Thomas Chaye Beale was a Scottish merchant operating in the Far East

Far East

The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

 during the 19th century.

Biography

Thomas Chaye was a cousin of opium trader and merchant Daniel Beale

Daniel Beale

Daniel Beale was a Scottish merchant and fur trader active in the Far East mercantile centres of Bombay, Canton and Macau as well as at one time the Prussian consul in China.-Biography:...

 and his brother Thomas Beale

Thomas Beale

Thomas Beale , was a Scottish naturalist, opium speculator and general merchant operating in the Far East during the 19th century.-Biography:Thomas was the younger brother of Daniel Beale and the cousin of Thomas Chaye Beale....

. As early as 1826 he was a partner in the trading firm of Magniac & Co.

Hollingworth Magniac

Hollingworth Magniac was a merchant and connoisseur of medieval art. He was instrumental in the formation of Jardine Matheson, and Company, one of the largest trading houses in Asia during the 19th century.-Biography:...

 in Canton, China. In the 1830s he left Magniacs and operated on his own until 1845 when he established the 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...

 based agency house of Dent, Beale & Co. with Lancelot Dent

Lancelot Dent

Lancelot Dent was a 19th century British merchant resident for a period in Canton, China who dealt primarily in opium.He was christened on August 4, 1799 in Crosby Ravensworth, Westmorland, England, son of William and Jane Dent....

. By 1851 Beale was Portuguese Consul and Dutch Vice Counsel in the city.