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The Honourable Sir
Stamford Raffles
FRS
Portrait by George Francis Joseph, c. 1817
Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen
In office 1818–1824
Monarchs
George III George IV
Preceded by
Office established
Succeeded by
Office abolished
2nd British Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
In office 1811–1816
Appointed by
Earl of Minto
Monarch
George III
Preceded by
Robert Rollo Gillespie (acting)
Succeeded by
John Fendall
Personal details
Born
Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles
(1781-07-05)5 July 1781 Onboard the ship Ann, off the coast of Port Morant, Jamaica
Died
5 July 1826(1826-07-05) (aged 45) Highwood House, Highwood Hill, Middlesex, England
Cause of death
Apoplexy (stroke) due to brain tumour
Resting place
St Mary's Church, Hendon, England
Nationality
British
Spouses
Olivia Mariamne Devenish
(m. 1805; died 1814)
Sophia Hull
(m. 1817)
Children
5
Parents
Benjamin Raffles (father)
Anne Raffles (mother)
Education
Mansion House Boarding School
Known for
Founding years of modern Singapore
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley RafflesFRS FRAS (5July 1781 – 5July 1826)[1][2] 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 the history of the island from ancient times.[3] Rafflesia flower was named after him.[4]
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 the South China Sea. His actions were initially not endorsed by the British government and led to tensions between the British and the Dutch; war was avoided under the Anglo–Dutch Treaty of 1824 which firmly established their spheres of influence, whereby the Dutch would relinquish its claims to Singapore and the British seceding Bencoolen in Sumatra to the Dutch. An entrepôt was subsequently established in Singapore for maritime trade between Europe and Asia.
While Raffles 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.[5] 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 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.[6][7]
^Cite error: The named reference Bastin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference SophiaRaffles was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Raffles, Thomas Stamford (2015). The History of Java, v. 1–2.
^"Rafflesia". Infopedia. Government of Singapore. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
^"William Farquhar, not Raffles, is true founder of S'pore: UK magazine book review". mothership.sg. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
^"Head Count: The History of Census-taking in Singapore". National Library, Singapore. 21 January 2020.
^"Glory and disgrace: The complex legacy of Singapore founder Raffles". France 24. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles FRS FRAS (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British colonial official who served as the governor of the Dutch East Indies...
British statesman Sir Thomas StamfordRaffles, the founder of modern Singapore. It is the flagship property of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, and is managed...
by StamfordRaffles, who proposed the establishment of "the Institution" or "Singapore Institution" at a meeting he convened on 1 April 1823. Raffles wanted...
StamfordRaffles, two sons and three daughters: Charlotte Raffles (daughter) (1818–1822) Leopold Raffles (son) (1819–1821) Stanford Marsden Raffles (son)...
accordance with the vision of StamfordRaffles for Singapore, hence it is also commonly called Raffles Town Plan. Raffles gave his instructions in November...
commemorate the centenary of the founding of Singapore by StamfordRaffles (Sir). In 1949, Raffles College merged with King Edward VII College of Medicine...
establishment of a British trading post in Singapore in 1819 by Sir StamfordRaffles led to its founding as a British colony in 1824. This event has generally...
The StamfordRaffles Award is an award of the Zoological Society of London. It is "For distinguished contributions to zoology by amateur zoologists or...
Dakota Stamford, Texas, a city Stamford, Vermont, a town StamfordRaffles (1781–1826), English statesman and founder of Singapore StamfordRaffles-Flint...
The History of Java is a book written by Sir Thomas StamfordRaffles, and published in 1817. It describes the history of the island of Java from ancient...
Look up Raffles in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Raffles may refer to: Sir StamfordRaffles (1781–1826), British statesman, Lieutenant Governor of Java...
British force under Minto. He appointed Sir Thomas StamfordRaffles as lieutenant governor of Java. Raffles carried further the administrative centralisation...
would only receive official sanction from Raffles three months later in August 1820. Communication with Raffles in Bencoolen and the East India Company...
1800, and in 1805 in London to Thomas StamfordRaffles. It was commonly said that her second husband, Raffles, was helped in his career through her relationship...
"weasel". Viverra binturong was the scientific name proposed by Thomas StamfordRaffles in 1822 for a specimen from Malacca. The generic name Arctictis was...
of Java, by Thomas StamfordRaffles (1817) A Javanese chief, in his ordinary dress, The History of Java, by Thomas StamfordRaffles (1817) A Javanese man...
Cathedral Raffles City and Swissôtel The Stamford City Hall MRT station SMRT Headquarters Building Capitol Building CHIJMES Stamford House Stamford Court...
structure built in 1822 that was used as a place of residence by Sir StamfordRaffles. This building was later rebuilt as a neoclassical-styled Government...
Singapore. ISBN 978-981-4328-15-9. "Sang Nila Utama, pioneers join StamfordRaffles along Singapore River". Channel NewsAsia. January 2019. Archived from...
of its museums. In June 1819, a few months after the arrival of Sir StamfordRaffles (1781–1826) in Singapore, a sandstone slab about 10 ft (3.0 m) high...
Sultanate and subsequently the Johor Sultanate. In 1819, British statesman StamfordRaffles negotiated a treaty whereby Johor would allow the British to locate...
Linnean Society of London". Between 1816 and 1826, discussions between StamfordRaffles, Humphry Davy, Joseph Banks and others led to the idea that London...
Lady Raffles may refer to: People Olivia Mariamne Devenish, the first wife of Sir StamfordRaffles Sophia Hull, the writer and the second wife of Sir...
according to the Raffles Plan of Singapore by Sir StamfordRaffles, which specified elements like the Commercial Square (now Raffles Place) and the European...
serve as the hub of the commercial zone of Singapore in Raffles Town Plan. It was renamed Raffles Place in 1858 and is now the site of a number of major...
instances dispatched in quest of a supposed ship in distress. —Sir StamfordRaffles' memoir.: 241 The explosion had an estimated VEI of 7. An estimated...
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