On 6 February 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles, Temenggong Abdur Rahman and Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor signed a treaty that gave the British East India Company (EIC) the right to set up a trading post in Singapore. In exchange, Sultan Hussein received a yearly sum of 5,000 Spanish dollars while the Temenggong received 3,000 Spanish dollars.[1] It was also on this day that the British flag was formally hoisted on Singapore,[2] marking the birth of Singapore as a British settlement.[3] Raffles left Singapore the following day, leaving Major William Farquhar to assume the role of Resident and Commandant in Singapore while Francis Bernard, Farquhar’s son-in-law, was appointed Master Attendant.[4]
References
1. Turnbull, C. M. (2009). A history of modern Singapore, 1819–2005 (p. 29). Singapore: NUS Press. Call no.: RSING 959.57 TUR-[HIS].
2. Buckley, C. B. (1984). An anecdotal history of old times in Singapore, 1819–1867 (p. 33). Singapore: Oxford University Press. Call no.: RCLOS 959.57 BUC.
3. Blagden, C. O. (1991). The foundation of the settlement. In W. Makepeace, G. E. Brooke, & R. S. J. Braddell (Eds.), One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 1, p. 10). Singapore: Oxford University Press. Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE- [HIS] v.1.
4. Turnbull, 2009, p. 29.
The information in this article is valid as at 2013 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.