Occupation of European Immigrants

Source 1: An excerpt about British trader Edward Boustead. He arrived in Singapore on 13 March 1828. Shortly after his arrival, he established Boustead & Company along the bustling Singapore River.

Mr Boustead’s contributions to Singapore were many. He led Boustead & Company to become a key investor in important businesses such as the Straits Trading Company, which was Singapore’s first tin foundry, and 20% owner of the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company, which developed the wharves, docks and godowns of Keppel Harbour that eventually became the Port of Singapore Authority.

Mr Boustead was also the editor and co-founder of the Singapore Free Press and a founding member of the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (the oldest chamber of commerce in South East Asia, and chief promoter of Singapore’s national interests in the face of the dominance of India’s colonial administration over Singapore’s colonial affairs).

Reference:

Boustead. (2020). Our History: Two centuries in the making. Retrieved from https://boustead.sg/our-history

Source 2: An excerpt about American doctor and missionary- Mr Benjamin Franklin West. He was active in Penang and Singapore. Mr West came to Singapore in 1888.

West and his family came to Singapore during the early days of the Malaysia Mission. He began his mission in Singapore by teaching at the Anglo-Chinese School in 1888 during the mornings, and being a medical doctor, saw patients in his home and dispensary in Chinatown in the afternoons.

Reference:

Tan, B. (2009). Benjamin Franklin West. Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1511_2009-11-30.html?s=Missionaries--Singapore

Source 3: An excerpt about multi-talented British - Jonas Daniel Vaughan who was a sailor, public official and prominent lawyer in colonial Singapore. He contributed to many community organisations and activities, promoted scientific observation, wrote on local history and native culture, and edited The Singapore Free Press (a newspaper).

In 1856, Vaughan moved to Singapore as master attendant, and was police magistrate and assistant resident councillor in 1861. He was elected to a three-year term on the municipal council in 1864. Vaughan’s policing background and knowledge of Malaya were considerable assets in his new career, and coupled with his naval experience, he was in demand for admiralty (or maritime) cases. He was also a favourite among the locals for his “long and intimate knowledge of local affairs”.10 Vaughan was involved in a high-profile case in 1876, where he was appointed to defend seven Malays accused of killing J. W. W. Birch, a British official in Perak. The eight-day trial was conducted before a tribunal of two Rajahs who delivered a guilty verdict. Vaughan also represented Abdullah, the ex-Sultan of Perak, who was exiled for his role in the killing.

Reference:

Sutherland, D. (2007). Jonas Daniel Vaughan. Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1826_2011-08-11.html?s=Colonial%20administrators--Singapore--Biography

Source 4: An excerpt about GD Coleman, a prominent British architect and his contributions towards the development of Singapore during the 19th century. Coleman planned, surveyed and built much of early Singapore, shaping the course of Singapore’s architectural development and early urbanisation. Coleman Street and Coleman Bridge in Singapore were named after him.

As Governor Superintendent of Public Works, Coleman extended his employment of convicts to the construction of public buildings. The number of convicts deployed to work on roads and buildings nearly tripled during Coleman’s career in Singapore, reaching over 1,200 by 1840. His notable achievements include the construction of many iconic buildings. Some of these are still around today, such as the Old Parliament House (now called The Arts House); Armenian Church of St Gregory the Illuminator. Coleman often entered into contracts with his clients to build his designs for an agreed sum but would in some cases invite Indian or Chinese contractors to bid for the construction of his designs. His ability to communicate with contractors, craftsmen and workmen was enhanced by his multilingual command of the Bengali, Hindustani, Tamil and Malay languages.

Reference:

Cornelius-Takahama, V. (2020). G. D. Coleman. Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_134_2004-12-10.html?s=Colonial%20administrators--Singapore--Biography

Source 5: An advertisement published on Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 9 July 1852. This English daily newspaper was widely read by Europeans in Singapore during the 19th century.

Reference:

Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. (1855). Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singfreepressa18550809-1.2.5.1?ST=1&AT=search&SortBy=Oldest&k=European+agency+houses&P=2&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=european,agency,houses&oref=article 

Source 6: The company behind Robinsons was originally known as Spicer and Robinson. It was established in 1858 by Philip Robinson, an immigrant from Australia, and James Gaborian Spicer, a former jailkeeper in Singapore. The two men operated the business as a “family warehouse” at Commercial Square (today’s Raffles Place).

Reference:

Pak, P. Y. G. (2020). Robinsons Department Store. Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_561_2005-01-25.html

© 2023 Bedok South Secondary School. All rights reserved.