Peter Felix Richards

Richards & Co. imported and sold staples of English diets, including "orange marmalade, cheddar and stilton cheese, mustard, oatmeal, cocoa powder, and oil of Bergamot, as well as French olives and Turkish figs",[18] as well as soda water and aerated lemonade.

Named after its founder, Richards' Hotel and Restaurant (礼查饭店; "Licha"; Lee-zo),[28] was "a single and ordinary building",[29] in the Baroque style.

[33] After an auction in Shanghai on 27 March 1855, Richards purchased the ship Margaret Mitchell, which had run aground off Woosong on 1 February 1855 and required extensive repairs to make it seaworthy, from its master, Thomas Jameson for $20,000,[34] (then worth nearly £7,000),[35] which was paid on 16 April 1855.

[36] Additionally, repairs were estimated initially to cost at least $40,000,[37][38] but increased due to further damage after a collision with the dry dock gate at Shanghai on 4 April 1855.

[39] Richards had to mortgage the ship and other assets to finance the purchase, repairs and subsequent return voyage to England at an interest rate of 24%.

[42] After 15 September 1855, the Margaret Mitchell left Shanghai under the control of ship master Captain Dewey Stiles, and after stops at Canton; Whampoa, where a mortgage of £1,336 was obtained from Anthon & Co. to finance insurance of the freight and the ship; Batavia; and Amsterdam, arrived in London on 23 May 1856, by which time Richards had discharged the mortgage obtained in Hong Kong.

[44] From the Chinese New Year (6 February) 1856, Richards announced that his would take Mexican dollars at par value to make purchases and settle accounts,[45] however this decision was rescinded on 1 March 1856, and the discounted rate would be in effect.

[47] On 15 May 1856, while in New York, Richards' company was declared insolvent by decree of the British Consular Court in Shanghai,[48] and all of his assets (including the Margaret Mitchell and the Richards' Hotel) were assigned provisionally to his creditors, Britons William Herbert Vacher and Charles Wills (died 8 September 1857),[49] acting on behalf of Gilman, Bowman and Jardine, Mathieson respectively.

[51] By early June 1856 Richards planned to leave New York to return to England in order to sell the Margaret Mitchell to ameliorate his financial situation.

Robertson (born 1810; died 27 March 1881 at Piccadilly),[53] the British Consul of Shanghai announced that Richards' insolvency was superseded with the approval of his creditors.

[56] On 5 February 1858 Richards announced that: We beg to give notice that we have removed from our Establishment to the Premises expressly built for us, immediately after crossing the New Bridge between the British and American Consulates.

They have also a commanding and central river position remarkably well adapted for Shipping Business; we Have spared no expense to make the Store convenient and safe for Goods.

[72] By 1881 Rebecca Richards was living at Newington, Edinburgh, Scotland, where she was a lodging house keeper, with her two sons: Frederick, a commercial clerk; and Peter, an apprentice engineer.

[80] On 4 September 1893 Peter married Mary Edith "Mollie" MacRae (born 1 July 1869 in Brighton, Sussex; died 7 December 1954 at Heigham Hall, a private mental hospital in Norwich, Norfolk),[81] at St. Leonard's Church, London Road, Upper Deal, Kent.

[92] By 1894, Frederick and Lillian were living in Foo Chow, China, where he was employed as a clerk by commercial agents Dodwell, Carlill & Co.[93] Their daughter, Hilda W.L.