Dent & Co.

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Dent & Co. (Traditional Chinese: 寶順行) or Dent's, one of the wealthiest British merchant firms, or hongs, active in China during the 19th Century. Dent's was known for having a traditional feud with another British merchant firm Jardine, Matheson & Co, or Jardine's. Jardine's, Dent's and the American firm of Russell & Co. have been recognized as the three greatest original Canton hongs in Hong Kong's early colonial history.

Dent's is one of the founding members of the provisional committee that launched The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited in March 1865. Francis Chomley of Dent's chaired the provisional committee's first meeting, held on 6 August 1964.

In 1866, the financial world was rocked by the collapse of Overend, Gurney and Company, a discount house in Lombard Street, London, causing a run on many banks which in turn brought down many other businesses. Dent's was forced to shut its doors in its wake. Jardine's averted disaster by learning the news sooner - its mail steamer carrying news from Calcutta arrived one hour earlier than others - and emptied its balances at a failing bank before anyone else have heard of the news in Hong Kong.

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