Patrick Chalmers, Merchant in Canton

Patrick Chalmers (1819-1891) was the son of James Chalmers, the Arbroath born inventor of the adhesive postage stamp. Like many young Scots of the period, Patrick sought work abroad. In 1844 he travelled to China by ship on a voyage that lasted 118 days. He wrote home to his family describing the voyage, Javanese markets, his impressions of Hong Kong and illustrating his new home, amongst other topics.

The following extract is from a much longer letter:

.....I find Mr Anderson & James Park both remarkably well, and in very tolerable domicile in part of one of the Chinese merchants ho--s-. We have very little room only enough to live in without the bales of goods. I must try my hand at a sketch.....

Chalmer’s continued his description of his new Chinese home:

The situation is confined, the only open space near being the garden of the English factory, a place large enough to play quoits & skittles, and that of the American factory, about four times as large- there are one or two china streets behind but there being only some 6 feet wide, & crowded, do not afford an agreeable promenade, In our ho--, there are some 3 or 4 such sets of chambers as ours, inhabited by English houses, - ours is in the centre, the quietest berth - rent 1,400 dollars, about £320 p annum, enormously high, but we may be thankful to get a place at all.....

Ground Plan

Room Arrangement

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