The Hooper's Telegraph Works Ltd was established by William Hooper

William Hooper (chemist)

William Hooper was a British chemist.Hooper set up a factory in 1845 at the old Mitcham Workhouse, on Mitcham Common. His first products were rubber goods, mostly for the medical profession. Experiments were carried out for insulating electric cables using rubber, and he devised a continuous...

 in 1870 to manufacture and lay submarine communications cable

Submarine communications cable

A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean....

. The company's first order was for a 2,300 nautical mile cable linking Vladivostock with Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, via Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

. The company also dropped cable for the Western and Brazilian Telegraph Company. The company commissioned the C. S. Hooper, then the world's second largest cable laying vessel. Due to the haste with which the ship was required, it was assembled in just 100 days. The ship was also used to freight trade between the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 on the Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

-London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 shipping route

Shipping route

A shipping route is a trade route used by merchant ships.Early routes usually were coastal in nature as navigators had to rely on the coastal landmarks...

. The company was placed into liquidation in 1877, and by 1894 was trading as Hooper's Telegraph and India Rubber Works Ltd.