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Mr J A Russell - Businessman Extraordinary
J A Russell, born on the 11th of November 1882 at 78 Westminster Bridge Road, London, was the second eldest of the five sons of Mr John Russell, a government appointee, and his wife, Frances, who brought their young family to Kuala Lumpur in 1890s when Archie was 8. All of the sons had successful careers in Malaya or elsewhere. The eldest was Manager of the Federated Engineering Company in Malaya and the third son, a civil engineer, was a partner in the firm of Swan and Maclaren of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. J A Russell became a major "European man of commerce" in Malaya with important business interests in three continents.
Known to his friends as Archie, he began his business training as an assistant in the Straits Trading Company and before he left them in 1903 he perfected his knowledge of Chinese and began to learn about tin mining. He moved to join the International Tin Corporation (USA), spending most of his time in Ipoh.
After a few years gaining sufficient expertise as a tin miner he started the prestigious Kuala Lumpur firm of J A Russell with his youngest brother, R C Russell as a partner
Archie, having developed impressive business acumen and the preparedness to take risks, went on to engage in a diverse range of ventures. Despite doubts voiced by the business community at the time he created the highly successful Malayan Collieries when he was in his early thirties. For many years he purchased real estate, including practically the whole of the shop houses in the new town part of Ipoh. This latter purchase was reported by The Straits Times 10 March 1913 page 8 as follows:
J. A Russell's property in Ipoh
"With reference to what has become known as the “Ipoh Land Deal” which, as being probably the largest transaction of its kind yet on record in the F.M.S., and in connection with which so many names have been mentioned and so many rumours afloat, The Malay Mail has ascertained that negotiations have now definitely been concluded, and the transfer deeds signed. The purchaser is Mr. J. A. Russell of Kuala Lumpur. In this connection it is interesting to note that Mr. J. A. Russell is already the largest individual European shop house property owner in the towns of Kuala Lumpur and Seremban, and will now be so in Ipoh."
Later he was one of the first to recognize the potential in the Cameron Highlands for growing tea on large scale.
Archie passed away in 1933. The following year The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser , 31 March 1934, Page 11 referred to his Ipoh properties as:
" The estate consists of 260 shop houses, the Isis and Choong Wah Cinemas and five pieces of vacant land."
From details taken from the minutes of the J A Russell Compamy, it is clear that he owned Jubilee Park, The Isis Theatre (renamed Rex), The Chung Wah Cinema (renamed the Capitol), part or all of Theatre Street, Cowan Street, Brewster Road, Yau Tet Shin Street, Clare Street, Jalan Majid, Osborne Road, Chamberlain Road, Russell Street, Hugh Low Street, and Anderson Road. Extracts from the company minutes were kindly given to us by Claire Grey, granddaughter of Archie.
In 1934 J H M Robson, in recording his recollections of the period from 1889-1934 remembered Archie Russell as having a business career surpassing that of any other European in Malaya:
“Without money or interest a young assistant in the Straits Trading Company acquired both wealth and a unique commercial position by pluck, industry, sound sense and vision.”
To read more about John Henry Matthews Robson, Founder and Proprietor of the Malay Mail, click here.