One Hundred Years' History Of The Chinese In Singapore: The Annotated Edition. Ong Siang Song

One Hundred Years' History Of The Chinese In Singapore: The Annotated Edition

He was promoted to the rank of Colonel in 1829 and Major-General in 1837. See John Bastin, ‘Farquhar, William (1774–1839)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004) at <http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/67783> (accessed 9 July 2014).

6JT Thomson, Hakayit Abdulla: Translations from the Hakayit Abdulla (bin Abdulkadar), Munshi, with comments (London: HS King, 1874), at 118.

7Ibid, at 122.

8Raffles to Duchess of Somerset, 11 Jun 1819. See Sophia Raffles, Memoir of the Life and Public Services of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (London: John Murray, 1830), at 383.

9Raffles to Farquhar, 25 June 1819, in ‘Notices of Singapore’ (1853) 7 Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia, at 333.

10Article 2, Arrangements Made for the Government of Singapore, June 1819. See Roland St John Braddell, The Law of the Straits Settlements: A Commentary, Reprint with introduction by MB Hooker (Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press, 1982), at 148–149.

11‘Council Chamber or Court House’ – see Sir Frank A Swettenham, Vocabulary of the English and Malay Languages with notes, Vol 2 (Shanghai, Hongkong, Singapore & Yokohama: Kelly & Walsh, 1910), at 120.

12The Singapore Chronicle was Singapore’s first newspaper. It commenced publication on 1 January 1824 as the Singapore Chronicle and Commercial Register, and was originally owned and edited by Francis James Bernard, son-in-law of Major William Farquhar. Bernard only edited a few issues of the Chronicle before handing the editorship to Resident John Crawfurd, who edited it till 1826 when it was taken over by James Loch. The paper, which functioned as a semi-official gazette shut down in 1837. See CA Gibson-Hill, ‘The Singapore Chronicle (1823–37)’ (1953) 26(1) Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, at 175.

13The words in quote are inexact. The original reads: ‘From an insignificant fishing village, the port is now surrounded by an extensive town, and the population does not fall short of ten or twelve thousand souls, principally Chinese.’ See Raffles to Duke of Somerset, 20 Aug 1820, in Sophia Raffles, Memoir of the Life and Public Services of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (London: John Murray, 1830), at 465–466.

14Farquhar to Raffles, 31 Mar 1820, in Sophia Raffles, Memoir of the Life and Public Services of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (London: John Murray, 1830), at 444.

15Raffles to Captain CE Davis, George Bonham & Alexander L Johnston, 4 Nov 1822 in ‘Notices of Singapore’ (1854) 8 Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia, 101, at 106–107.

16According to historian Hsu Yun Tsiao (1905–1981), Tan Che Sang’s real name was simply Tan Sang and that the ‘Che’ was added on as a Hokkien form of address for younger uncle: Chek or (Shu). See (Singapore: Youth Book Company, 1961), at 27–28. See also (Singapore: Youth Book Company, 2007), at 55. There are several variations to the spelling of his name: Tan Che Sang, Tan Chi Sang, Tan Cheh Sang, Tan Chisang, and Tan Chee Sang.

17Some accounts have Tan’s Chinese name as but this is highly improbable, given that his real name was Tan Sang . See Hsu, ibid.

18This is almost certainly erroneous. According to historian Hsu Yun Tsiao, Tan was born in Fujian province and not in Canton or Quangzhou. See Hsu, ibid.

19One account states: ‘The room in which he died was literally surrounded with coffers of silver and most valuable goods, and a tiger’s skin in the centre of it upon which he slept.’ See ‘Funeral of a Chinese Miser’ Singapore Free Press & Mercantile Advertiser 14 Jul 1836, at 1.

20This account of Tan Che Sang is almost certainly drawn from a contemporary account by George Windsor Earl, The Eastern Seas or Voyages and Adventures of the Indian Archipelago in 1832–33–34 (London: Wm H Allen & Co, 1837), at 364–365, which reads:

The emigrants from China are chiefly mechanics, agriculturists, and labourers, but many are also engaged in commerce. The most wealthy of the latter is Che Sang, a miserly old man, who appears to great disadvantage when compared with the liberal and well-informed Chong Long. His sole aim has been the acquirement of riches, and he is supposed to possess immense wealth. His cash is deposited in a number of iron chests, among which he always sleeps. It is said that a considerable portion of this treasure has been acquired by gambling, to which he is much addicted. On one occasion fortune deserted him, and he lost a considerable sum, which so terribly disconcerted the old man, that he took a most solemn oath never to touch dice again, and, to punish himself for his indiscretion, and as a momento of his oath, he cut off the first joint of one of his little fingers. The ruling passion, however, proved too strong and he soon embarked in gambling as deeply as ever.

21Estimates of the number of people at his funeral vary between 5,000 and 13,000. See ‘Funeral of a Chinese Miser’ Singapore Free Press & Mercantile Advertiser 14 Jul 1836, at 1.

22This burial ground was what came to be known as Tiong Lama near Sepoy Lines. The Heng Shan Ting Temple was originally the ‘joss house’ of this cemetery which had been founded by See Hoot Kee (or Si Hoo Keh), the wealthiest Hokkien in Singapore.

23Tan was certainly an important and influential leader of the Hokkien community. Indeed, he was considered to be only second to See Hoot Kee (or Si Hoo Keh) in terms of wealth and influence. See (Hongkong: Chinese University of Hongkong, 1970), at 7–8. It was also reported that Tan was asked to settle a dispute involving three Chinese men who struck down a poor woman and he had permission of the government to sentence them to receive a dozen lashes each, inflicted on them publicly with a rattan. See Yen Ching-Hwang, ‘Class Structure and Social Mobility in the Chinese Community in Singapore and Malaya 1800-1911’ (1987) 21(3) Modern Asian Studies 417, at 436.

24Tan was reputedly involved with the Hokkien triads. See (Hongkong: Chinese University of Hongkong, 1970), at 7–8.

25Tan bought a warehouse at Hill Street from the Resident, William Farquhar. Farquhar, who lived at the junction of Hill Street and St Andrew’s Road, had built this warehouse across from his own home. Later in 1822–23, as a result of Raffles’ resettlement plan, Tan moved his warehouse to Commercial Square (now Raffles Place) but kept this Hill Street site till his death. His title, Lease No 298 was issued on 11 June 1827. See Leong Foke Meng, ‘Singapore: The Real Estates Of William Farquhar (1774–1839), John Crawfurd (1783–1868), And Their Families’ (2004) 77(1) Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 23–42, at 28. Lee Kip Lin has, however, suggested that Tan bought his Hill Street house from DS Napier instead of Farquhar but he offers no reference for this assertion. See Lee Kip Lin, The Singapore House 1819–1942 (Singapore: Times Editions & Preservation of Monuments Board, 1988), at 77.

26LN Hull (Acting Secretary) to Lieutenant-Colonel Farquhar, Resident, 4 Feb 1823, in ‘Notices of Singapore’ (1853) 7 Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia 325, at 336.

27See ‘A Regulation prohibiting Gaming Houses and Cock-pits and for Suppressing the Vice of Gaming at Singapore’ in ‘Notices of Singapore’ (1854) 8 Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia 329–330.

28Ibid, at 330.

29Crawfurd

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