret Mitchell and the Richards' Hotel) were assigned provisionally to his creditor
s, Britons William Herbert Vacher
and Charles Wills (died 8 September 1857), acting on behalf of Gilman, Bowman and Jardine, Mathieson
respectively. Vacher and Wills authorised James McKenzie to continue to manage the store and ship chandlery "under inspection".
By early June 1856 Richards planned to leave New York to return to England in order to sell the Margaret Mitchell to ameliorate his financial situation. However, Richards' ownership of the Margaret Mitchell was disputed by Thomas Mitchell of Glasgow, the original owner, and by another group who had purchased it from Stiles, the ship's master, upon its return to England.
, near its confluence with the Huangpu River
in the Hongkou District
of Shanghai. On 5 February 1858 Richards announced that:
In August 1858 the Privy Council determined that the Margaret Mitchell had been sold legally to Richards and was now the property of his insolvency
assignees.
By 1859 the hotel was renamed (in English) the Astor House Hotel, while retaining the original Chinese name until 1959. According to actress Grace Hawthorne, who stayed at the Astor House in 1894: "The man who named it, some thirty years ago or so, had been to New-York and found in the Astor House a model of elegance and hotel excellence. He returned to Shanghai, and forthwith named his hotel the Astor House. According to John B. Powell, "He christened his establishment in honor of the then most famous hotel in the United States, the Astor House
in New York; however, he was compelled to add the designation "hotel," as the fame of the New York hostelry had not yet reached the China coast. Aside from the name, the two establishments had little in common."
Even after the sale of the Astor House Hotel to Englishman Henry W. Smith on 1 January 1861, Richards and his wife were still residents of the Astor House at the time that their seven year old daughter, Helen Mary Richards, died on 10 February 1861.
, where he had established himself as an "Agent ... to carry on business generally with the Chinese in Imports and Exports, having had twenty one years experience in business in China and being acquainted with the language sufficiently to transact business without the assistance of Comprador
s." In March 1862 Richards was described as "an enterprising speculator". By 1863 Richards was back in Shanghai, when his son Peter Felix MacKenzie Richards was born. Another son, Frederick Edward was also born in China by 1865.
It seems that by 1866 that Richards was residing in the port city of Chihfu
, described in May 1865 as a town of "little commercial importance" and "one of the most wretched dens", with about 70 European residents,
Richards died on 14 November 1868 in Shanghai, aged 60, and left an estate valued at less than £2. Subsequently, his widow, Rebecca, and their five surviving children returned to Britain.
in her hometown at 56 Southesk Street, Brechin, Angus, Scotland, with her daughter, Adelaide, and her two sons: Peter Felix MacKenzie Richards, and Frederick Edward Richards. By 1881 Rebecca Richards was living at Newington, Edinburgh
, Scotland, where she was a lodging house keeper, with her two sons: Frederick, a commercial clerk; and Peter, an apprentice engineer. In 1891 Rebecca Richards was living at 88 Polwarth Gardens, Newington, Edinburgh, with her daughter, Rebecca A. Richards, who was employed as a governess.
In 1871 Richards' oldest child, Rebecca A. Richards, aged 23, was employed as a governess
at the Ladies' Seminary at Hovingham
, Yorkshire
.
In 1871 Amelia, aged 19, was a pupil teacher at 8 Westgate, Grantham
, Lincolnshire
. In 1901 Amelia was still unmarried, and working as a tutor at 45-55 Aynhoe Road, Hammersmith
, London.
In 1891 Peter was employed as a civil engineer, and lived in two rented rooms at 28 Parchmore Road, Thornton Heath
, Croydon. From 6 December 1892 Peter was a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
. On 24 June 1893 Peter, then living at 21 Great George Street, London, changed his name by deed poll
to Peter Mackenzie-Richards. On 4 September 1893 Peter married Mary Edith "Mollie" MacRae (born 1 July 1869 in Brighton
, Sussex
; died 7 December 1954 at Heigham Hall, a private mental hospital
in Norwich, Norfolk), at St. Leonard's Church, London Road, Upper Deal, Kent
. They had four children: Kenneth Mackenzie-Richards (born about September 1894 in Kensington; died 26 December 1980); Campbell MacKenzie-Richards
(born 6 January 1900; died 9 November 1927); Ursula Mackenzie-Richards (born 13 November 1902;
died 11 December 1995); died 11 December 1995); and Mary Mackenzie-Richards (born 1907 in Woodbridge, Suffolk
; died 1983). By 1901 Peter and Molly, and their younger son, Campbell, were living in apartment 4 at the red-brick Georgian era
Clapham Mansions, Nightingale Lane, Clapham Common
, Streatham
, Wandsworth
. From at least 1900 until 1916 Peter's offices were at 53 Victoria Street, Victoria, London
. Peter died on 18 December 1920 in Colchester, Essex. While the death certificate indicates that Peter Mackenzie-Richards died of "Aortic Incompetence
", "Pulmonary Congestion
", and "Hepatic Congestion", family tradition suggests his death was as a result of the Spanish flu.
By 1893, Frederick was employed as a merchant. On 18 February 1893 Frederick married Lillian Annie Webb (born about 1865 in Clapham
), the oldest child of George Webb (born about 1834 in London; died before 1893), a deceased silversmith
and cutler
, and Annie T. Webb (born about 1840 in Streatham), at the Church of Saint Saviour, South Hampstead
, London. By 1894, Frederick and Lillian were living in Foo Chow
, China, where he was employed as a clerk by commercial agents Dodwell, Carlill & Co.. Their daughter, Hilda W.L. Richards (born about 1894), and son, Ronald Edward Mackenzie Richards (born 13 March 1895; died 13 November 1914 near Ypres
) were both born in Foo Chow. In 1901 Hilda, age 6, and Ronald, age 5, were living at Newlands Lodge, Collinsons Lane, Hitchin
, Hertfordshire
with two of their unmarried aunts, Ethel M. Webb (born about 1868 in Clapham ) and Elsie G. Webb (born about 1878 in Clapham).
Astor House, Shanghai
The Astor House Hotel , known as the Pujiang Hotel in Chinese since 1959, which has been described as once "one of the famous hotels of the world", "the pride of Shanghai", "a landmark of modern Shanghai", and perhaps hyperbolically as "once the most luxurious hotel in the world", was the first...
.
Early life and family
Peter Felix Richards was born on 6 April 1808 in Edinburgh, Scotland. By 1848 Richards had married Rebecca MacKenzie (born 6 May 1826 in BrechinBrechin
Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
, Forfarshire, Scotland), the daughter of David and Rebecca W. MacKenzie, and the sister of Margaret (born about 1823), Christian (born about 1829), James (born about 1830), Charles (born about 1832), David (born about 1834), and Robert (born about 1836). By 1848 Richards and his wife had their first child, Rebecca A. Richards (born about 1848 in Shanghai). Other children included: Adelaide (born about 1851 in Shanghai), Amelia (born about 1852 in Shanghai), Helen Mary (born about 1853 in Shanghai; died 10 February 1861 in Shanghai), Peter Felix MacKenzie Richards (born about 1863 in Shanghai; died 18 December 1920 in Colchester, Essex, England), and Frederick Edward Richards (born about 1864 in Shanghai).
Career
On 29 August 1842, the unequalUnequal Treaties
“Unequal treaty” is a term used in specific reference to a number of treaties imposed by Western powers, during the 19th and early 20th centuries, on Qing Dynasty China and late Tokugawa Japan...
Treaty of Nanking
Treaty of Nanking
The Treaty of Nanking was signed on 29 August 1842 to mark the end of the First Opium War between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Qing Dynasty of China...
was signed ending the First Opium War
First Opium War
The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...
(1839–1842) between the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and Qing Empires
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, and establishing five treaty ports
Treaty ports
The treaty ports was the name given to the port cities in China, Japan, and Korea that were opened to foreign trade by the Unequal Treaties.-Chinese treaty ports:...
in China where British merchants could operate. In addition to Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, Amoy
Amoy
Xiamen, or Amoy, is a city on the southeast coast of China.Amoy may also refer to:*Amoy dialect, a dialect of the Hokkien lects, which are part of the Southern Min group of Chinese languages...
, Foochow, and Ningpo, the port of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
was opened officially to foreign trade on 17 November 1843. According to Shanghai historian F.L. Hawks Pott, "The foreign population of the Settlement gradually increased. In 1844 it was 50, in the following year, 90, and after five years it had grown to 175. In addition there was a floating population, consisting of the men on shore from the ships in harbour."
Shanghai (1844-1856)
Peter Felix Richards, who had been doing business in China from about 1840, was one of the very first foreign residents of Shanghai. During 1844 Richards established P.F. Richards & Co. (Shanghai and FuchowfooFuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
), which operated a general store, ship chandler
Ship chandler
A ship chandler is a retail dealer in special supplies or equipment for ships.For traditional sailing ships items that could be found in a chandler might include: rosin, turpentine, tar, pitch , linseed oil, whale oil, tallow, lard, varnish, twine, rope and cordage, hemp, oakum, tools A ship...
, and commission agent business, on 4th Avenue (四马路) (now Fuzhou Road; 福州路) about a "block and a half to the west" of Sichuan Road. P.F. Richards & Co. imported and sold staples
Staple food
A staple food is one that is eaten regularly and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a diet, and that supplies a high proportion of energy and nutrient needs. Most people live on a diet based on one or more staples...
of English diets, including "orange marmalade
Marmalade
Marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits, boiled with sugar and water. The benchmark citrus fruit for marmalade production in Britain is the "Seville orange" from Spain, Citrus aurantium var...
, cheddar
Cheddar
Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the Sedgemoor district of the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, north-west of Wells. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross...
and stilton cheese, mustard
Mustard seed
Mustard seeds are the small round seeds of various mustard plants. The seeds are usually about 1 or 2 mm in diameter. Mustard seeds may be colored from yellowish white to black. They are important spices in many regional foods. The seeds can come from three different plants: black mustard , brown...
, oatmeal
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is ground oat groats , or a porridge made from oats . Oatmeal can also be ground oat, steel-cut oats, crushed oats, or rolled oats....
, cocoa powder, and oil of Bergamot, as well as French olives and Turkish figs", as well as soda water and aerated
Aeration
Aeration is the process by which air is circulated through, mixed with or dissolved in a liquid or substance.-Aeration of liquids:-Methods:Aeration of liquids is achieved by:...
lemonade
Lemonade
Lemonade is a lemon-flavored drink, typically made from lemons, water and sugar.The term can refer to three different types of beverage:...
.
According to Pott: "The foreign population was then something over 100, of whom seven were ladies. There were 25 mercantile firms engaged in business." In 1846, Richards opened one of the first western restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s in Shanghai and the first western hotel in China, south of the Yangkingpang (Yangjingbang) creek on the river front on The Bund
The Bund
The Bund is a waterfront area in central Shanghai, People's Republic of China. The area centres on a section of Zhongshan Road within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District...
facing the Huangpu River
Huangpu River
The Huangpu River is a -long river in China flowing through Shanghai...
near Jinling Road East, in the Huangpu District
Huangpu District, Shanghai
Huangpu District , is one of Shanghai's 18 districts and makes up the eastern part of Shanghai's traditional urban core. Today's Huangpu District is sometimes referred to as "new Huangpu" to distinguish it from the pre-merger Huangpu District which existed before 2000. In 2000, the pre-merger...
of Shanghai, in what became in 1849 the French Concession. Named after its founder, Richards' Hotel and Restaurant
Astor House, Shanghai
The Astor House Hotel , known as the Pujiang Hotel in Chinese since 1959, which has been described as once "one of the famous hotels of the world", "the pride of Shanghai", "a landmark of modern Shanghai", and perhaps hyperbolically as "once the most luxurious hotel in the world", was the first...
(礼查饭店; "Licha"; Lee-zo), was "a single and ordinary building", in the Baroque style
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
. that targeted initially the seafaring clientele that made up the bulk of travelers to 19th century Shanghai. The very first public meeting of the British settlement
Shanghai International Settlement
The Shanghai International Settlement began originally as a purely British settlement. It was one of the original five treaty ports which were established under the terms of the Treaty of Nanking at the end of the first opium war in the year 1842...
was in the newly opened Richards' Hotel on 22 December 1846. By May 1851 Richards added an auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
service to his business.
By 1854 Richards was the owner of the Pekin, a lugger
Lugger
A lugger is a class of boats, widely used as traditional fishing boats, particularly off the coasts of France, Scotland and England. It is a small sailing vessel with lugsails set on two or more masts and perhaps lug topsails.-Defining the rig:...
-rigged vessel, that successfully eluded a fleet of Chinese pirate junks, on a voyage originating in Shanghai on 10 June, with Richards on board. After an auction in Shanghai on 27 March 1855, Richards purchased the ship Margaret Mitchell, which had run aground off Woosung
Wusong
Wusong,Chinese: s , t , p Wúsōng. formerly Woosung, was a port town located fourteen miles downriver from Shanghai.The Battle of Woosung occurred on 16 June 1842 between British and Chinese forces during the First Opium War. It was the site of China's first telegraph wires and first railroad, both...
on 1 February 1855 and required extensive repairs to make it seaworthy, from its master, Thomas Jameson for $20,000, (then worth nearly £7,000), which was paid on 16 April 1855. Additionally, repairs were estimated initially to cost at least $40,000, but increased due to further damage after a collision with the dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
gate at Shanghai on 4 April 1855. Richards had to mortgage the ship and other assets to finance the purchase, repairs and subsequent return voyage to England at an interest rate of 24%. On 26 March 1855 John Dewsnap, an American engineer who had constructed the dry dock at Hongkou in 1852, defended successfully a lawsuit brought by Jameson in the United States Consular Court of Shanghai for $20,000 for his part in causing the damage in the collision with the dry dock's gate. After 15 September 1855, the Margaret Mitchell left Shanghai under the control of ship master Captain Dewey Stiles, and after stops at Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
; Whampoa
Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock
Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock was a Hong Kong dockyard once among the largest dockyards in Asia. Founded in 1863 by Douglas Lapraik and Thomas Sutherland, the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company...
, where a mortgage of £1,336 was obtained from Anthon & Co. to finance insurance of the freight and the ship; Batavia; and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, arrived in London on 23 May 1856, by which time Richards had discharged the mortgage obtained in Hong Kong. Two of Rebecca's brothers, James Mackenzie (born about 1830) and David Mackenzie (born about 1834), assisted in the operation of Richards' business until their termination in September 1857.
From the Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
(6 February) 1856, Richards announced that his would take Mexican dollars at par value
Par value
Par value, in finance and accounting, means stated value or face value. From this comes the expressions at par , over par and under par ....
to make purchases and settle accounts, however this decision was rescinded on 1 March 1856, and the discounted rate would be in effect. After 1 March 1856, Richards announced that his company would be renamed "Richards & Co.".
USA and England (1856-1857)
In preparation for his imminent trip to the United States of America and England to arrange more suppliers for his business, on 1 March Richards announced that during his absence that James McKenzie would manage his operations in Shanghai, while George D. Symonds would manage his interests in FuchowfooFuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
, and that both were authorised to sign by procuration
Procuration
Procuration is the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency. The word is applied to the authority or power delegated to a procurator, or agent, as well as to the exercise of such authority expressed frequently by procuration , or shortly per pro., or simply p.p.A common...
. On 15 May 1856, while in New York, Richards' company was declared insolvent by decree of the British Consular Court in Shanghai, and all of his assets (including the Margaret Mitchell and the Richards' Hotel) were assigned provisionally to his creditor
Creditor
A creditor is a party that has a claim to the services of a second party. It is a person or institution to whom money is owed. The first party, in general, has provided some property or service to the second party under the assumption that the second party will return an equivalent property or...
s, Britons William Herbert Vacher
William Herbert Vacher
William Herbert Vacher was a prominent British merchant and banker who was a member of the Shanghai Municipal Council, a chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, founding manager of the London branch of the The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.-Early years and...
and Charles Wills (died 8 September 1857), acting on behalf of Gilman, Bowman and Jardine, Mathieson
Jardine Matheson Holdings
Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited often referred to as Jardines, is a multinational corporation incorporated in Bermuda and based in Hong Kong. While listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Singapore Exchange, the vast majority of Jardines shares are traded in Singapore...
respectively. Vacher and Wills authorised James McKenzie to continue to manage the store and ship chandlery "under inspection".
By early June 1856 Richards planned to leave New York to return to England in order to sell the Margaret Mitchell to ameliorate his financial situation. However, Richards' ownership of the Margaret Mitchell was disputed by Thomas Mitchell of Glasgow, the original owner, and by another group who had purchased it from Stiles, the ship's master, upon its return to England.
Shanghai (1857-1861)
On 16 August 1857, Daniel Brooke (D.B.) Robertson (born 1810; died 27 March 1881 at Piccadilly), the British Consul of Shanghai announced that Richards' insolvency was superseded with the approval of his creditors. The following day, Richards announced that he was personally resuming control and management of his business in China. In February 1858 Richards' store and the Richards Hotel and Restaurant were relocated to a site on the northern banks of the Suzhou CreekSuzhou Creek
Suzhou Creek is a river in China that passes through the Shanghai city centre. It is named after Suzhou, a city in neighbouring Jiangsu province which was the predominant city in this area prior to the rise of Shanghai as a metropolis.One of the principal outlets of Lake Tai, Suzhou Creek has a...
, near its confluence with the Huangpu River
Huangpu River
The Huangpu River is a -long river in China flowing through Shanghai...
in the Hongkou District
Hongkou District
Hongkou District is a northern district of Shanghai proper, People's Republic of China. It has a land area of and population of 799,700 as of 2001.It is the location of the Astor House Hotel, Broadway Mansions, Lu Xun Park and the Lu Xun memorial....
of Shanghai. On 5 February 1858 Richards announced that:
We beg to give notice that we have removed from our Establishment to the Premises expressly built for us, immediately after crossing the New BridgeWaibaidu BridgeThe Waibaidu Bridge , called The Garden Bridge in English, is the first all-steel bridge, and the only surviving example of a camelback truss bridge, in China...
between the British and American Consulates. The Premises command a beautiful view of the whole front settlement and of the surrounding country and down towards Woosung as far as the eye can reach. They have also a commanding and central river position remarkably well adapted for Shipping Business; we Have spared no expense to make the Store convenient and safe for Goods.
In August 1858 the Privy Council determined that the Margaret Mitchell had been sold legally to Richards and was now the property of his insolvency
Insolvency
Insolvency means the inability to pay one's debts as they fall due. Usually used to refer to a business, insolvency refers to the inability of a company to pay off its debts.Business insolvency is defined in two different ways:...
assignees.
By 1859 the hotel was renamed (in English) the Astor House Hotel, while retaining the original Chinese name until 1959. According to actress Grace Hawthorne, who stayed at the Astor House in 1894: "The man who named it, some thirty years ago or so, had been to New-York and found in the Astor House a model of elegance and hotel excellence. He returned to Shanghai, and forthwith named his hotel the Astor House. According to John B. Powell, "He christened his establishment in honor of the then most famous hotel in the United States, the Astor House
Astor House
The Astor House was a fine hotel in New York City, that opened in 1836 and soon became the most famous hotel in America.-History:The Astor House was originally built by John Jacob Astor, who assembled the building lots around his former house until he had purchased the full block in the heart of...
in New York; however, he was compelled to add the designation "hotel," as the fame of the New York hostelry had not yet reached the China coast. Aside from the name, the two establishments had little in common."
Even after the sale of the Astor House Hotel to Englishman Henry W. Smith on 1 January 1861, Richards and his wife were still residents of the Astor House at the time that their seven year old daughter, Helen Mary Richards, died on 10 February 1861.
Later years (1861-1868)
By 17 March 1861, Richards had relocated to TientsinTianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
, where he had established himself as an "Agent ... to carry on business generally with the Chinese in Imports and Exports, having had twenty one years experience in business in China and being acquainted with the language sufficiently to transact business without the assistance of Comprador
Comprador
Comprador or Compradore is a term used to describe native managers of European business houses in East Asia.-History:...
s." In March 1862 Richards was described as "an enterprising speculator". By 1863 Richards was back in Shanghai, when his son Peter Felix MacKenzie Richards was born. Another son, Frederick Edward was also born in China by 1865.
It seems that by 1866 that Richards was residing in the port city of Chihfu
Yantai
Yantai is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Located on the southern coast of the Bohai Sea and the eastern coast of the Laizhou Bay, Yantai borders the cities of Qingdao and Weihai to the southwest and east respectively.The largest fishing...
, described in May 1865 as a town of "little commercial importance" and "one of the most wretched dens", with about 70 European residents,
Richards died on 14 November 1868 in Shanghai, aged 60, and left an estate valued at less than £2. Subsequently, his widow, Rebecca, and their five surviving children returned to Britain.
Posterity
In 1871 Richards' wife, Rebecca, was living as an annuitantAnnuitant
Annuitant defined: A person who is entitled to receive benefits from an annuity.Since 2000, in the United States of America, Federal and State agencies have allowed the re-hiring of retired employees without the loss of their retirement benefits. Such a "re-hire" is referred to as an annuitant...
in her hometown at 56 Southesk Street, Brechin, Angus, Scotland, with her daughter, Adelaide, and her two sons: Peter Felix MacKenzie Richards, and Frederick Edward Richards. By 1881 Rebecca Richards was living at Newington, Edinburgh
Newington, Edinburgh
Newington is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, about 15 to 20 minutes walk south of the city centre, the Royal Mile and Princes Street.It is the easternmost district of the area formerly covered by the Burgh Muir, gifted to the City by David I in the 12th Century...
, Scotland, where she was a lodging house keeper, with her two sons: Frederick, a commercial clerk; and Peter, an apprentice engineer. In 1891 Rebecca Richards was living at 88 Polwarth Gardens, Newington, Edinburgh, with her daughter, Rebecca A. Richards, who was employed as a governess.
In 1871 Richards' oldest child, Rebecca A. Richards, aged 23, was employed as a governess
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
at the Ladies' Seminary at Hovingham
Hovingham
Hovingham is a large village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the edge of the Howardian Hills and about 7 miles south of Kirkbymoorside....
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
.
In 1871 Amelia, aged 19, was a pupil teacher at 8 Westgate, Grantham
Grantham
Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. In 1901 Amelia was still unmarried, and working as a tutor at 45-55 Aynhoe Road, Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, London.
In 1891 Peter was employed as a civil engineer, and lived in two rented rooms at 28 Parchmore Road, Thornton Heath
Thornton Heath
Thornton Heath is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south-southeast of Charing Cross.-Geography:...
, Croydon. From 6 December 1892 Peter was a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
. On 24 June 1893 Peter, then living at 21 Great George Street, London, changed his name by deed poll
Deed poll
A deed poll is a legal document binding only to a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an active intention...
to Peter Mackenzie-Richards. On 4 September 1893 Peter married Mary Edith "Mollie" MacRae (born 1 July 1869 in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
; died 7 December 1954 at Heigham Hall, a private mental hospital
Mental Hospital
Mental hospital may refer to:*Psychiatric hospital*hospital in Nepal named Mental Hospital...
in Norwich, Norfolk), at St. Leonard's Church, London Road, Upper Deal, Kent
Deal, Kent
Deal is a town in Kent England. It lies on the English Channel eight miles north-east of Dover and eight miles south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town...
. They had four children: Kenneth Mackenzie-Richards (born about September 1894 in Kensington; died 26 December 1980); Campbell MacKenzie-Richards
Campbell MacKenzie-Richards
Campbell Mackenzie-Richards was a pioneer English aviator, Royal Air Force test pilot, and air race contestant, who was killed testing experimental equipment in November 1927.-Early life:...
(born 6 January 1900; died 9 November 1927); Ursula Mackenzie-Richards (born 13 November 1902;
died 11 December 1995); died 11 December 1995); and Mary Mackenzie-Richards (born 1907 in Woodbridge, Suffolk
Woodbridge, Suffolk
Woodbridge is a town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. It is in the East of England, not far from the coast. It lies along the River Deben, with a population of about 7,480. The town is served by Woodbridge railway station on the Ipswich-Lowestoft East Suffolk Line. Woodbridge is twinned with...
; died 1983). By 1901 Peter and Molly, and their younger son, Campbell, were living in apartment 4 at the red-brick Georgian era
Georgian era
The Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
Clapham Mansions, Nightingale Lane, Clapham Common
Clapham Common
Clapham Common is an 89 hectare triangular area of grassland situated in south London, England. It was historically common land for the parishes of Battersea and Clapham, but was converted to parkland under the terms of the Metropolitan Commons Act 1878.43 hectares of the common are within the...
, Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
. From at least 1900 until 1916 Peter's offices were at 53 Victoria Street, Victoria, London
Victoria, London
Victoria is a commercial and residential area of inner city London, lying wholly within the City of Westminster, and named after Queen Victoria....
. Peter died on 18 December 1920 in Colchester, Essex. While the death certificate indicates that Peter Mackenzie-Richards died of "Aortic Incompetence
Aortic insufficiency
Aortic insufficiency , also known as aortic regurgitation , is the leaking of the aortic valve of the heart that causes blood to flow in the reverse direction during ventricular diastole, from the aorta into the left ventricle....
", "Pulmonary Congestion
Pulmonary edema
Pulmonary edema , or oedema , is fluid accumulation in the air spaces and parenchyma of the lungs. It leads to impaired gas exchange and may cause respiratory failure...
", and "Hepatic Congestion", family tradition suggests his death was as a result of the Spanish flu.
By 1893, Frederick was employed as a merchant. On 18 February 1893 Frederick married Lillian Annie Webb (born about 1865 in Clapham
Clapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
), the oldest child of George Webb (born about 1834 in London; died before 1893), a deceased silversmith
Silversmith
A silversmith is a craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold. The terms 'silversmith' and 'goldsmith' are not synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product varies greatly as does the scale of objects created.Silversmithing is the...
and cutler
Cutlery
Cutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the...
, and Annie T. Webb (born about 1840 in Streatham), at the Church of Saint Saviour, South Hampstead
South Hampstead
South Hampstead is a district of northwest London, part of the London Borough of Camden. It could be defined as the area between West End Lane, Belsize Road, Finchley Road and Broadhurst Gardens, although the area is largely indistinguishable from the nearby Swiss Cottage.-Nearby places:* Hampstead...
, London. By 1894, Frederick and Lillian were living in Foo Chow
Fuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
, China, where he was employed as a clerk by commercial agents Dodwell, Carlill & Co.. Their daughter, Hilda W.L. Richards (born about 1894), and son, Ronald Edward Mackenzie Richards (born 13 March 1895; died 13 November 1914 near Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
) were both born in Foo Chow. In 1901 Hilda, age 6, and Ronald, age 5, were living at Newlands Lodge, Collinsons Lane, Hitchin
Hitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
with two of their unmarried aunts, Ethel M. Webb (born about 1868 in Clapham ) and Elsie G. Webb (born about 1878 in Clapham).