1. Douglas Lapraik was a British watchmaker, shipbuilder and shipping magnate of Scottish origins, most famous for his business empire and his role in the founding of many of Hong Kong's early conglomerates such as HSBC.
15 Facts About Douglas Lapraik
1. 2.
Douglas Lapraik was born in London, England, on 7 October 1818 to George Rankine Lapraik and his wife, Susan Lapraik.
3.
Douglas Lapraik was baptised on 2 March 1819 at the Scotch Church on London Wall in the City of London.
4.
Douglas Lapraik arrived in the crown colony of Hong Kong in 1842 from Macao, following the cession of Hong Kong to the British Crown in perpetuity after the First Opium War the previous year.
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Douglas Lapraik became established as a wealthy Hong Kong taipan during the 1850s and 1860s, taking part in the founding of many of the colony's business ventures and expanding his business interests to many sectors of the colony's economy.
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Steward Douglas Lapraik would go on to later largely inherit his uncle's business empire after Douglas Lapraik's death in 1869.
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In 1861, Douglas Lapraik became one of the founders of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce.
8.
In 1862, Douglas Lapraik made significant contributions to the erection of the Pedder Street Clock Tower.
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In 1864, Douglas Lapraik went on to be appointed as a member of the provisional founders committee of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation which would be founded in 1865.
10.
Douglas Lapraik opened the Hongkong Hotel in 1868 on Pedder Street and Queen's Road Central, then the first luxury hotel in the city.
11.
Douglas Lapraik left Hong Kong and returned to London in mid 1866, apparently due to health issues.
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Douglas Lapraik retired and returned to England in 1866 after settling a trust in favour of his longtime Chinese mistress.
13.
Douglas Lapraik died in London in March 1869 without any legitimate heir and is buried at Highgate Cemetery.
14.
Douglas Lapraik married 28 year old Julia Hearn, a daughter of the lord of Carisbrooke Castle, in November 1866.
15.
The couple had no children and Douglas Lapraik died in March 1869.