Exhibiting an entrepreneurial drive, Marcus Samuel took the initiative to welcome ships returning to England from India, Japan, Africa, and the Middle East, where he offered to purchase intriguing trinkets and curios collected by sailors during their voyages.
News quickly spread among sailors that they could increase their earnings by selling their collectibles to Samuel. As a result, his business flourished, leading him to open large warehouses on the docks to amass and resell these items. Among the various goods he acquired were exotic shells, which he skillfully affixed to wooden jewelry boxes. These boxes found a ready market among young women seeking holiday souvenirs at the beach. The demand grew significantly, prompting him to import shells from the Far East and laying the groundwork for an import-export enterprise.
In 1870, Marcus Samuel passed his business on to his sons, most notably Marcus Samuel, 1st Viscount Bearsted (born on 5th November 1853 and passed away on 17th January 1927), who spearheaded its expansion. Eventually, his grandson assumed control of the family legacy, further expanding the import/export operations and establishing offices in Japan and London.
During the 1890s, the French Rothschild family ventured into the oil business, taking advantage of the emerging oil fields in Baku, Russia. Seeking assistance in transporting and selling the oil, they entered into a partnership with Marcus Samuel.
In 1891, Samuel secured an exclusive nine-year deal with the Rothschilds, granting him the rights to sell Benito's kerosene east of Suez. In response, he invested in designing and constructing safer tanker ships specifically tailored for navigating the Suez Canal. The first of these tankers, named Murex, embarked on its maiden journey from West Hartlepool to Batum on 22nd July 1892, where it loaded its cargo of kerosene.
In 1907, Sir Marcus Samuel and Henry Deterding orchestrated a merger, combining the Shell Transport and Trading Company with the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company, resulting in the creation of Royal Dutch/Shell.
Samuel's Antique Business Expansion
