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AH LING (1)

Subject (person)

LEONG HO

Subject (organisation)

Ah Ling & Co., Perth (formerly Chew Youke & Co.)

Related collection

Anne Atkinson Collection

Contributor

School of Social Sciences

Document

Subject of (11)

Person

Subject of (4)

Organisation

Subject of (2)

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CHOW YOUKE (2)

Description

Biographical informationChow Youke (aka Ah Chow, aka Chew Youke) was born in about 1867. He migrated to Western Australia in 1882.

He commenced a market garden in partnership with Ah Hoy (5) in 1882. The market garden was in South Perth on land leased from Justice Stone. In about 1884 he established a store at 127 Barrack Street, Perth, selling vegetables from his market garden as well as Chinese goods.

In June 1886 Chow Youke left Western Australia to buy seeds and goods for his market garden and shop. On his return in July 1887, he was required to pay a poll tax of £10. In 1888 Chow Youke was recorded as the manager of the Key Sam's market garden in Perth.

In August 1888 Chow Youke, together with Leong Ho and Ah Tong (9) sued the Daily News for alleged libel (Daily News 1/9/1888). The paper had published a letter from an anonymous member of the public who claimed that one or more Chinese market gardeners in South Perth were suffering from leprosy and that "scales falling from persons suffering from this disease will adhere to any substance with which they may come into contact, thereby spreading the terrible malady". The effect (and no doubt the intent) was to stop people from buying produce from the Chinese market gardens. Chow Youke, Leong Ho and Ah Tong sued for damages (500 pounds per person), arguing that the allegation was completely unfounded.

In the giving of evidence Chow Youke stated that he had been market gardening in South Perth for seven years, that he had more than ten acres in crop worth 500 pounds and that he sold his produce in his Barrack Street shop as well as in "Cossack and Champion Bay". He had six men working for him at the time. His garden was in between that of Leong Ho and Ah Tong (9). In 1888 he produced 11,000 cauliflowers. Many Europeans gave evidence confirming that they had stopped buying vegetables because of the published letter. The newspaper argued that they had published the letter in public interest and without malice and therefore could not be convicted of a crime. The jury found in favour of the Daily News against the advice of the Judge.

In 1888, after losing this case, Chow Youke sold the shop (or passed it over in lieu of debts) to his shop assistant Ah Sing and his cousin Ah Ling (1). The shop became Ah Ling & Co. Chow Youke was heavily in debt at this time (Daily News 17/10/1889 pg 3), but may have continued to work in the shop.

Chow Youke's financial difficulties may have been compounded by a theft which took place shortly after the libel case. In July 1889, Ah Tuck, Chung Sam and Ah Hing were tried for the theft of 90 tins of opium and 46 pounds cash from Chow Youke's shop in Barrack Street on 28 October 1888. They were found guilty and sentenced to 18 month's imprisonment. A case against Ah Wong did not proceed.

It appears that he may have returned to market gardening in South Perth in the 1920s because the South Perth Rates Book records a "Chew Yook" market gardening along Suburban Road in 1925.Other nameChow Youke (differentiated name)CHEW YOUKE (also known as)Ah ChowAh Chow (also known as)Chew Yook (also known as)Date of birth1867

Document

AAC-Box-004-Binder-1-0161

AAC-Box-004-Binder-1-0162

AAC-Box-007-6-0215

AAC-Box-007-8-0236

Ah Sing given shop deed by Chow Youke

Box-007-Sorb-Box-0120

Box-007-Sorb-Box-0122

Box-007-Sorb-Box-0124

Leong Ho and Others Versus The Daily News

Leong Ho and Others v. Stirling Brothers & Co.

Page21 1888, Collector of Customs - Return of Chinese

Person

AH HOY (5)

AH LING (1)

LEE WAT SUN

LEONG HO

LIN CHOW

Organisation

Ah Ling & Co., Perth (formerly Chew Youke & Co.)

Key Sam's Market Garden, Perth

Employment

Job titleGardenerDate employed[date unknown]

Family

Other relativeAH LING (1)

Connections

Subject (person)LEONG HOAh TuckAh WongChung SamAh HingSubject (organisation)Ah Ling & Co., Perth (formerly Chew Youke & Co.)Subject (place)127 Barrack Street, PerthSubject (topic)Chinese heritage in Western AustraliaShop assistantShop keeperRelated collectionAnne Atkinson CollectionRelated linkNAA Immigration Travel File 1897Chew Youke & Co. becomes Ah Ling & Co. August 1889Letter in Support of Chow Youke 1887The Daily News, 26 August 1889: 3.The Australian Advertiser, 12 July 1889, p. 3

Item information

ContributorSchool of Social SciencesSource of informationAsian immigrants to Western Australia, 1829-1901 (Atkinson, 1988)

Significant place

RelationTravelled toPlaceWestern AustraliaDate1889

UWA Collected

CHOW YOUKE (2)

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA