Merchants in Tamsui

Prof 曾令毅Tseng Ling-Yi of Tamkang University has just posted the following:

"淡水英專路附近的庄仔內福德祠建廟碑刻（同治六年），這附近的地原來是下圭柔社所有地，乾嘉以後被漢人大量墾佃，之後漢佃繳納番大租取得土地，道同以後此地漸為漢人業主所有，並於同治六年（1867）興建此福德祠，而碑刻內所登載的漢人業主除了淡水當地的商號（如，新厝街吳鶴記；即「和美吳鶴友」），還有臺北城內外周邊的大商號為了在開港後為取得港口商業腹地，而開始進淡水置產（也可能更早），如林本源家族、洪合益號（洪騰雲家族）等等。見證了清代中期後淡水的開發、漢番關係與開港前後的貿易商號動態。"
A quick translation: A stone tablet can be seen in a temple near Yin-Zhuang Road (below). The land nearby originally belonged to the Aborigines, later taken over by the Han people complete with deeds. In 1867, merchants contributed funds to build this earth-god temple. On the tablet the names of donor corporations, locally from Tamsui and other prominent families from Taipei, were recorded...

A local "吳鶴記Wu He Ji" was mentioned as one of the donors and three of the Wu family members appeared on the tablet (lower right):

同治六年 (1867)

The donation was made in 佛銀, Spanish silver dollars, common currency at that time (one 佛銀 = 0.67兩紋銀silver tael x 8880 = NT$5949.60).

A real estate transaction contract from dated 1879 (GuanXu Year 5), mentioned 吳鶴記, a cropped section here:

Wu Family collection

Indeed, as Prof Tseng has pointed out that the middle Qing era has witnessed the development of Tamsui, the interaction between the Han ad the Aborigines, and the mercantile activities before Tamsui became a major sea port.