- Sir Thomas Jackson, 1st Baronet
Sir Thomas Jackson, 1st Baronet, (昃臣 1841 - 1915) was the chief manager of
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation . He was responsible for financing the development ofColonial Hong Kong under the first large scale bank.Early years
In 1864 the foundation of the HSBC building was being developed.Lim, Patricia (2002). "Discovering Hong Hong's Cultural Heritage, Volume One." Central, Hong Kong: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-592723-0.] Jackson joined the bank in 1965, a year after its openingcite book| last=Collis| first=Maurice| title=Wayfoong. The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation| year=1965| pages=269 pages| publisher=Faber & Faber| location=London p. 54] and served terms as accountant in Shanghai and then from 1870 to 1874 as manager in Yokohama. [Collis (1965), p. 44]
Achievements
In 1876, after only ten years service in the bank and at the early age of 35, Jackson was appointed the chief manager of HSBC. He was told hold this title, the most senior executive position in the bank, with only short breaks, until 1902. Between April 1886 and September 1887, and again for a year in 1889 and between 1891 and 1893 he relinquished the role to return to the United Kingdom where he took charge of the London office of the bank. [Collis (1965), pp. 142 & 263]
Under his business leadership the bank became the premiere bank in
Asia . His influence was such that he came to be called the bank's "Great Architect".Collis (1965), p. 142] Brilliant, though also cautious, he also had the nickname "Lucky Jackson", which probably reflected more his innate intuition as when to act quickly and boldly. [Collis (1965), p. 61] "Bart" is an abbreviation forBaronet , an hereditary honour conferred upon him onAugust 4 ,1902 which entitled him to use the prenomial "Sir".Legacy
In recognition of his services to the bank and Hong Kong, in February 1906 a statue of Jackson was unveiled in
Statue Square in front of the bank's Hong Kong premises by the colony's Governor Sir Matthew Nathan. The statue remains to this day. [Lambcutlet. " [http://lambcutlet.org/gallery/Hong_Kong/A_statue_of_Sir_Thomas_Jackson_Bart_RA_on_Statue_Square_in_Central Lambcutlet actual Statue Square box photo] ". Retrieved on2007-02-17 .]References
External links
* [http://lambcutlet.org/gallery/Hong_Kong/A_statue_of_Sir_Thomas_Jackson_Bart_RA_on_Statue_Square_in_Central Statue Square Area Photos]
* [http://www.user.dccnet.com/s.brown/index.html Family history of Sir Thomas Jackson]
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