They are the oldest East India merchant firm. [C01p13]

Alexander was a Scotsman born on Dec 30 1796. In 1816 he went to work for his uncle Thomas Talbot Harrington at Cape Town [C01p17]. He arrived at Singapore on January 27, 1821, from the Cape of Good Hope aboard an East Indiaman along with a cargo of trade goods from his uncle’s warehouse. He went to reside there and do a general import / export business for the firm of Messrs Harrington & Co. [C01p23-26]

1 February 1823 the firm was styled Messrs Harrington and Guthrie [B05p65]

On November 8, 1823, the partnership between Capitan T. T. Harrington and Guthrie was dissolved. In mid-February 1824, a notice informed the public that the firm of Guthrie and Clark had come into being. An Agency House that was established in Singapore in 1821 [L02 p. 64] James Scott Clark was a relative newcomer to Singapore. He left the firm in 1833 to join up with Captain Stevens in business [C01p50+56] Alexander’s 15 year old [C01p55] nephew, James Guthrie, had come out in 1829 to work for his uncle. [C01p56] In 1833, when Clark left the firm, it was renamed Guthrie and Company [C01p58] Mr. James Scott Clark continued business in his own name. [B05p66] In 1847, Alexander stationed himself in London and handed over the Singapore office to James Guthrie his nephew. [C01p70] He died March 12, 1865 at his home in London aged 68. [C01p89]

They dealt with import / export, agriculture, warehousing, agency for insurance companies [C01p101-106], coaling, agency for steamship companies [C01p160] in 1896 bought a rubber plantation in Perak [C01p164] By 1910 their main interest were in rubber and general trade [C01p198] Opened a branch in Fremantle, Australia in 1898 [C01p200]

Guthrie and Co.: Founded by Alexander Guthrie in Singapore and James Guthrie in London in 1821. Became Harrington and Guthrie in 1823, then Guthrie and Clark from 1824 to 1833. Guthrie returned to London in 1847 but his nephew, James, served 1837 to 1876 and another partner Thomas Scott, from 1851 to 1896; a final partner, John Anderson, from 1876 to 1920. In 1886 early rubber plantations represented were Trafalgar, Pakan Bahroe, and London Sumatra. In 1888 their shipping agencies were Eastern and Australian Steamship Co. and the Castle Line, and in banking the London and Westminster Bank, Coutts and Co., and Drummond Bankers. At the outbreak of the War they held over 80 agencies and employed 37 Europeans. [Additional information from John Wilson 20 November 2006. [M04]]

By 1900 they were: agents for banks, insurance companies, shipping company, coal, tin-mines, gold mines, tobacco estates, tapioca plantations, sugar, flour, cement, explosives, tea and coffee machinery, office furniture and safes, whiskies, beers, wines and spirits, canvas, Jeyes’ Fluid and Lipton’s tea [C01p173]

Head office is in Singapore with branches in London, Fremantle, Western Australia and Penang. [M04p195] [W05p669-672]

Alexander Guthrie established a firm which has survived to this day. [T01p15] He was a founder of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce in 1837 [M01p236] His nephew, James Guthrie, ran the firm from 1846 to 1876 (died in 1900).

James Guthrie arrived Singapore 1836 retired 1876 died 1900 [B01p171] Left for London in 1856 [C01p78]

Thomas Scott, 19, arrived July 7, 1851 [C01p72] He became a partner in 1857 [C01p78] A long term partner, Thomas Scott took over the management of the firm in 1876 (died 1902). Had interests in London. They were traders and had interests in Singapore banking and insurance. After 1896, they were into coffee and rubber. [T01p91] At Collyer Quay, they were operating as general merchants. [G01]

PERFINS 1889 to 1920 [G01]

After Scott’s death in 1902 the firm became Guthrie and Company Limited on Feb 28, 1903 [C01p179]

It was the first limited firm in Singapore. [H06p395]

In 1900, they acquired an agency from the government of British North Borneo. They were also in Sumatra and Australia. [C01p171] In 1904, they acquired coffee, coconut and rubber estates in Negri Sembilan. [G01p181]

Had trade connections in Siam, China, Saigon and Borneo. Represented many banks, insurance companies and shipping companies. They were involved in tin and rubber plantations [C02p55]

The Guthrie Group was formed in 1968 as Guthrie Waugh Bhd, to take over the trading businesses of Guthrie & Co and Jardine Waugh.

In 1981, the Guthrie Group became a wholly Malaysian-owned company.

In 1987 Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad was made a public company.

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Guthrie and Company, Penang

PERFINS 1906 to 1915 [G01]

Oldest mercantile firm in Straits Settlements dealing in tin tin Penang [A01].

In 1900, opened an agency in Penang under the name of C.S. Seng and Company [C01p172] which was replaced with a branch in 1905. [C01p232]

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On the web:

• Guthrie Corporation
• Guthrie Group
• Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad
• 181 years of the Kumpulan Guthrie Group