People · French consul, customs inspector
B. Edan
爱棠Àitáng
French consul who joined the 1854 notice taking over customs collection and in 1860 agreed the French Concession's extension to the river.
B. Edan (爱棠, Àitáng) was a French consul in Shanghai whose name appears on two decisions that shaped the settlements: the 1854 takeover of customs collection and the 1860 extension of the French Concession.
The Shanghai Concessions Gazetteer says he began as an employee of a French clock and watch firm and became acting consul in June 1853. During the Small Sword uprising that September he discussed defence arrangements with the Chinese authorities. On 6 July 1854 he joined the British and American consuls in a notice reorganising the customs and collecting duties on the Qing government’s behalf, since no Chinese official was in charge of the customs house.
France named him customs commissioner in 1855, and in June 1859 he succeeded Louis Charles Nicolas Maximilien Montigny (敏体尼, Mǐntǐní) as consul. In 1860 he agreed terms with the daotai, Wu Xu (吴煦, Wú Xù), that moved the French Concession out to the river front at the Small East Gate. He left Shanghai in 1863.
Timeline
- 1853Acting French consul; consulted on defence during the Small Sword uprising1
- 1854Joined the British and US consuls in announcing a takeover of customs collection1
- 1855Appointed customs commissioner by the French side1
- 1859Succeeded Montigny as French consul1
- 1860Agreed with daotai Wu Xu to extend the French Concession to the river1
Connections
- Lan Weiwen蓝蔚雯Consulted on defence with acting daotai Lan Weiwen, 1853
- Louis Charles Nicolas Maximilien de Montigny敏体尼Succeeded Montigny as French consul in 1859
Sir Rutherford Alcock阿礼国Co-signed the 1854 customs notice with Consul Rutherford Alcock- Wu Xu吴煦Agreed the 1860 French Concession extension with daotai Wu Xu