William Keswick | |
|---|---|
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| Born | (1834-04-15)15 April 1834 |
| Died | 9 March 1912(1912-03-09) (aged 77) |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 7, includingHenry Keswick |
William Keswick (15 April 1834 – 9 March 1912) was a BritishConservative politician and businessman, patriarch of theKeswick family, an influential shipping family inHong Kong associated withJardine Matheson Holdings.
Keswick was born in 1834 inDumfriesshire in theScottish Lowlands. His grandmother, Jean Jardine Johnstone, was an older sister of Dr.William Jardine, co-founder of Jardine Matheson.[1] His father Thomas Keswick, from Dumfriesshire had married Jardine's niece and daughter of Jean, Margaret Johnstone, and entered the Jardine business. The company operated as merchant traders and had a major influence in theFirst andSecond Opium Wars although the company stopped this trading in 1870 to pursue a broad range of trades including shipping, railways, textiles and property development.
William arrived inChina and Hong Kong in 1855, the first of six generations of the Keswick family to be associated with Jardines. He established a Jardine Matheson office inYokohama, Japan, in 1859. He returned to Hong Kong to become a partner of the firm in 1862. He became managing partner ortai-pan of the firm in 1874 until his departure in 1886. He left Hong Kong in 1886 to take control ofMatheson & Co. in London responsible only to the firm's senior partner Sir Robert Jardine (1825–1905). He remained the firm's managing director until his death in 1912. Keswick also served as a director in the then British-based fur trading firmHudson's Bay Company.
He spent three spells on the Legislative and Executive Councils of Hong Kong between 1868 and 1887. He was further listed as a director of theHongKong, Canton & Macao Steamboat Company in 1876.[2] Whilst in the colony, William also served as consul-general for theKingdom of Hawaii, for which he was made a Knight Commander of the Hawaiian Order of Kalakao (named in honour ofKalākaua, the country's last king). He also acted as consul for the Kingdom ofDenmark in Hong Kong.[3]
In 1888, Keswick and the chemist Herbert W. C. Tweddle bought the Negritos oil fields on theLa Brea y Pariñas hacienda in Peru. Keswick and Tweddle then formed the London and Pacific Petroleum Company to profit from the property.[4]
After serving asHigh Sheriff of Surrey for 1897 he was electedMember of Parliament forEpsom at aby-election in 1899, and held the seat until hisresignation on 8 March 1912 by the procedural device of accepting the post ofSteward of the Manor of Northstead.
William died the day after this resignation at his home,Eastwood Park, Great Bookham, Surrey, on 9 March 1912 aged 77.[5] William had lived in the house since 1882 and on his death, it passed to his son (and only surviving child)Henry.[6]
Keswick married first Amelia Sophia Dubeux (d. 1883) and had two sons:
His grandson,William Johnston Keswick "Tony" (1903–90) was Jardine's Tai-pan between 1934 and 1941 and later Governor of theHudson's Bay Company[8]
| Legislative Council of Hong Kong | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Unofficial Member 1867–1872 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Unofficial Member 1875–1887 | Succeeded by |
| Business positions | ||
| Preceded by | Chairman of theHongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation 1880–1881 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forEpsom 1899–1912 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | High Sheriff of Surrey 1897–1898 | Succeeded by |