William Melrose and his father Andrew were among the few British wholesale tea dealers engaged in the China trade to any large extent. Their activities throw new light on the import, sale and distribution of tea in Britain during the early years of free trade. In contrast to the majority of importers whose purchases were financed by profits from opium or the sale of British manufactured goods, the Melroses dealt exclusively in tea. In order to benefit from his vastly superior knowledge of the domestic market, Andrew needed as a complement to his own activities in Britain a personal agent in China who was both well-trained and attentive to the requirements of his principals. William supplied an indispensable link in what proved to be a highly successful trading chain. The record of his activities, unlike most accounts of Sino-British commerce which focus their view on China, gives a particularly well-rounded picture of all aspects of the tea trade. At the same time the letters document the social life and family relations of a mid-Victorian business man who felt equally at home in Scotland, England or China.

William Melrose in China 1845-1855 (pdf)