Sir Thomas Jackson, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Colonial Hong Kong
In the 19th century the British, Dutch, French, Indians and Americans saw Imperial China as the world's largest untapped market. In 1840 the British Empire launched their first and one of the most aggressive expeditionary forces to claim the territory that would later be known as Hong Kong.In a few...
under the first large scale bank.
Early years
Sir Thomas Jackson was born in Ireland on 4th June 1841, at Carrigallen, Co. Leitrim, the second of six sons of David and Elizabeth Jackson. He spend his childhood in CrossmaglenCrossmaglen
Crossmaglen or Crosmaglen is a village and townland in south County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 1,459 people in the 2001 Census and is the largest village in south Armagh...
, Co Armagh, and in 1860 joined the Belfast Branch of the Bank of Ireland. Jackson travelled to Hong Kong in 1864 to join the Agra and Masterbank.
In 1864 the foundation of the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation ("HSBC") building was being developed. Jackson joined the bank in 1865, a year after its opening and served terms as accountant in Shanghai and then from 1870 to 1874 as manager in Yokohama.
Achievements
In 1876, after only ten years service in the bank and at the early age of 35, Jackson was appointed the chief manager of HSBC. He held this title, the most senior executive position in the bank, with only short breaks, until 1902. Between April 1886 and September 1887, and again for a year in 1889 and between 1891 and 1893 he relinquished the role to return to the United Kingdom where he took charge of the London office of the bank.Under his business leadership the bank became the premiere bank in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. His influence was such that he came to be called the bank's "Great Architect". Brilliant, though also cautious, he also had the nickname "Lucky Jackson", which probably reflected more his innate intuition as when to act quickly and boldly. On 25 July 1902 Jackson was conferred the hereditary title of Baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
.This entitled him to use the prenomial "Sir" combined with the postnomial abbreviation of "Bart." which in modern day usage is further abbreviated to "Bt.". His full style became Sir Thomas Jackson, of Stansted House, in the parish of Stansted, in the county of Essex, Knight.
Legacy
In recognition of his services to the bank and Hong Kong, in February 1906 a statue of Jackson was unveiled in Statue SquareStatue Square
Statue Square is a public pedestrian square in Central, Hong Kong.-History:The square was built at the end of the 19th century. The idea of a square of statues dedicated to royalty was conceived by Sir Catchick Paul Chater. It derives its name from the fact that it originally contained the statue...
in front of the bank's Hong Kong premises by the colony's Governor Sir Matthew Nathan. The statue remains to this day. Jackson is commemorated in his native Ireland in a stained glass window in Creggan
Creggan, County Armagh
Creggan is a small village and townland near Crossmaglen in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 246 people. It lies within the Newry and Mourne District Council area.- Places of interest :...
Anglican church, County Armagh.