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Barlow Family Papers: Business chronology and list of managers
Barlow family business chronology :
Managers and directors of Barlow & Co./Barlow Boustead Estates Agency. Close this window to return to the handlist.
1846-48: Thomas Barlow (b.1825) is an apprentice silk dealer,
Macclesfield. 1848: purchases firm of Josiah Merrick & Co., velvet and fustian
manufacturers, Manchester, renamed Barlow & Co. By 1850 move away from manufacturing to dealing in
fustian clothes for home market. Use of travelling agents to sell to drapers and tailors. 1852: new partnership created, Barlow, Rodier & Co. 1857: declining profits from home trade, looking to expand abroad,
joining forces with local business acquaintance, John Bolton to form Bolton & Barlow, of Manchester,
to export textiles to Far East. Thomas Barlow the junior partner. 1859-61: becomes an equal partner, beginning of shipments to Calcutta,
Shanghai, Singapore and Manila. Period of high profits as commissioning agents. Acquires new offices
and larger warehouse in Minshull St. and Major St. 1864 : Thomas Barlow takes over the partnership, renamed Thomas Barlow
& Bro. Formation of first trading agency in Far East, Barton Baynes & Co., Calcutta, to handle
Barlow goods and consignments from other firms. 1866: close association with Butterfield & Swire and Hyde, Hertz & Co.
agency houses in Far East; export of goods to Shanghai, Manila and elsewhere; mainly cotton and
woollen goods, increasing profits. 1871: Barton, Baynes & Co., Calcutta dissolved, agency retained,
renamed Barlow & Co., Calcutta under management of Charles Peel. Decision to use receipts for goods
in local currencies to buy consignments of tea and ship back to England. A growing business 1876: opens small office in London to handle tea sales and the firm's
affairs in the City. 1880: buys Castleton tea estate, Darjeeling, the first of several.
(See Appendix B for list). 1883: establishment of Barlow & Co., Shanghai; export of textile
goods/import of China teas. 1889: Purchase of Monastery Bonded Tea Warehouse in East End of London
to handle imported teas for sale in London market. 1889-92: operates agency house in Manilla. 1891: Decision to buy out Singapore firm handling textile trade, Scott
& Son, renamed Barlow & Co., Singapore. Managed by J. M. Allinson, formerly of Scott & Son. Financing
of Malayan coffee plantations. Expansion in general agency business and 'rough goods trade' (iron &
steel, particularly iron corrugated sheets), a long term success. 1897: Death of Thomas Barlow. John Emmott Barlow becomes head of
family partnership with his brother Frank Barlow. 1906-09: Beginning of involvement in Malayan rubber plantation
industry. (See Appendix B for details). c.1910: establishment of Barlow & Co., Kuala Lumpur to engage in
general trading and carry on local estate agency work. 1933: closure of Barlow & Co., Calcutta following decline in sales of
Lancashire textiles and falling profits from tea estate agency work. 1936: closure of Barlow & Co., Shanghai, following local financial
crisis and long term decline in Lancashire piece goods business. 1959: Barlow and Co. (Singapore) Ltd sold to Bousteads Ltd. 1966: Barlow & Co. (Malaya) Ltd, Kuala Lumpur, merged with Bousteads
to create Barlow Boustead Estates Agency Ltd/Sdn Bhd. Barlow family taking a two thirds interest. 1977: 30% equity interest sold to Malaysian investment institutions. 1982: Barlow family interest sold to Boustead Holdings Bhd.