Paterson, Simons and Company - Began trading under that mark on 1 May 1859

The company's history dates back to 1821 when Rawson, Holdsworth & Co. established their company in Singapore.

Related to a company founded in 1828 [T01p91] Holdsworth, Smithson and Co. [M01p240] general merchants located at Collyer Quay. [L02 table C]. An import / export firm in both London and Singapore as early as 1828 [W05p664]

Ker, Rawson & Co. was established by William Wemys Ker in 1835 in Singapore. They had links in London and China [K02]

In 1853 William Paterson and Henry Minchin Simons became partners with William Wemys Ker and Thomas Samuel Rawson

There was a branch in Penang [W05p664] and they were the first European firm to expand there operations to Johore. [T01p51]

Other brances were in Kuala Lumpur, Klang and Port Swettenham. [M04p213]

They exported: gutta-percha, rubber, gambier, copra, tapioca, sago-flour, pineapples, hides, tin, etc. [W05p664]

Their imports was principally cotton and rough goods but there is a long list of manufactured items [W05p664]

They were agents to many shipping firms and insurance companies [W05p664]

They were representatives of the Governments of Johore and Sarawak [W05p664] In early 1853 they acted as the agent to the Raja of Temenggong [T01p51]

William Paterson after having been the London Chairman of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China for 20 years died in 1898 aged 75 [W05p667]

February 1907 the firm of William McKerrow & Co. was amalgamated into the company. [W05p667]

In 1907, they bacame a limited liability company. [M04p212]

This company was eventually to become Paterson Simons & Co. incorporated in 1948 as a reputable international trading house.

Management buy-out and re-engineering occurred in 1992 and became Paterson Simons & Co. (Overseas) Ltd.

Holdsworth, Smithson and Co. were trading in Singapore prior to 1828, when William Wemyss Ker joined the firm. Ker became a partner in 1830 and when the other two retired in 1835, the firm was restyled Ker, Rawson and Co. Paterson and Simons were assistants in the 1840’s but made partner in 1853. In 1859 the firm dissolved and reformed under the present name, though Ker remained in as a partner. In 1907 it became a limited liability company and in the same year William McKerrow and Company was absorbed. A wide variety of business has been attempted, by 1888 including the representation of the Johore Government, the New Harbour Dock, Ben Line, Gibb Line, Union Line, Pahang Corporation, and four insurance companies. Expansion into shipping followed, by 1895 including agencies for the Mogul Line, Tata Line, Nippon Yussen Kaisha, and Pahan Kabang. By 1910, the agencies also included Warrack, Apcar, Barber, North Pacific, Boston Steamship, Great Northern, Atlantic Trasnport, and White Star Lines, as well as the Eastern Mortgage Agency. A staff of 21 Europeans were required and branches had been opened at Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Klang, and Port Swettenham. [Additional information from John Wilson 20 November 2006. [M04]]

Click to see the References

On the web:

• The company still exists and in 1992 it became Paterson Simons & Co. (Overseas) Ltd.