John crawfurd and william farquhar biography
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Prominent British who shaped Chinatown Singapore
Other Notable Mentions
In addition to the British officials who directly shaped Chinatown Singapore, numerous individuals from various fields indirectly influenced its development. These included missionaries, urban planners, engineers, financiers, merchants, and many more. Their contributions were instrumental in transforming Singapore into the vibrant and prosperous city it is today, and Chinatown Singapore was no exception.
One such individual was John Turnbull Thomson, a Scottish civil engineer who served as the Government Surveyor of Singapore from to Thomson was responsible for surveying and mapping Singapore, which helped to establish a more organised and structured urban landscape. His work was instrumental in shaping the development of Chinatown Singapore, as it provided the foundation for future urban planning efforts in the area.
John Turnbull Thomson, image credit:
Another notable figure was Lieuten
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William Farquhar
Madras Army officer and colonial administrator (–)
For the developer of Montgomery County, Maryland, see William Henry Farquhar.
Major-GeneralWilliam Farquhar (26 February – 11 May ) was a Madras Army officer and colonial administrator who served as the resident of Malacca from to and the resident of Singapore from to
Early life
[edit]Farquhar was born in Newhall, Aberdeenshire, near Aberdeen, in as the youngest child of Robert Farquhar and Agnes Morrison, his father's second wife.[1] His brother, Arthur, two years his senior, rose to the rank of rear admiral in the Royal Navy, and received a knighthood for his distinguished services during the Napoleonic Wars.
Shortly after arriving in Madras on 19 June , Farquhar joined the Madras Army of the East India Company as a cadet at the age of He was promoted to a low-rank commissioned officer in the Madras Sappers on 22 June Two years later, on 16 August , he became a lieutenant in the Madras Sapp
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Dr John Crawfurd (): The Scotsman Who Made Singapore British
Ernest C. T. Chew, Associate Professor of History, National University of Singapore
Ernest Chew has graciously shared this essay, which first appeared in Raffles Town Club, vol. 8 (July-Sept ), with readers of the Postcolonial Web. It appears with his permission and that of the Raffles Town Club, which retains the copyright.
1. Connexion
On 29 January Sir Stamford Raffles and Major William Farquhar landed on Singapore island. The following day Raffles signed a preliminary agreement with the Temenggong, the local Malay chief, and on 6 February he concluded a more definitive treaty with Sultan Hussein of Johor, and the Temenggong, which allowed the British to establish a settlement on Singapore. He appointed Farquhar as first British Resident and Commandant of the new settlement, and left him behind to take care of what he was to call 'a Child of my own' and 'my new Colony'.
Towards the end of his fourth and long