RAFFLES RETURNS TO SINGAPORE - GETS THE SHOCK OF HIS LIFE
- Mark Stevens
- Nov 8
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 10
SIR STAMFORD RAFFLES RETURNS TO SINGAPORE – AND GETS THE SHOCK OF HIS LIFE
Unlike the above photograph showing off Singapore's modern Skyline, Singapore in 1822, was a bustling, noisy jumble of traders, sailors, and fortune seekers from every corner of Asia (and a few wide-eyed Europeans still wondering what they’d signed up for). The Singapore River was choked with boats, chickens ran wild, and merchants set up stalls wherever their carts happened to stop.
Enter Sir Stamford Raffles, returning to his little island colony after some time away. Instead of the model trading post he’d dreamed of, he found chaos, an urban free for all that looked more like a pirate market than a proper British settlement. So naturally, Raffles did what any good colonial administrator would do: he ordered a map.
ENTER THE HERO OF OUR STORY, LIEUTENANT PHILIP JACKSON
Raffles handed the monumental task to Lieutenant Philip Jackson, a talented surveyor with a ruler, a quill, and probably a splitting headache.
His mission? To turn the mess into order, or at least make it look that way on paper. And so, in 1822, Jackson set to work, drawing up what became known as the Jackson Plan (though Raffles would have preferred it be called his plan, naturally).
THE PERFECT BRITISH COLONY — A TOWN OF NEAT BOXES AND BIG IDEAS
Jackson’s plan transformed the wild riverside sprawl into an organized grid system. Straight lines, neat blocks, and carefully drawn streets gave Singapore the bones of a modern city. But Jackson didn’t stop there, he also divided the town into neighborhoods by community, following Raffles’ rather paternal idea of “orderly coexistence.”
• The Europeans got the best waterfront views of today’s Civic District, near the Padang.
• The Chinese were settled to the south, where today’s Chinatown still hums with the same energy.
• The Indians were placed nearby, around Chulia Street and beyond.
• The Malays and Arabs were given their own quarter in Kampong Glam, now famous for its golden-domed mosque and trendy cafés.
The Singapore River became the lifeline of the new town, one side for government offices and trading houses, the other for bustling godowns and junks packed with spices, silks, and stories.
THE CLASH OF FOUNDERS — RAFFLES VS. FARQUHAR
Raffles wasn’t pleased with how things had been handled in his absence. He promptly stripped Major William Farquhar of his authority as Resident.
In his place, he appointed a younger, more compliant officer, Dr. John Crawfurd, an experienced East India Company official and linguist, as Resident of Singapore in 1823. Crawfurd was careful, diplomatic, and administrative: exactly the kind of person Raffles trusted to implement the Jackson Plan and restore order.
At the same time, Lieutenant Philip Jackson was instructed to survey and redraw the town layout according to Raffles’ detailed instructions.
Major Farquhar refused to go quietly. He protested that Raffles had no authority to dismiss him, since his appointment came directly from the East India Company. The confrontation grew bitter and personal. Raffles ordered him to leave Singapore immediately, even threatening to have him forcibly removed if he did not comply.
Farquhar finally sailed back to England in May 1823, leaving behind his longtime partner, Antoinette Clement known locally as “Nonio” or “Nonya” Clement, and their six children...
ANTOINETTE CLEMENT (ALSO KNOWN AS NONIO OR NONYA CLEMENT)
Antoinette Clement (born around 1780 in Malacca) was of French, Malay descent, the daughter of a French officer (or customs officer) and a Malay or mixed Malay mother.
In the Straits region, the term “Nonya” was used for women of Eurasian or Peranakan heritage, reflecting a blend of local and European roots.
Antoinette was not a formal European wife by British colonial law, but rather Farquhar’s long-term partner, with whom he had at least six children. Their relationship, though unconventional by colonial standards, was genuine, a testament to Farquhar’s deep ties to Southeast Asia and its people.
After Farquhar’s departure, he filed a formal petition and lawsuit against the East India Company, demanding compensation and claiming he was the true founder of Singapore. He lost the case, but his claim, and the life he built here, left a lasting impression.
If you want to learn more about Singapore's development see our Blog SINGAPORE'S SIX STYLES OF HERITAGE SHOPHOUSES
WALKING BACK IN TIME DISCOVERING OLD SINGAPORE
If you stroll through Singapore today, you’re literally walking the lines that Jackson drew and Raffles envisioned. Follow the curve of the Singapore River, and you’ll see the heart of old commerce — where warehouses once stood and merchants haggled over nutmeg and silk. Step into Chinatown, and you’re standing in the very district Jackson mapped for the Chinese traders. Cross to Kampong Glam, and you’ll find echoes of the early Malay and Arab communities that gave the area its spirit. The neat grid Raffles demanded may have long since been buried under skyscrapers, but the Jackson Plan’s bones still shape modern Singapore — a city born from ambition, rivalry, and one very determined man with a ruler and a dream.
Closing Remarks
Ilonka and I would like to thank you for reading our Singapore Street Shots Little Blog. We hope you will create fantastic memories, stunning photos and find some new friends exploring Singapore.
We look forward to hosting more incredible Blogs & Photo-walks that allow you to create stunning photos of Singapore’s Hidden Gems, both on and off the beaten path…
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Cheers,
Mark Stevens & Ilonka Guenther
Business Owners, Photographers & Travelers
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