Thomas Sutherland | |
|---|---|
 Sutherland,c. 1890 | |
| Born | (1834-08-16)16 August 1834[1] Aberdeen, Scotland |
| Died | 1 January 1922(1922-01-01) (aged 87) London, England |
| Alma mater | University of Aberdeen |
| Occupation(s) | Banker Politician |
| Known for | Founder ofHSBC |
| Spouse | Alice Macnaught (m. 1880, died 1920) |
| Children | 3 Helen Sutherland Eric Macnaught Sutherland Thomas Leslie Macnaught Sutherland |
| Father | Robert Sutherland ofAberdeen |
Sir Thomas Sutherland,GCMG (Chinese:蘇石蘭, 16 August 1834 – 1 January 1922) was a Scottish banker and politician, initially elected to represent theLiberal Party and then as aLiberal Unionist. He foundedHSBC and was a director ofP&O.
Sutherland was the son of Robert Sutherland and Christian Webster ofAberdeen. He was educated at theUniversity of Aberdeen.
Sutherland got his start clerking in theLondon office ofP&O. Soon after, P&O promoted Sutherland to superintendent, assigning him toBritish Hong Kong to manage the firm's Asian operation.[2] In 1863, he became the first chairman of theHong Kong and Whampoa Dock. In order to help finance the burgeoning trade between China and Europe, and explore the potential for China—United States trade, Sutherland establishedHSBC in 1865[3] and became its first vice-chairman.
He was appointed member of theLegislative Council of Hong Kong from 1865 to 1866. In 1872 he was appointed Managing Director of P&O.[4]
In November 1884, Sutherland was elected at a by-election as theMember of Parliament (MP) forGreenock.[5] A Liberal, he was re-elected in1885, but when the Liberals split overIrish Home Rule he joined the breakawayLiberal Unionist Party. He was re-elected as a Liberal Unionist in1886, but lost the seat at the1892 general election. However, he was reinstated when his opponent was unseated on petition,[6] and held the seat until he stood down at the1900 general election.[6]
In 1880, Sutherland married Alice MacNaught. She was the daughter of Rev. John Macnaught of Trinity Church, Conduit Street,London,England. The couple had two sons, and a daughter,Helen Christian Sutherland (1881–1965), known as an art patron; one of the sons, Eric Macnaught Sutherland, died in theSecond Boer War, the other son, Thomas Leslie Macnaught Sutherland, died duringWorld War I. In 1920, his wife Alice died.[7][8]
In 1922, Sutherland died inLondon, England. Sutherland Street inSheung Wan,Hong Kong was named after him.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forGreenock 1884–1892 | Succeeded by John Bruce (unseated on petition) |
| Preceded by John Bruce | Member of Parliament forGreenock 1892–1900 | Succeeded by |
| Legislative Council of Hong Kong | ||
| Preceded by | Unofficial Member 1865–1866 Served alongside:Francis Chomley,James Whittall | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
