Who is Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles?

Answer 1

•Thomas Stamford Raffles was the founder of Singapore. In 1819 he planted the British flag on this jungle-covered island off the tip of the Malay peninsula -- a dashing move, planned with the governor-general of India in order to secure a base for British trade on the all-important route between India and China. It was done without the prior approval of the East India Company, which was to punish Raffles horribly for his unauthorised initiative while reaping the benefits of the new settlement. Singapore was immediately successful, a free port attracting vessels from all nations -- and is now the world hub that Raffles dreamed it could be.Singapore came at the end of his career. He was a poor boy from Walworth, and worked for 10 long years from the age of 14 in the Company's headquarters in London, copying letters, reports and dispatches -- a human word-processor. He jumped at the chance to go out to Penang. •The next opportunity was to involve himself in the invasion of Java, to take its capital, Batavia, from the Dutch. At the age of 30, he became lieutenant-governor of Java. His reformist measures met with disapproval, and he was recalled -- bringing back to London his vast collection of ethnological objects. He was knighted by the Prince Regent.

•He was clever, charming and opportunistic. Some colleagues admired and liked him, some did not. In private life he was loyal and affectionate. When his father went to the bad, he supported his mother and four sisters. He married twice, not for advancement but for love. He adored his children, four of whom died in quick succession in Sumatra. He was an idealistic entrepreneur, a romantic imperialist, passionately anti-slavery, and more concerned with transforming the lives of the peasants than making immediate profits for the company. He made no fortune for himself. Volatile, inconsistent, energetic, resilient, he wanted fame, and he wanted to do good.

Answer 2

Sir Stamford Raffles is the founder of Singapore. His first statue was originally built in front of the Victoria Theatre and Concert hall, way back in 1919. The Raffles College, Raffles Instituition, Raffles Hotel, raffles City and Raffles Place was too, named after Sir Stamford Raffles.