1637 · 華南水域、大嶼山、珠江口、廣州 · 明崇禎十年
1637年，英王查理一世指派柯亭協會船長威德爾率領武裝商船航抵華南地區，未理會明朝官員要求其停泊於今大嶼山的指令，逕自駛入珠江口並到達廣州，之後便撤走；此乃英國政府第一次派商船赴華。
In 1637, King Charles I of England appointed Captain Weddell of the Courteen Association to lead armed merchant ships to South China; ignoring Ming officials' order to anchor at present-day Lantau Island, he sailed directly into the Pearl River estuary and reached Guangzhou before withdrawing; this was the first time the English government sent merchant ships to China.
來源 《香港志·總述 大事記》 · p.108