Ong Siang Song - One Hundred Years History of the Chinese In Singapore

ONE HUNDRED YEARS HISTORY OF THE CHINESE IN SINGAPORE

THE ANNOTATED EDITION

Mr & Mrs Song Ong Siang

ONE HUNDRED YEARS
HISTORY OF THE CHINESE
IN SINGAPORE

BEING A CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD OF THE CONTRIBUTION BY THE CHINESE COMMUNITY TO THE DEVELOPMENT, PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY OF SINGAPORE; OF EVENTS AND INCIDENTS CONCERNING THE WHOLE OR SECTIONS OF THAT COMMUNITY; AND OF THE LIVES, PURSUITS AND PUBLIC SERVICE OF INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS THEREOF FROM THE FOUNDATION OF SINGAPORE ON 6TH FEBRUARY 1819 TO ITS CENTENARY ON 6TH FEBRUARY 1919

BY

SONG ONG SIANG

MA LLM (CANTAB)

BARRISTER-AT-LAW, MIDDLE TEMPLE, LONDON

ADVOCATE AND SOLICITOR, SUPREME COURT, SS

ANNOTATED BY

KEVIN YL TAN

WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF

G UMA DEVI & KUA BAK LIM

ON BEHALF OF THE

SINGAPORE HERITAGE SOCIETY

TO

THE MEMORY OF MY LATE FATHER

WHOSE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND EXAMPLE
HAVE BEEN A CONSTANT
INSPIRATION TO ME
AND TO

MY DEAR WIFE

WHOSE ENCOURAGEMENT AND HELP IN
MANY WAYS SUSTAINED ME THROUGH
THREE YEARS OF INCESSANT TOIL
I DEDICATE THIS BOOK

Published by

National Library Board, Singapore

100 Victoria Street

#14-01 National Library Building

Singapore 188064

email:

www.nlb.gov.sg

and

World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
5 Toh Tuck Link, Singapore 596224
USA office: 27 Warren Street, Suite 401-402, Hackensack, NJ 07601
UK office: 57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HE

Editorial

Singapore Heritage Society: Dr Kevin Tan, G Uma Devi and Kua Bak Lim
National Library Board: Sharon Koh, Ang Seow Leng, Stephanie Pee, Wong Siok Muoi and Francis Dorai World Scientific desk editor: Sylvia Koh

Cover image: Detail of the names of Chinese merchants in both Chinese (front cover) and English (back cover) on the Loyalty Address presented to Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and second son of Queen Victoria, during his visit to Singapore in 1869. A symbol of the Chinese communitys pledge of allegiance to Queen Victoria, the Loyalty Address was written in gold ink on six panels of fuchsia-coloured silk. The address was signed by some 80 Chinese merchants, including prominent names such as Tan Kim Ching, Seah Eu Chin, Tan Seng Poh and Hoo Ah Kay. Courtesy of National Library, Singapore. (Accession no.: B20048303I)

All rights reserved. National Library Board, Singapore, 2020.

First published in 1923 by John Murray (London).
This annotated edition was first published in 2018 as an ebook by the National Library Board, Singapore.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as expressly permitted by the law, without the prior written permission of the Publisher and copyright owner(s). Whilst reasonable care has been taken by the Publisher to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the Publisher accepts no legal liabilities whatsoever for the contents of this publication.

All sources of images used in this publication have been indicated and it is assumed that the remainder are out of copyright and rest in the public domain. Every reasonable effort has been made to trace respective copyright holders, but in the event of errors or omissions, please contact the National Library Board. In future editions of this book, if any, all due acknowledgments will be stated.

National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing in Publication Data

Name: Song, Ong Siang. | Tan, Kevin Y. L., annotator. | Uma Devi, G. | Ke, Mulin.

Title: One hundred years history of the Chinese in Singapore : being a chronological record of the contribution by the Chinese community to the development, progress and prosperity of Singapore; of events and incidents concerning the whole or sections of that community; and of the lives, pursuits and public service of individual members thereof from the foundation of Singapore on 6th February 1819 to its centenary on 6th February 1919 (The annotated edition) / by Song Ong Siang ; annotated by Kevin YL Tan ; with the assistance of G Uma Devi & Kua Bak Lim ; on behalf of the Singapore Heritage Society.

Description: Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Business and National Library Board, Singapore, [2020]

Identifier(s): OCN 1135070700 | ISBN 978-981-12-1768-5 (paperback) | ISBN 978-981-12-1762-3 (hardcover)

Subject(s): LCSH: Chinese--Singapore--History. | Chinese--Straits Settlements--History. | Singapore--History. | Straits Settlements--History.

Classification: DDC 959.57--dc23

Printed in Singapore

CONTENTS

Chinese settlers from MalaccaRaffless arrangement for native kampongs under chiefsChinese traders to Manila and Brunei before 1819Opium, Spirit and Gambling FarmsArrival of first Chinese junk from AmoyPolicing of the town and Night Watch FundRaffless instructions for the Chinese kampong, 1822Fish Market at Telok AyerTan Chek SangCracker-firing nuisanceHistory of Gambling LawsSeah Eu ChinCensus of Chinese populationThe Sultans female slavesFirst Chinese landownersEarliest Chinese schoolsChinese vagrantsFirst Criminal sessions

Great fire in ChinatownKeng-tek-whayFirst mention of secret societiesChoa Chong LongMalacca-born ChineseChinese efforts to suppress piracyPresentation of a sword of honour to captain of HMS WolfEarly Roman CatholicsSago factoriesGambier and pepper plantingKong-kekTan Joo TiamNutmeg and coffee plantingKiong Kong TuanChamber of Commerce formedChinese junks bringing immigrantsEarly retail druggists

Rajah Brookes impressions of ChineseEarly Chinese firmsTan Kim SengDescription of first Chinese ballFirst account of a Chinese processionWhampoaGang robberiesResolution at public meeting to check themRev BP KeasberryPrinsep Street ChurchTiger scourgeTan Tock Seng HospitalTan Tock SengNaturalised British subjectsSee Boon TiongFirst trouble by secret societiesSeah Eu Chins articles on the Chinese

Song Hoot KiamVisit of Lord DalhousieAng Choon SengPetition for more sympathetic treatmentPersecution of Roman Catholic ChineseGrand Jury on HoeysWan Eng KiatGovernor Butterworth and the ChineseFirst head scareMiss Cooke and Chinese Girls SchoolSerious Chinese meuteResolutions re increased piracyTan Beng SweeTan Kim ChingTan See Boo and Chinese Gospel HouseFoo Teng QueeOng Sam LeongEarly rice merchantsImport and export merchantsWee Ah HoodSee Eng Watt and his descendantsClosing of shops over the Arrow incidentBraddells Notes on the ChineseLow Kim Pong and the Siong-lim-siLee Cheng YanLee Choon GuanTchan Chun Fook

Last Chinese member of Chamber of CommerceWee Bin & CoWee Boon TeckLim Ho PuahLim Peng SiangChan Koo ChanChinese shipownersTay Ho SweeLaow Leong Anns estateRight of inferior widow to widows portion of an intestates propertyCholera epidemicGeok Teat & CoChia Ann SiangA Dutchmans view of Singapore ChineseWH Reads modus operandi in quelling clan fightsHetairismTrade depressionCama SchoolComments on the then backward state of educationKoh Eng HoonTan Seng PohRevolver firing during service at St AndrewsChinese scholarships at Raffles InstitutionChinese opposed to a Gambling FarmThe