Struans
Encyclopedia
The Struan family and company (also called the Noble House
in Clavell's novel
s) is a fictional family featuring heavily in many of the Asian Saga novels by writer James Clavell
. The family plays an important role in the novels Tai-Pan
, Noble House
, Gai-Jin
, and Whirlwind
.
The fictional Struan family is based on the historical Jardine family
of Jardine-Matheson fame, and hails from Ayr, Scotland
.
The Struan family begins its journey with the story of Dirk Struan
, a trader of opium
and other goods between China
and England. Dirk is the founder of the Noble House and plays a major role in establishing Hong Kong
.
Tai-Pan is the first book about the Struan family, although it is preceded by Shōgun
in the Asian saga.
Noble House
Noble House is a novel by James Clavell, published in 1981 and set in Hong Kong in 1963.It is a massive book, well over 1000 pages, with dozens of characters and numerous intermingling plot lines. In 1988, it was adapted as a television miniseries for NBC starring Pierce Brosnan...
in Clavell's novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s) is a fictional family featuring heavily in many of the Asian Saga novels by writer James Clavell
James Clavell
James Clavell, born Charles Edmund DuMaresq Clavell was an Australian-born, British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and prisoner of war...
. The family plays an important role in the novels Tai-Pan
Tai-Pan (novel)
Tai-Pan is a novel written by James Clavell about European and American traders who move into Hong Kong in 1842 following the end of the First Opium War. It is the second book in Clavell's "Asian Saga".-Plot summary:...
, Noble House
Noble House
Noble House is a novel by James Clavell, published in 1981 and set in Hong Kong in 1963.It is a massive book, well over 1000 pages, with dozens of characters and numerous intermingling plot lines. In 1988, it was adapted as a television miniseries for NBC starring Pierce Brosnan...
, Gai-Jin
Gai-Jin (novel)
Gai-Jin is a 1993 novel by James Clavell, chronologically the third book in his Asian Saga, although it was the last to be published. Taking place about 20 years after the events of Tai-Pan, it chronicles the adventures of Malcolm Struan, the son of Culum and Tess Struan, in Japan...
, and Whirlwind
Whirlwind (novel)
Whirlwind is a novel by James Clavell, first published in 1986. It forms part of The Asian Saga and is chronologically the last book in the series....
.
The fictional Struan family is based on the historical Jardine family
Clan Jardine
-Origins of the clan:The Clan Jardine is believed to be of French origin. The French word jardin means garden or orchard and it is presumed that the Jardine family originally came from France. Members of the Jardine family travelled with William during the Norman conquest of England in 1066...
of Jardine-Matheson fame, and hails from Ayr, Scotland
Ayr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
.
The Struan family begins its journey with the story of Dirk Struan
Dirk Struan
Dirk Lochlin Struan is the fictional main character of James Clavell's 1966 novel Tai-Pan. The title comes from a Cantonese term that Clavell loosely translates as "supreme leader", and Struan is the taipan or head of his own trading company in China, Struan's...
, a trader of opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
and other goods between China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and England. Dirk is the founder of the Noble House and plays a major role in establishing Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Tai-Pan is the first book about the Struan family, although it is preceded by Shōgun
Shogun (novel)
Shōgun is a 1975 novel by James Clavell. It is the first novel of the author's Asian Saga. A major bestseller, by 1990 the book had sold 15 million copies worldwide...
in the Asian saga.
Tai-Pans of the Noble House
- Dirk Struan (See main articleDirk StruanDirk Lochlin Struan is the fictional main character of James Clavell's 1966 novel Tai-Pan. The title comes from a Cantonese term that Clavell loosely translates as "supreme leader", and Struan is the taipan or head of his own trading company in China, Struan's...
) - Culum Struan, a character in the novels Tai-Pan and Gai-Jin. He is the son of Dirk Struan, tai-panTai-PanThe term tai-pan was originally used to describe a foreign businessman in China or Hong Kong in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Cantonese colloquialism is now used in a more general sense for business executives of any origin...
of Struan's Trading Company. In the novel, he marries Tess BrockTess StruanHag Struan redirects here.Tess Struan is a character in the James Clavell novels Tai-Pan and Gai-Jin. She is the daughter of Tyler Brock, Tai-pan of Brock & Sons Trading Company. Tess marries Culum Struan, who is the son of Dirk Struan, founder of Struan's trading company and main rival to her...
. She is the daughter of Tyler BrockTyler BrockTyler Brock is a fictional character in the novel Tai-Pan. He is the Tai-pan, or "supreme leader" of Brock & Sons Trading Company, and the novel's antagonist. He is married to Liza Brock and has several children, including his sons Gorth, Morgan and Tom, and daughters Tess and Elizabeth...
, founder of Brock & Son's Trading Company and main rival to his father. At the end of the novel Tai-Pan he succeeds Dirk Struan following his death in 1841. He proves to be a weak Tai-Pan and his wife is forced to take on more and more of his responsibility. In 1862 his son Malcom is overseeing Struans in Japan, and assumes the role of tai-pan upon Culum's death. His mother Tess Struan, and Gordon Chen urge Malcom to return to Hong Kong to formally become tai-pan, but he is unable to travel due to a samurai ambush which nearly kills him, and leaves him severely wounded. In a series of letters from his mother and uncle Gordon, it is revealed that on his deathbed Culum legally made Tess tai-pan in complete accordance with Dirk Struan's "Legacy". She then countermands Malcom's orders and orders him to return to Hong Kong by Christmas or be removed from Struans permanently and the mantle of tai-pan will be handed to another. Malcom dies of an internal hemorrhage in December 1862, and Tess then eventually picks Lochlin Struan to be tai-pan. It is stated by Ian Dunross in "Noble House" that although the title of tai-pan was passed from one to another, Tess Struan maintained the real power of the Noble House until her death in 1917. - Lochlin Struan, a character from Asian Saga, mentioned in the 66th chapter of Noble House. Lochlin was a son of Robb Struan and the third tai-pan of Struan's. Following the death of the fourth tai-pan Dirk Dunross, became tai-pan again. Since the fifth tai-pan is never identified, presumably Lochlin is considered both third and fifth tai-pan. In actuality, he was merely the nominal tai-pan, with actual authority being exercised by Hag StruanTess StruanHag Struan redirects here.Tess Struan is a character in the James Clavell novels Tai-Pan and Gai-Jin. She is the daughter of Tyler Brock, Tai-pan of Brock & Sons Trading Company. Tess marries Culum Struan, who is the son of Dirk Struan, founder of Struan's trading company and main rival to her...
. Lochlin died in 1915, and was replaced as tai-pan by Ross Lechie Struan. - Dirk Dunross, a fictional character in the Asian Saga, mentioned in the novel Noble House. He was born in 1852 and became the fourth tai-pan of Noble House. His mother was Winifred Dunross, the daughter of Dirk Struan. He married his cousinCousin marriageCousin marriage is marriage between two cousins. In various jurisdictions and cultures, such marriages range from being considered ideal and actively encouraged, to being uncommon but still legal, to being seen as incest and legally prohibited....
Agnes Struan. Their son Colin Dunross became the eight tai-pan, and their grandson Ian DunrossIan DunrossIan Dunross is a fictional character in James Clavell's novel Noble House, and a minor protagonist behind the scenes in Whirlwind.Dunross is the 10th tai-pan of Struan's, who rose to that office in 1960 and took the company public. Prior to this, he was a lifelong Struan's employee, a son and...
the tenth. He died in 1894, lost at sea aboard 'Sunset Cloud'. - Ross Lechie Struan
- Ross Struan, father of Alastair Struan and seventh tai-pan.
- Colin Dunross, father of Ian Dunross and eighth tai-pan.
- Alastair Struan, a character in the novel Noble House. He was the tai-pan of Struan's prior to Ian Dunross, running the company through most of the 1950s. His poor management led to the near collapse of Struan's, forcing him to hand control over to Dunross, a man he despised, but who was the only one who could save the company. The combination of the loss of major assets at SuezSuezSuez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
in the 1950s and a reluctance for Struans to go public almost caused the company to fail. - Ian Dunross, Tenth tai-pan of Struan's in the novel Noble House. Dunross finds his company the target of a hostile takeover from his arch-rival Quillan Gornt at a time when it is desperately overextended. He is also embroiled in international espionage when he finds himself in possession of secret documents desperately desired by both the KGB and MI6.
- David MacStruan, a character from the Asian Saga. He is mentioned throughout the novel Noble House and appears very briefly at the very end of the book. He is the head of Struan's operations in Canada, but is recalled to Hong Kong when he is added to the short list of potential successors to Ian Dunross. In the novel Whirlwind we learn he did become tai-pan after Dunross, but he died in mysterious circumstances. The only witness to the "accident" was Paul Choy, an ally of the next tai-pan Linbar Struan, casting suspicions on his account. Apparently, MacStruan was mountain climbing with Paul Choy when he fell and was fatally injured. He lived long enough for Linbar Struan to be flown to his location and be sworn in as the next tai-pan.
- Linbar Struan, a character from the Asian Saga who appears in the novels Noble House and Whirlwind. In Noble House, Struan is a member of Struan's inner circle and an aspirant to the office of tai-pan. In Whirlwind, we find Struan has become tai-pan following the ostensibly accidental death of his predecessor David MacStruan. Linbar proves to be an arrogant and incompetent tai-pan, and the Saga ends with Gavallan and Dunross plotting to put him into early retirement (perhaps with Scot, Gavallan's son, poised to take over in a few years).
Others
- Andrew Gavallan is a character from Noble House and Whirlwind. Gavallan is a member of Struans' inner court and an aspirant to the office of tai-pan. He is married to Ian Dunross' sister Kathren. In Noble House, Gavallan works in Hong Kong with the other members of the inner court. When the tai-pan Ian Dunross learns that the North SeaNorth SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
may soon be wide open for oil exploration, he sends Gavallan to Scotland to quietly buy up real estate in Aberdeen so they are positioned to take advantage of this trend. The North Sea oilNorth Sea oilNorth Sea oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid oil and natural gas, produced from oil reservoirs beneath the North Sea.In the oil industry, the term "North Sea" often includes areas such as the Norwegian Sea and the area known as "West of Shetland", "the Atlantic Frontier" or "the...
rigs, once built, are serviced by helicopterHelicopterA helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, which leads to Gavallan being involved in the helicopter and oil services industries. These become main business ventures of Struan's in Iran during the 1970s, as depicted in Whirlwind. - John Chen is a character in Noble House. In the novel, John Chen is the son of Phillip Chen, the compradore of Struan's. Like his father, John Chen is a descendant of Dirk Struan's illegitimate son Gordon ChenGordon ChenGordon Chen is a character in the James Clavell Asian Saga novels Tai-Pan and Gai-Jin. He is the illegitimate Chinese/Scottish son of Dirk Struan, founder of Struan's Trading Company, called the "Noble House". At the time of the novel Tai-Pan, he is about twenty.Chen decided he would be "more...
, also called Illustrious Chen. In the beginning of the novel, John is Phillip's favorite son and is set to inherit the title of compradore. John is sent to America to continue his education, and later sells out both his father and the Noble House by giving vital confidential to Lincoln Bartlett, president and CEO of Par-Con. Bartlett is negotiating a deal with Struan's, but secretly plans to raid Struan' with the knowledge he has obtained, and install himself as tai-pan. John Chen also finds the half coin passed down through his family and knows its secret. he plans to give or sell the coin to Bartlett, but is kidnapped by a gang called "the Werewolves". John is killed by his captors and buried. Wu Sang Fang, aka "Four Finger Wu", a friend of Phillip Chen and Ian Dunross agrees to help find John. John's body is found, and Wu discovers the coin, and knows his secret. He asks Ian Dunross the "favor" that comes with the coin - using Struan's ships to smuggle opium and cocaine but is killed in a land slide before formally giving the coin to Dunross. His son Paul Choi takes the coin, and asks his own "favor" of Dunross - to be a managing director of Struan's. - Kelly O'Gorman was Hag StruanTess StruanHag Struan redirects here.Tess Struan is a character in the James Clavell novels Tai-Pan and Gai-Jin. She is the daughter of Tyler Brock, Tai-pan of Brock & Sons Trading Company. Tess marries Culum Struan, who is the son of Dirk Struan, founder of Struan's trading company and main rival to her...
's grandson through her daughter Rose. When the Hag was apparently on her death bed, O'Gorman tried to force her to hand over all powers of the tai-pan to him. When he brought her to a safe to retrieve the corporate seal-chop, she instead retrieved a loaded pistol and shot him dead.