Francis Chomley
| John Francis Chomley | |
|---|---|
| Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong | |
|
In office 9 November 1861 – 26 April 1866 |
|
| Appointed by | Sir Hercules Robinson |
| Preceded by | John Dent |
| Succeeded by | John Dent |
| Chairman of the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation | |
|
In office 2 March 1865 – January 1866 |
|
| Preceded by | New creation |
| Succeeded by | John Dent |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
22 May 1822 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 14 April 1892 (aged 69) Clermont, Rathnew, co Wicklow, Ireland |
| Resting place | Wicklow Church of Ireland Churchyard |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Dublin |
| Occupation | Merchant |
| Religion | Church of Ireland |
John Francis Chomley (22 May 1822 – 14 April 1892) was an Irish businessman in Hong Kong and China in the mid-19th century. He was the first chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Company and member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.
Chomley was the oldest son of Rev. Francis Chomley/Chamley (1784-1847), Rural Dean of County Wicklow and his first wife, Magdalene (Maud) Hanna (1790-1827). He entered Trinity College, Dublin in Trinity Term 1838 to study law. His interest in China was due to connections of his step mother's (Mary Elizabeth Chomley née Griffith) father, Richard Griffith M.P. of Millicent House, Clane, co Kildare, who had retired from trading in the East Indies and China in 1786, and other family members.
Chomley went to the Far East and became the senior partner of the Dent & Co., one of the largest trading firms in the early colonial history of Hong Kong. Lancelot Dent, former senior partner of the Dent & Co. was arrested by the Qing government in Canton in 1839 on opium smuggling charges which helped triggering the First Opium War.
Chomley was also appointed to the Legislative Council of Hong Kong in 1861 on the resignation of John Dent, another partner of the Dent & Co. He was the Senior Unofficial Member from 1864 to 1866. He also acted as consul for the Kingdom of Sardinia during the absence of John Dent in 1861.
Chomley was one of the founding members of the provisional committee that launched the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Company. He chaired the provisional committee's first meeting, held on 6 August 1864 and was elected the first chairman of board of the bank in 1865.
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