My copy of the Canton Register came on microfiche from the University of Chicago’s contractor and was copied onto CD-ROM for use on computer using the excellent Smartscan software of Wicks & Wilson of Basingstoke, England. This produced images readable by Kodak Imaging© software bundled with MS Windows©. I wish to thank Tommy Chiu and the staff of China System Co Ltd for their good professional service in making the CD-ROM copies.
The Bombay Courier came from the British Library’s newspaper collection and regrettably has some missing years. A slight uncertainty arises from the newspaper page order - it occasionally seemed that some items were commented on in the newspaper before they were reported! Anyone wishing to check an original entry in the newspaper might need to look at the previous or later issue as well as the referenced one.
For review of the Friend of China I used the copy at the Hong Kong Public Records Office and I am delighted to at last publicly give my sincerest thanks to Ms Jessica Lau and her team for the unstinting help, friendly service and thoughtful advice they routinely provided.
I have also to thank Ken Kwok and the members of the OFC, the private Hong Kong think-tank, for their repeatedly fascinating penetration of ‘things Chinese’ and their valuable insights into cultural proclivities. Their thoughtful guidance to me and the free way they have given of their time and advice has been like the pole star to early navigators - I doubt the book would be anywhere near ready without it.
Valery Garrett, the well-known Hong Kong-based sinologist is (fortunately for me) married to an old school friend which has allowed me access that might ordinarily have been unavailable. She has been very helpful in advice to this novice author but has not seen anything of the draft.
Another old school friend Anthony N C Griffiths, also a long-term Hong Kong resident now retired to England, has been patiently helpful in elucidating esoteric aspects of money matters but has not approved my understanding of his advice. As with Valery, I remain solely responsible for what I have written.
Exmo Sr Pedro Zanatti very kindly gave unstintingly of his time in discussing and enlarging on the contents of Forbaz’ Families of Macau, an immense Portuguese work in three volumes detailing all those many families who contributed to the history of that enclave.
Henry Steiner has been most helpful in elucidating esoteric aspects of the Jews of India.
Malcolm Clarke undertook the task of correcting my English, both spelling and grammar, but the most arduous task was uploading the data to the web which turned-out not to be a simple process. Reinstating formatting that disappeared into the ether in transit required the whole thing be examined page-by-page and my dear son Tim was the unfortunate being on whom this Sisyphean task fell. Well done Tim.
My wife Angela has patiently tolerated my virtual absence for the many years required to read these newspapers, understand and edit articles, assemble this great dataset, review such confirmatory published works as were available and prepare this edition. This generous family support was essential to completion of the task.
There are other people who have helped in other ways. Robert Cochrane and Jonathan Beard provided advice on economics. Chan Sui Jeung has been an endless source of esoteric knowledge about Kwangtung, Hong Kong and their histories. Marjie Bloy, who manages the PeelWeb was helpful concerning the 2nd Earl Grey’s trip to China. Peter Higginbotham, who fathered the splendid workhouses.org.uk site, provided information on the sources of income available to these institutions. As before, none of them has seen or approved the text. Thank you all.