Opium Castle

 Alba Historical snippet


James Matheson


On the gateposts of Ardross Castle, a Victorian pile near Dingwall, are heraldic carvings of an unexpected, almost unbelievable, kind. Griffins are shown holding the heads of opium poppies. Here, without shame, the nephew of James Matheson, who built the castle, celebrated the scandalous source of the family's fortune. 

Why so scandalous? Well, it came from smuggling opium into China in the 19th century.

Like many former lawbreaking organisations, the company called Jardine Matheson & Co has long since 'gone legit', and became a powerful commercial player in Hong Kong during later generations.

James Matheson, its co-founder, was born in Laing, Sutherland, in 1796 and went to India as a young man - one of many Scots who took daring steps in search of opportunities in the days of the Empire,

At first, he operated in the Oriental shipping trade, but he moved to Canton where he set up in business with another Scot, William Jardine from Dumfriesshire-formerly a surgeon with the East India Company.

The two partners took over a merchant house and began operating as importers and exporters. But soon they found that their most lucrative business was importing opium for the sad and helpless addicts who frequented the country's numerous seedy dens.

This was such a social evil that Chinese officials had banned imports of the drug, which was widely produced in India. But the East India Company used opium sales in China to finance buying China tea and hired small operators like Jardine Matheson & Co to smuggle it in.

Eventually, the evil trade became the biggest commercial operation of any kind in the region, and brought Matheson huge profits, As Chinese policing became stricter, Jardine Matheson operated from offshore hulks and from islands such as Hong Kong To protect these interests, British troops were brought in to fight the Opium Wars and the Chinese were forced to give the drug-dealers trading concessions.

With the partners now wealthy men, Jardine went to London to advise the Government on Far Eastern developments. Matheson stayed on as Taipan until 1842, when he returned to Scotland and bought the entire island of Lewis. With their drug money, the family built Stornoway Castle and a Disney-like sporting lodge at Uig.

Turning benefactor, Matheson spent huge sums on road-building and on seed to protect his tenants against the potato famine. One plan that flopped was the audacious attempt to strip the island of its peat and open the land for farming.

Matheson died in 1898, a lad o' pairts who won't be remembered with universal affection.


Interesting piece here - Matheson

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