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83-605: Residency House , the original residence of Sir Stamford Raffles and his sister's family, was a wooden house with venetians and thatched attap roof, the house was the earliest Singapore's project of George Drumgoole Coleman . Coleman, who waited for Raffles to return from Bencoolen , Sumatra for four months, in the meantime designed the House in speculation for Raffles' residence use. Raffles, upon his return from Bencoolen , Sumatra in October 1822, impressed with Coleman's design, approved

166-506: A ship master for various ships engaged in the direct trade between England and the West Indies . Although some biographers have suggested that Benjamin was involved in the slave trade , modern historians have refuted such claims. When Benjamin ended his involvement in the West India trade in 1800, it caused his family considerable hardship. The little money the family had went into sending

249-520: A 1,200-strong British force to capture the Royal Palace of Yogyakarta . Yogyakarta forces, surprised by the attack, were easily defeated; the palace fell in one day, and was subsequently sacked and burnt. Raffles ordered the much of the palace's archives to be removed, taking them back with him. The attack was unprecedented in Javanese history, as it was the first time an indigenous palace had been captured by

332-585: A European army, humiliating the Yogyakarta Sultanate. Although peace returned to Central Java in the immediate aftermath of the attack, it may have fuelled the deep-seated instability and hostility to European involvement in the region that ultimately gave rise to the Java War during the 1820s. Raffles also ordered an expedition to Palembang , Sumatra to depose local sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II . The expedition

415-587: A better British presence was cemented. However, the Anglo-Dutch Convention of 1814 was not completely clear, especially on the issue of certain possessions such as Padang . The Convention of 1814 only returned Dutch territory that was held before 1803, which did not include Padang. Raffles asserted the British claim personally, leading a small expedition to the Kingdom of Pagaruyung . Yet, as Raffles confirmed with

498-756: A certain uneasiness and instability for the two nations. Tengku Long was claimed to be a pretender to the throne, and, since the succession laws in the Malay sultanates were not clear cut, treaties signed between native rulers and the European powers always seemed to be on the verge of invalidation; especially if a sultan should be deposed by one of his siblings or other pretenders. Nonetheless, amidst uncertainty and intrigue, Raffles landed in Achin on 14 March 1819, with begrudging help of Penang. Once again, it seems that multiple people were in power, but none wanted to formally deal with

581-598: A common sight in numerous entities and institutions throughout the country. Others have argued against excessive reverence as he was an imperialist who projected colonialism onto the population of Singapore that predated his arrival . Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles was born on ( 1781-07-05 ) 5 July 1781 on board the ship Ann , off the coast of Port Morant , Jamaica, to Captain Benjamin Raffles (1739, London – 23 November 1811, Deptford ) and Anne Raffles (née Lyde) (1755 – 8 February 1824, London). Benjamin served as

664-672: A country gentleman, and ran his colony like an estate, his expenditure on nature preservation was seriously frowned upon. In both Calcutta and London, they discussed his removal from office, while Castlereagh continued negotiations with the Dutch regarding the ongoing diplomatic conflicts. Luckily, the Singapore issue had its supporters in the House, so as negotiations continued in Europe, Raffles remained largely idle in Bencoolen. The only major issue, outside

747-505: A more favourable treaty in Rhio (Riau) was met with greater challenge, as the Dutch were present, and made for a rather awkward position. The Dutch were alarmed, and sent a small contingent to the island. Despite a covert offer of subterfuge against the Dutch offered by the Raja of Rhio (Riau), Farquhar returned, and an official protest was sent by the Raja to Java regarding the matter. Raffles declared

830-555: A small group of Britons as his senior staff, kept many of the Dutch civil servants in the governmental structure. During the relatively brief period of British rule in Java, Raffles negotiated several peace treaties along with ordering several military expeditions against local rulers. Rumours of plans by the Yogyakarta Sultanate to launch an attack against the British led to uneasiness among Britons in Java. On 20 June 1812, Raffles led

913-572: A widow ten years his senior, who was formerly married to Jacob Cassivelaun Fancourt, an assistant surgeon in Madras, who had died in 1800. In 1805, he was sent to Prince of Wales Island , Malaya , starting his long association with Southeast Asia. He started as assistant secretary, under the Honourable Philip Dundas , the new governor of Penang. At this time, he also made the acquaintance of Thomas Otho Travers , who would accompany him for

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996-637: A year, both massive sums at the time, roughly equivalent to £ 287,000 and £172,000 now. Farquhar was officially named the Resident of Singapore , and Raffles was named as 'Agent to the Most Noble the Governor-General with the States of Rhio (Riau), Lingin (Lingga) and Johor'. Although ownership of the post was to be exclusively British, explicit orders were given to Farquhar to maintain free passage of ships through

1079-677: The Indian Department was responsible for relations with indigenous nations in North America from 1755 onwards. In 1768 the separate American or Colonial Department was established, in order to deal with colonial affairs in British America . With the loss of thirteen of its colonies , however, the department was abolished in 1782. Responsibility for the remaining colonies was given to the Home Office , and subsequently in 1801 transferred to

1162-743: The British Empire (excepting India , which was administered separately by the East India Company and then the British Raj ) was divided by the War and Colonial Office into the following administrative departments: In 1854, the War and Colonial Office was divided in two, the War Office and a new Colonial Office, created to deal specifically with affairs in the colonies and assigned to the Secretary of State for

1245-997: The Dominion of India and Dominion of Pakistan gained independence in 1947, the Dominion Office was merged with the India Office to form the Commonwealth Relations Office . In 1966, the Commonwealth Relations Office was re-merged with the Colonial Office, forming the Commonwealth Office . Two years later, this department was itself merged into the Foreign Office, establishing the Foreign and Commonwealth Office . The Colonial Office had its offices in

1328-562: The Dutch East Indies . The war was swiftly conducted by Admiral Robert Stopford , General Frederick Augustus Wetherall , and Colonel Robert Rollo Gillespie , who led a well-organised army against an opposing army of mostly French conscripts with little proper leadership. The previous Dutch governor, Herman Willem Daendels , had built a well-defended fortification at Meester Cornelis (now Jatinegara ). His successor, Governor Jan Willem Janssens , who coincidentally had surrendered to

1411-759: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Main Building in Whitehall . From 1862, the Colonial Office published historical and statistical information concerning the United Kingdom's colonial dependencies in The Colonial Office List , though between 1926 and 1940 it was known as The Dominions Office and Colonial Office List . It later became known as the Commonwealth Relations Office Year Book and Commonwealth Office Year Book . In addition to

1494-528: The Malay Peninsula . It was established that there was no Dutch presence on the island of Singapore. Johor also no longer had any control of the area, so contact was made with the Temenggong Abdul Rahman . The contacts were friendly, and Raffles, knowledgeable about the muddled political situation, took advantage to provide a rudimentary treaty between the nominal chiefs of the area that called for

1577-474: The Resident of Singapore , replacing Farquhar. Upon his arrival, Travers found the colony a delightful smörgåsbord of different races and cultures, numbering over six thousand. He also found that Singapore's trade was slowly overtaking that of Java. As in Java, Raffles collected samples of local species of plant and animal, as well as describing them in his journals. He located other tribes, and recorded their customs, especially their religions and laws. Bringing

1660-546: The South China Sea . His actions were initially not endorsed by the British government and led to tensions between the British and the Dutch . The Anglo–Dutch Treaty of 1824 established their respective spheres of influence, the Dutch relinquishing their claims to Singapore while the British ceded Bencoolen to them. An entrepôt was subsequently established in Singapore for maritime trade between Europe and Asia. While Raffles

1743-629: The Strait of Singapore , and a small military presence was established alongside the trading post. After issuing orders to Farquhar and the remaining Europeans, Raffles left the next day, 7 February 1819. Raffles also planned to start a British presence in Achin , on the northern tip of Sumatra . As soon as he had departed, the Raja of Rhio (Riau) sent letters to the Dutch, disclaiming the deal, protesting innocence, and blaming British encroachment. Meanwhile, in Malacca ,

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1826-632: The War Department . The War Office was renamed the War and Colonial Office in 1801, under a new Secretary of State for War and the Colonies , to reflect the increasing importance of the colonies. In 1825 a new post of Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies was created within this office. It was held by Robert William Hay initially. His successors were James Stephen , Herman Merivale , Frederic Rogers , Robert Herbert and Robert Henry Meade . From 1824,

1909-551: The neoclassical style for the residence of Residents and Governors of Singapore . The Government House had a clear view of the settlement around Singapore River and was featured in many paintings of the area. In 1858, the Government House was eventually demolished and the site handed to the British military for the construction of a fort in 1859 known as the Fort Canning which was completed in 1861. Upon its demolition,

1992-455: The 1819 expedition party, Captain John Crawford, recalled in his diary an encounter with “upwards of 100” of Chinese. British colonial documentations revealed that Temenggong Abdul Rahman had provided these Chinese who were Teochews the cost and expenses of opening gambier plantations at Mount Stamford (now Pearl’s Hill) prior to British arrival. He had also “in some instances” advanced money to

2075-641: The British five years earlier at the Cape Colony , mounted a brave but ultimately futile defence at the fortress. The British, led by Colonel Gillespie, stormed the fort and captured it within three hours. Governor Janssens attempted to escape inland but was captured. The British invasion of Java took a total of forty-five days, during which Raffles was appointed the lieutenant-governor of the Dutch East Indies by Lord Minto before hostilities formally ceased. He took his residence at Buitenzorg , and despite having

2158-414: The British. The hostile atmosphere created allowed Raffles to cancel the only meeting he was able to arrange, with Panglima Polim , a powerful divisional chief, fearing treachery . As the influential merchant John Palmer , Raffles, and fellow commissioner John Monckton Coombs of Penang sat offshore, awaiting a response, Calcutta debated whether to reinforce the port city. Evacuation plans were made, but

2241-630: The Colonies . The Colonial Office did not have responsibility for all British possessions overseas: for example, both the British Raj and other British territories near India, were under the authority of the India Office from 1858. Other, more informal protectorates , such as the Khedivate of Egypt , fell under the authority of the Foreign Office . After 1878, when the Emigration Commission

2324-481: The Dutch acted at once, commanding that no Malays could go to Singapore. Raffles's bold claim of Singapore created a curious geographic situation: although Penang was clearly closer in distance to Singapore, Raffles, in his capacity as Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen, was nominally still in control. This undoubtedly irked the authorities in Penang, to the point where they refused to send any sepoys to Singapore to complete

2407-403: The Dutch in Java. The competition in the area, between Raffles and the aggressive Dutch commissioner-general , Cornelis Theodorus Elout , and later Raffles' former advisor on Java, Muntinghe , now a member of the new High Government of the Dutch East Indies, who Elout had put in power, certainly led at least in part to the later Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 . Raffles looked into alternatives in

2490-439: The Dutch never acted, and ultimately Lord Hastings prompted Colonel Bannerman, the governor of Penang , to send funds to bolster Singapore. Finally Raffles was capable of convincing his fellow commissioners to sign a treaty with Jauhar al-Alam Shah , the ruler of Achin, which installed a British Resident , as well as guaranteeing the exclusivity of bilateral trade. By the time Raffles had returned to Singapore, on 31 May, much of

2573-488: The Dutch, or taken violently by force when Castlereagh's negotiations had ended. Still William Farquhar stirred up more trouble, especially with local English merchants over trivial matters of self-importance, and overreaction over small infractions of white traders, for some of which he was reprimanded by Calcutta officially. Public works , commissioned by Raffles but undertaken by Farquhar, were becoming overwhelmingly expensive. Colonial Office The Colonial Office

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2656-614: The Governor's residence was temporarily moved to a villa in Oxley Estate called the Pavilion . A modernized version of the house, named Raffles House, was constructed in brick and tile near the site of the former Government House. Completed in 2003, it serves as a venue for events and wedding functions. Stamford Raffles Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles FRS FRAS (5   July 1781 – 5   July 1826)

2739-567: The High Court of Java, Herman Warner Muntinghe , especially in the matter of the reform of the public finances of the colony, and its system of taxation. Under Raffles's aegis, a large number of ancient monuments in Java were systematically catalogued for the first time. The first detailed English-language account of Prambanan was prepared by Colin Mackenzie , while the Buddhist temple of Borobudur

2822-580: The Strait or on Sumatra was appointed, and Raffles, whose health was slowly ailing, returned to Bencoolen. Raffles returned to Bencoolen in ill-health, but as his health improved, he continued on his quest to learn about the island he now called home. He studied the Batak cannibals of Tapanuli , and their rituals and laws regarding the consumption of human flesh, writing in detail about the transgressions that warranted such an act, as well as their methods. He also noted

2905-537: The Sultanate of Johore and hence, Rhio, and the diplomatic exchanges between Baron Godert van der Capellen and Calcutta continued throughout this time. The legitimacy of the British treaties was also questioned once again, but finally, as Singapore grew at an exponential rate, the Dutch gave up their claim on the island, allowing the colony to continue as a British possession. However, the pressures put upon Calcutta ensured that no single governor of all British possessions in

2988-560: The Teochew cultivators on the understanding he would be repaid in the form of gambier or other produce. Farquhar had the impressions that the Temenggong’s interests in these plantations were represented by a brother-in-law of his named Baba Ketchil and the first Captain China of Singapore, a Teochew merchant named Tan Heng Kim ((陈亨钦), was “one of the principal persons concerned”. A few days later,

3071-660: The UK ministry included a separate Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs . After the Cairo Conference held in March 1921, the Colonial Office was charged for the Palestine Mandate administration in substitution of the Foreign Office . On 16 April 1947, the Irgun placed a bomb at the Colonial Office which failed to detonate. The plot was linked to the 1946 Embassy bombing . After

3154-610: The area. Hussein Shah had been the crown Prince of Johor, but while he was away in Pahang to get married, his father died, and his younger brother was made sultan, supported by some of the court officials and the Dutch. To circumvent the situation of having to negotiate with a sultan influenced by the Dutch, Raffles decided to recognise, on behalf of the British Crown, Hussein Shah as being the rightful ruler of Johor. Farquhar's attempt to establish

3237-509: The area; namely Bangka , which had been ceded to the Dutch after its conquest by the British during its occupation of Java. Bintan was also under consideration. Despite the fact that Francis Light overlooked the island before settling upon Penang in 1786, the Riau Archipelago was an attractive choice just to the south of the Malay Peninsula , for its proximity to Malacca . In his correspondences with Calcutta , Raffles also emphasised

3320-503: The colonised the alien language or culture of the coloniser. In addition to preserving the artifacts , fauna , and flora of his colonies, he also allowed religious freedom , which was especially important as the Malay states were largely Muslim . Christian schools were started by missionaries in all of his colonies. Colonel Bannerman's death in Penang in October 1819 brought new opportunities for Raffles to expand his power to also include

3403-465: The colony. However, Bencoolen was not as self-sufficient as Singapore. The area was poor and disease-ridden: the first reports from the committees reflected very poorly upon the condition of the colony. Unlike the salutary neglect Raffles granted upon Singapore, he delayed European-inspired reforms, emphasising only the cultivation of whatever land was available. Native authorities were given power in their respective districts, and were answerable only to

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3486-593: The end of his tenure as Lieutenant-Governor of Java), the now well-connected and successful Raffles was able to secure permission to set up a settlement. At this point in Singaporean history , the name Lion City was applied. The city was in a strategically advantageous position; however, he was ordered not to provoke the Dutch, and his subsequent actions were officially disavowed by the British government. In London, Lord Castlereagh attempted to quell Dutch fears, and continuing efforts were made to reach an agreement between

3569-527: The exclusivity of trade, and the British protection of the area. Members of Raffles's party surveyed the island, and proceeded to request the presence of the sultan, or whoever at the time had supreme nominal power, to sign a formal treaty, while Major Farquhar was ordered to do the same in Rhio (Riau). The writings of Raffles and Farquhar indicate that the British found Temenggong Abdul Rahman with 400 to 500 residents in Singapore in January 1819. Another member of

3652-453: The formal treaty was signed by Hussein Shah who claimed to be the "lawful sovereign of the whole of territories extending from Lingga and Johor to Mount Muar". Although Hussein Shah had had no previous contact with the British, he had certainly heard of the strength of the Royal Navy , and was in no position to argue against the terms. Raffles reassured him that the Dutch posed no threat in

3735-409: The foundation of what was to become modern Singapore on 6 February, securing the transfer of control of the island to the East India Company . With much pomp and ceremony, the official treaty was read aloud in languages representing all nations present, as well as the Malay and Chinese inhabitants. Sultan Hussein Shah was paid 5,000 Spanish dollars a year, while Temenggong Abdul Rahman received 3,000

3818-419: The garrison. Official Dutch complaints came before the end of the month, and Raffles attempted to appease the situation by instructing Farquhar to not interfere with the politics of surrounding islands. Despite numerous threats and serious considerations by the Dutch governor-general Van der Capellen in Java, they did not take any military action. The confused political situation in Johore and Rhio also created

3901-444: The handover, and officially replaced by John Fendall Jr. on account of the poor financial performance of the colony during his administration, and allegations of financial impropriety on his own part. He sailed to England in early 1816 to clear his name and, en route, visited Napoleon , who was in exile at St. Helena , but found him unpleasant and unimpressive. In 1817, Raffles wrote and published The History of Java , describing

3984-486: The history of the island from ancient times as well as its geography, flora, and fauna. In 1817, Raffles was created a Knight Bachelor by the Prince Regent George IV , whose daughter, Princess Charlotte , was particularly close to him. At the publication of the book, he also stopped using the name 'Thomas', preferring to use his middle name, 'Stamford', possibly to avoid confusion amongst his associates with Sir Thomas Sevestre, or his cousin, Thomas Raffles , who both bore

4067-421: The history of the island from ancient times. The Rafflesia flower was named after him. Raffles also played a role in further establishing the British Empire 's reach in East and Southeast Asia . He secured control over the strategically located Singapore from local rulers in 1819 to secure British access along the Strait of Singapore and the nearby seas in the region, particularly the Indian Ocean and

4150-421: The honour of mixing with the ashes of the Malayan kings; and the result has been, that instead of dying, I have almost entirely recovered. I have built a very comfortable house, which is sufficient to accommodate my sister's family as well as our own; and I only wish you were here but for half-an-hour, to enjoy the unequalled beauty and interest of the scene. My house, which is one hundred feet front, and fifty deep,

4233-423: The hope of embarking for Europe towards the end of the year.‟ "I am laying out a botanic and experimental garden, and it would delight you to see how rapidly the whole country is coming under cultivation. My residence here has naturally given much confidence, and the extent of the speculations entered into by the Chinese quite astonished me." On 23 January 1823, Raffles wrote to the Duchess of Somerset about

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4316-415: The house and the hill. " Since I last wrote to your Grace, about a month ago, I have had another very severe attack in my head, which nearly proved fatal, and the Doctors were for hurrying me on board ship for Europe without much ceremony. However, as I could not reconcile myself to become food for fishes, I preferred ascending the hill of Singapore, where, if my bones must remain in the East, they would have

4399-474: The house. Construction of the house was soon begun on Singapore Hill in November 1822 and completed by January 1823. Raffles and his wife Sophie would move to the house by early January 1823. On 21 January 1823, Raffles wrote to William Marsden about the house and its scenery. “We have lately built a small bungalow on Singapore Hill where though the height is inconsiderable, we find great difference in climate. Nothing can be more interesting and beautiful than

4482-517: The immediate crisis that the colony had caused in Penang and Calcutta had passed. By then, the initial five-hundred villagers had grown to become five-thousand merchants, soldiers, and administrators, packed onto the island. Raffles was determined to destroy the Dutch mercantile monopoly in the area, to replace it with a gateway for trade with China and Japan. The latter he had attempted but failed to reach an agreement with while governing Java. While in Singapore, Raffles established schools and churches in

4565-471: The island of Nias under British rule, he noted its civilised state and high production yields of rice. Yet the production of food remained a problem. In Bencoolen, Raffles paid special attention to the agricultural methods of the Chinese, including an introduction to the only issue of Proceedings of the Agricultural Society . To remedy the shortages, his employer, the East India Company , concerned themselves only with profit-taking. Even as Raffles lived like

4648-418: The lead up to the Napoleonic Wars , which became the War and Colonial Office to oversee and protect the colonies of the British Empire . The Colonial Office was re-created as a separate department 1854, under the colonial secretary . It was finally merged into the Commonwealth Office in 1966. Despite its name, the Colonial Office was responsible for much, but not all, of Britain's Imperial territories;

4731-435: The lieutenant-governor. The slave-debtor system was brought in, instead of the old slavery system that Raffles had abolished in Java, Borneo , and initially in Bencoolen. Slave-debtors were registered, and educational reforms started to focus on children, instead of the entire population. Raffles looked into a long-term plan for the slow reform of Bencoolen. Unlike many other European adventurers, Raffles did not impose upon

4814-418: The nations that eventually became the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of London of 1824. As well as the treaty, instructions were sent out to Raffles to undertake far less intrusive actions; however, the long distance between the Far East and Europe meant that the orders had no chance of reaching Raffles in time. After a brief survey of the Karimun Islands , on 29 January 1819, he established a post at the southern tip of

4897-443: The native languages. He allowed missionaries and local businesses to flourish. Certain colonial aspects remained: a European town was quickly built to segregate the population, separated by a river; carriage roads were built, and cantonments constructed for the soldiers. Otherwise, no other duties were imposed. Confident that Farquhar would follow his instructions well, Raffles sailed for Bencoolen once again on 28 June. Raffles

4980-413: The need to establish a certain amount of influence with the native chiefs, which had greatly waned since the return of the Dutch. Raffles sent Thomas Travers as an ambassador to the Dutch, to possibly negotiate an expansion of British economic interests. When this failed, and when Raffles's own expeditions into his new dominion found only treacherous terrain and few exportable goods, his desire to establish

5063-415: The next twenty years. His knowledge of the Malay language , as well as his wit and ability, gained him favour with Lord Minto , the governor-general of India , and he was sent to Malacca . In 1811, after the annexation of the Kingdom of Holland by France during Napoleon's war, Raffles had no choice but to leave the country. He mounted a military expedition against the Dutch and French in Java , in

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5146-449: The official List published by the Colonial Office, an edited version was also produced by Waterlow and Sons . It can be difficult to distinguish between the two versions in library catalogue descriptions. For example, The Sydney Stock and Station Journal of 3 December 1915 commented: This used to be the "Colonial Office Journal," but it looked – or sounded – too official, so they changed it to "The Colonial Journal." But it

5229-418: The other minor British factories and outposts; from Sumatra to Cochin China . He sailed to Calcutta , and as Lord Hastings sought to consolidate all of the small British possessions in the East Indies . During his sojourn, he had the opportunity to argue for free trade, and the protection of the private enterprise. Education and the retention of small British outposts were also discussed. The Dutch claim on

5312-460: The politics of the local sultans, involved the replacement of Farquhar, who decided that he had no intention of leaving his post voluntarily, causing a moment of tension between him and Travers. Raffles's request for Travers to deliver dispatches to India nullified the issue late in the year, and Farquhar remained in charge of Singapore, with its survival still in doubt for many in both India and London, who believed that it would either be handed over to

5395-409: The protectorates fell under the purview of the Foreign Office , and the British Presidencies in India were ruled by the East India Company until 1858, when the India Office was formed to oversee the administration of the new Viceroyalty of India (the Crown ruled India directly through a Viceroy after the Indian Rebellion ), while the role of the Colonial Office in the affairs of the Dominions

5478-410: The rise of the Sikh religion in certain parts of Sumatra. By early 1820, Tengku Long had firmly established himself as the Sultan of Johor to the British, but the political situation in the area remained a befuddled mess, with the old sultan dying, and many new ones attempting to gain either the crown or regency. As Farquhar was involving himself poorly in local politics, Raffles appointed Travers as

5561-423: The same first name. On 22 February, he married his second wife, Sophia Hull , and later set sail to Bencoolen (present-day Bengkulu in Indonesia) to take up his new post with his new wife. Raffles arrived in Bencoolen on Sumatra on 19 March 1818, where he was appointed as the lieutenant-governor of Bencoolen on 22 March 1818. Despite the prestige connected with the title of Lieutenant-Governor, Bencoolen

5644-455: The sultan regarding the absolute British influence of the area, he realised that the local rulers had only limited power over the well-cultivated and civilised country, and the treaty was largely symbolic, and had little actual force. Major-General William Farquhar , the British Resident of Malacca, had been attempting to negotiate commercial treaties with the local chiefs of the Riau Archipelago , especially before Raffle’s arrival. Farquhar

5727-432: The view from this spot. I am happy to say the change has had a very beneficial effect on my health, which has been better during the last fortnight than I have known it for two years before. The tombs of the Malay Kings are close at hand, and I have settled that if it is my fate to die here I shall take my place amongst them; this will at any rate be better than leaving my bones at Bencoolen. If it pleases God, we still live in

5810-424: The young Raffles to the Mansion House Academy, Hammersmith , a moderately priced boarding school, offering Latin, Greek, French, arithmetic, bookkeeping and geography, that specialised in preparing boys for clerkships or the army. In 1795, at the age of 14, Raffles started working in London as a clerk for the East India Company . Nine years later, in 1804, the 23-year-old Raffles married Olivia Mariamne Devenish ,

5893-418: Was a government department of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom , first created in 1768 from the Southern Department to deal with colonial affairs in North America (particularly the Thirteen Colonies , as well as, the Canadian territories recently won from France), until merged into the new Home Office in 1782. In 1801, colonial affairs were transferred to the War Office in

5976-576: Was a British colonial official who served as the governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816 and lieutenant-governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. Raffles was involved in the capture of the Indonesian island of Java from the Dutch during the Napoleonic Wars . It was returned under the Anglo–Dutch Treaty of 1814 . He also wrote The History of Java in 1817, describing

6059-492: Was a colonial backwater, whose only real export was pepper , and only the murder of a previous Resident , Thomas Parr , gained it any attention back home in Britain. Raffles found the place wrecked, and set about reforms immediately, mostly similar to what he had done on Java ; abolishing slavery and limiting cockfighting and such games. To replace the slaves, he used a contingent of convicts , already sent to him from India. It

6142-538: Was abolished, an Emigration Department was created in the Colonial Office. This was merged with the General Department in 1894, before its complete abolition in 1896. The increasing independence of the Dominions – Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Newfoundland and South Africa – following the 1907 Imperial Conference , led to the formation of a separate Dominion Division within the Colonial Office. From 1925 onwards

6225-492: Was also ordered to occupy the nearby Bangka Island in order to establish a permanent British presence in the area, in case Java returned to Dutch rule after the end of the War of the Sixth Coalition in Europe. During his lieutenant-governorship, Raffles placed some restrictions on the local slave trade in line with wider British policy across its Asian territories, although slavery remained widespread and Raffles himself

6308-421: Was at this point that he realised the importance of a British presence that both challenged the Dutch hegemony in the area, and could remain consistently profitable, unlike Bencoolen or Batavia . However, the strategic importance of poorly maintained but well-positioned British possessions , such as Penang or Bencoolen, made it impossible for the British to abandon the unprofitable colonies in such proximity to

6391-667: Was compelled to sign the treaty not with the official head of the sultanate, but rather, the Raja Muda (Regent or Crown Prince) of Riau . He noted it as a success, and reported it as such to Raffles. Raffles sailed to Malacca in late 1818, to personally secure a British presence in the Riau area, especially Singapura , which was favoured by him both through the readings of Malayan histories, and by Farquhar's explorations. Despite Lord Hastings ' less-than-stellar opinion of Raffles before (which had necessitated his trip to England to clear his name at

6474-619: Was finished in a fortnight from its commencement. When will your cottage be done?" On 2 February 1824, Raffles and his family would left Singapore for England . Raffles' house was bought over by the British Government and renamed as Government House and the hill would known as the Government Hill . At the own expense of 2nd Resident John Crawfurd , the house was further extended and redesigned in June by Coleman again with bricks and tiles in

6557-489: Was largely credited for the founding of contemporary Singapore, the early running of day-to-day operations was mostly done by William Farquhar , who served as the first Resident of Singapore from 1819 to 1823. Raffles soon returned to England in 1824, where he died on his birthday in 1826 at the age of 45. His legacy while complex remains significant in Singapore, most notably the Raffles's Landing Site , as well as his name being

6640-685: Was replaced by the Dominion Office in 1925. It was headed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies , known informally as the Colonial Secretary. Prior to 1768, responsibility for the affairs of the British colonies was part of the duties of the Secretary of State for the Southern Department and a committee of the Privy Council known as the Board of Trade and Plantations . Separately,

6723-401: Was served by a large retinue of slaves at his official residences in Java. Raffles also attempted a replacement of the Dutch system of forced agricultural deliveries-in-kind with a cash-based land tenure system of land management, probably influenced by the earlier anti-feudal critiques of Dirk van Hogendorp He was advised by a holdover from the previous Dutch regime on Java, the president of

6806-407: Was still the lieutenant-governor of Bencoolen when he returned. Raffles started more reforms that were, by now, almost trademarks of his rule over the colonies. Forced labour was abolished when he first arrived, and he declared Bencoolen a free port as well. The currency was regulated and, as he had an excess of out-of-work civil servants, they formed committees to advise him on the daily running of

6889-522: Was surveyed and cleared of vegetation by H. C. Cornelius. When his wife, Olivia, died on 26 November 1814, Raffles was devastated. In 1815, he left again for England shortly before the island of Java was returned to control of the Netherlands following the Napoleonic Wars , under the terms of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 . Raffles had been removed from his post by the East India Company ahead of

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