Tan Tock Seng
Encyclopedia
Tan Tock Seng was a Singapore
an merchant
and philanthropist
. Born in Malacca
in 1798 to an immigrant Fukien (Hokkien) father and Hokkien Peranakan
mother, Tan rose from humble origins. In 1819, Tan moved to Singapore
to sell fruit, vegetable and fowl. He worked diligently and was able to set up a shop in Boat Quay
and became a notable businessman.
Most of his wealth came from the results of his speculations with J. H. Whitehead of Shaw, Whitehead & Co. Horrocks Whitehead died in September 1846 at the age of 36. His tombstone at the old cemetery on Fort Canning was erected, "as a token of affection on the part of a Chinese friend, Tan Tock Seng."
Tan also owned large tracts of prime land, including 50 acres (200,000 m²) at the site of the railway station and another plot stretching from the Padang
right up to High Street and Tank Road. His other assets were a block of shophouses, an orchard and a nutmeg
plantation which he co-owned with his brother. In time, he became an influential Chinese leader and was the first Asian to be made a Justice of the Peace by Governor Butterworth. He was skillful at settling feuds among the Chinese and was accustomed to bear the expenses of burying poor Chinese. In 1844, he contributed $5,000 to the construction of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital
on top of Pearl's Hill. The hospital was later shifted to Tan Tock Seng Road because the building at Pearl's Hill was too small to cater to enough patients and it was too old. Tan also contributed money to the construction of the Taoist Thian Hock Keng Temple
at Telok Ayer
in 1842, the place of worship for the settlers from the Fujian
province of China
.
Tan Tock Seng died in 1850 at the age of 52, after catching an unknown disease. He left his wife Lee Seo Neo, who owned a large coconut estate in Geylang
. Like him, she was unstinting in her support of the hospital and paid for a female ward. He also left behind three daughters, who were each bequeathed $36,000 in cash. One of his daughters married Lee Cheng Tee, at one time Chief Partner of Cheng-Tee Watt-Seng & Co., shipowners. His three sons (Tan Kim Ching, Tan Teck Guan and Tan Swee Lim) inherited his land parcels and the eldest, Tan Kim Ching
, took over the duty of taking care of the hospital. Tan's grandson, Tan Chay Yan
, was a well-known philanthropist and merchant in Malaya
.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
an merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. Born in Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
in 1798 to an immigrant Fukien (Hokkien) father and Hokkien Peranakan
Peranakan
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
mother, Tan rose from humble origins. In 1819, Tan moved to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to sell fruit, vegetable and fowl. He worked diligently and was able to set up a shop in Boat Quay
Boat Quay
Boat Quay is a historical quay in Singapore which is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River on its southern bank.It was the busiest part of the old Port of Singapore, handling three quarters of all shipping business during the 1860s...
and became a notable businessman.
Most of his wealth came from the results of his speculations with J. H. Whitehead of Shaw, Whitehead & Co. Horrocks Whitehead died in September 1846 at the age of 36. His tombstone at the old cemetery on Fort Canning was erected, "as a token of affection on the part of a Chinese friend, Tan Tock Seng."
Tan also owned large tracts of prime land, including 50 acres (200,000 m²) at the site of the railway station and another plot stretching from the Padang
Padang, Singapore
The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground...
right up to High Street and Tank Road. His other assets were a block of shophouses, an orchard and a nutmeg
Nutmeg
The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
plantation which he co-owned with his brother. In time, he became an influential Chinese leader and was the first Asian to be made a Justice of the Peace by Governor Butterworth. He was skillful at settling feuds among the Chinese and was accustomed to bear the expenses of burying poor Chinese. In 1844, he contributed $5,000 to the construction of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
The Tan Tock Seng Hospital is the second-largest hospital in Singapore after the Singapore General Hospital, but its accident and emergency department is the busiest in the country largely due to its geographically centralised location...
on top of Pearl's Hill. The hospital was later shifted to Tan Tock Seng Road because the building at Pearl's Hill was too small to cater to enough patients and it was too old. Tan also contributed money to the construction of the Taoist Thian Hock Keng Temple
Thian Hock Keng
Thian Hock Keng Temple is the oldest and most important Fukien, or Hoklo temple in Singapore. The main temple is dedicated to Mazu, the Taoist goddess of the sea and protector of all seamen, while a second temple at the back is a Buddhist one dedicated to Kuan Yin, the bodhisattva of...
at Telok Ayer
Telok Ayer
Telok Ayer is a historic district located in Singapore's Chinatown within the Central Business District, straddling the Outram Planning Area and the Downtown Core under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's urban planning zones.-Etymology:...
in 1842, the place of worship for the settlers from the Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
province of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Tan Tock Seng died in 1850 at the age of 52, after catching an unknown disease. He left his wife Lee Seo Neo, who owned a large coconut estate in Geylang
Geylang
Geylang is a neighbourhood in the city-state of Singapore east of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. It is located to the east of the Singapore River, an area that locals have associated, from the days of Sir Stamford Raffles, as a Malay kampong opposite facing two islands...
. Like him, she was unstinting in her support of the hospital and paid for a female ward. He also left behind three daughters, who were each bequeathed $36,000 in cash. One of his daughters married Lee Cheng Tee, at one time Chief Partner of Cheng-Tee Watt-Seng & Co., shipowners. His three sons (Tan Kim Ching, Tan Teck Guan and Tan Swee Lim) inherited his land parcels and the eldest, Tan Kim Ching
Tan Kim Ching
Singapore-born Tan Kim Ching who lived from 1829 to Feb 1892 was the eldest of the three sons of Tan Tock Seng, the founder and financier of Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He was consul for Japan, Thailand and Russia, was a member of the Royal Court of Siam. He was one of Singapore’s leading Chinese...
, took over the duty of taking care of the hospital. Tan's grandson, Tan Chay Yan
Tan Chay Yan
Tan Chay Yan was a rubber plantation merchant and philanthropist. A Peranakan, Tan is the grandson of philanthropist Tan Tock Seng by his father, Tan Teck Guan....
, was a well-known philanthropist and merchant in Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
.