Glasgow Merchants in the East India Trade during the 1820s and 1830s: The Case of James Finlay & Co.

While historians have frequently depicted Scottish roles in the East India trade from peripheral viewpoints, they have tended to overlook the direct contributions of merchants and manufacturers engaged in the East India trade from Scotland. This article examines the activities of Glasgow-based James Finlay & Co. in the China trade during the 1820s and early 1830s. It demonstrates that the firm already had more than a decade of experience engaging in the China trade before the complete abolition of the East India Company’s monopoly in 1834. It also argues that the Glasgow firm had a strong connection with London and extended its trading network to Manchester, where the firm outsourced its production for its consignments to the East. This research also contributes to broader East India and China trade issues at that time. Firstly, Finlay’s China operations by the East Indiamen suggest that the legality gave the Company’s vessels an advantage even after the partial opening of the East India trade in 1814. Secondly, this article highlights the significance of the roles of agency houses in the early phase of the China trade. Thirdly, the case of James Finlay & Co. demonstrates that the opening of the China trade in 1834 was not as significant an episode as conventional scholarship made it out to be. In addition, this research argues that Kirkman Finlay and other Glasgow East India interests leveraged their connection with the Canton house, which they acquired through their trial operations, to advocate for free trade with China.