Francis Darby Syme

His authority secured this but caused a wave of protest which spread from this action, accusing the companies of kidnapping and slavery.

[1] Syme Muir & Co are said to have erected a "barracoon" in front of their company offices in Amoy where they held the captured coolies, prior to shipping them around the world.

Their clearly illegal actions simply flaunted the local laws and the British government gave tacit approval of the coolie trade, seeing it as critical to colonial aspirations.

[3] The trade also relied heavily upon a supply chain fed by Cantonese pirates, who would abduct unfortunate young men.

[4] In August 1855 the British government introduced the Act for the Regulation of Chinese Passenger Ships, in an attempt to stem the coolie trade.

In cities such as Amoy where Syme operated the act was more influential and by December 1857 the export of unwilling coolies was declining.

[9] The grave faces south on an east-west path to the north-west of the original cemetery and is marked by a white marble cross.