My ancestry at Bukit Brown by Lim Su Min
The circles are the "residents" and color coded according to generation .
Ode to my Great Great Great Grand Father
(With apologies to Khoo Seok Wan)
My Great Great Great Grand Father's Tomb!
I stand before him, silent, in respect and awe.
His genes embedded in every cell of mine,
We are bonded though the course of time.
My Great Great Great Grand Father's Tomb!
I sit beside him, sunlight streaming through the trees.
I sense inner warmth and joy sublime:
Habitat Heritage History entwine.
My Great Great Great Grand Father's Tomb!
The white stakes declare a restless future:
His eyeless sockets shedding copious tears-
That eight lane highway: unspoken fears!
My Great Great Great Grand Father's Tomb!
"Could you not beg them to let us rest in peace?"
His silenced tongue in eloquence loudly says :
His bony hands grasp me in one last fond embrace.
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Notes: *= Tomb at Bukit Brown Cemetery
*Lim Mah Peng.. died 1879 Born in Hai Teng District, Fujian Province, China: first arrived in Penang in 1839. Married a local-born Chinese lady. Their only son was Lim Thean Geow,
Shortly after his son was born, Mah Peng moved his young family to Singapore to work for Cheang Hong Lim. The elder Lim was a manager in Cheang's liquor business. The family stayed in Telok Ayer Street.
*Lim Thean Geow died 1881 Thean Geow attended school at Raffles Institution and he later also worked for Cheang Hong Lim in his opium business. Died 1881 of Blood poisoning from razor cut. This made his son Boon Keng want to study medicine.
Lim Boon Keng (b. 18 October 1869, Singapore - d. 1 January 1957, Singapore) Boon Keng was a third generation Baba (or Peranakan) born in Singapore, the second son of Lim Thean Geow. He was orphaned as a teenager with the death of his father when he was only 16. His mother had died when he was just 10. He was brought up by his grandparents instead He was first educated at the Government Cross Street School, and later at Raffles Institution, becoming the first Chinese to win the Queen's Scholarship in 1887. His scholarship took him to study medicine in Edinburgh University, He graduated in August 1892 with an MB C. M. (Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery) gaining first class honours.
Early 1900s: Opened up the Kiu Su Tong Dispensary, later renamed the Sincere Dispensary at Raffles Place with Dr Murray Robertson and Dr S. C. Yin, his brother-in-law. He relinquished his partnership in 1906 to serve the Manchu government.
Began the first Chinese rubber enterprise in partnership with Tan Chay Yan. Set up his estate off Yio Chu Kang Road. He was also Director of several banks including In 1921, he relinquished these posts in favour of heading up the Amoy (Xiamen) University.
He strongly advocated the reformation of the Straits Chinese community beginning with his famed queue-cutting campaigns and rallies against opium smoking culminating in the formation of the Khai Eng Soh, "The Opium Refuge", under Dr S. C. Yin in 1906.
Lim Boon Keng himself was buried at Bidadari:, disintered and his tombstone displayed at the Bidadari Memorial Garden Mount Vernon.
Boon Keng MRT Station (NE9) is an underground MRT station on the North East Line in Singapore. It is located at Boon Keng Road and Serangoon Road, and near the Whampoa River.
On the North East Line, it is between Farrer Park and Potong Pasir station.The station was named after Lim Boon Keng, a Chinese doctor of Chinese Peranakan descent.
*Cheang Hong Lim:(not related to our family but) employed Lim Mah Peng and Lim Thean Geow in the opium business. Hong Lim's tomb is near Tan Kim Cheng's tomb.
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Seow Chye Watt was a rice trader: His business brought him frequently to Thailand He married
*Yeo Buay Neo born 1859, died 23 February 1929 aged 70
*SeowPoh Quee her son’s tomb is below hers.
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Tan Tock Seng's Tomb is at Outram Road Tock Seng (b. 1798, Malacca, Malaysia - d. 24 February 1850, Singapore) Hokkien merchant, landowner, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Tan started as a humble vegetable seller and rose to become one of Singapore's early Chinese leaders. He was the first Asian to be appointed Justice of the Peace (JP). In 1844, he helped set up a hospital for the poor which now bears his name. Tan died at age 52.
He has two sons buried at Bukit Brown
1) * Tan Swee Lim
(Swee Lim has a son *Tan Bin Cheng buried at Bukit Brown)
- *Tan Kim Ching Singapore-born Tan Kim Ching (Chinese: 陳金鐘 lived from 1829 to Feb 1892 was the eldest of the three sons of Tan Tock Seng, Kim Ching was consul for Japan, Thailand and Russia, and a member of the Royal Court of Siam. He was also the first Asian member of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. After his father, Tan Tock Seng's death, he became the Kapitan China of the Straits Chinese community.
Tan Kim Ching had a very close relationship with the royal family of Siam and often served as their go-between. In recognising the importance of his role, he was appointed ‘the first Siamese Consul in Singapore’ by King Mongkut in 1863 and in 1885, King Chulalongkorn elevated his title to that of Consul-General. He was bestowed the Royal Title Phraya Astongt Disrarak Siamprajanukulkij. Tan Kim Ching was intrumental is recommending Anna Leonowens, as teacher for children of King Mongkut of Siam ( King Rama IV)
Although he was buried in Changi, his grave was transferred to Bukit Brown in 1940.
Kim Ching had a son Tan Soon Toh Birth: ABT 1853 Death: BEF FEB 1892
Tan Soon Toh, the eldest son of Tan Kim Cheng. Soon Toh married Wuing Yi Ho, the daughter of Wuing Boon Whatt who according to Song Ong Siang, was the first Chinese in Singapore to practise law. Like his father, Soon Toh was an active leader of the Chinese community. He was also listed in the Singapore General Directory in 1890 as the Vice Consul of Siam holding the title "Khoon Rasada Borirax" Soon Toh' had a son Tan Boo Liat, buried at Bukit Brown.
*Tan Boo Liat was a wealthy Singapore philanthropist. He was the son of Tan Soon Toh, grandson of Tan Kim Ching and great-grandson of Tan Tock Seng. He was educated locally. He was a member of the Singapore Volunteer Infantry and was among the contingent present at King Edward's coronation. He was the head of the Hockien pang in Singapore. He was Chairman of the Pok Chek Kiong Temple's Committee of Management. He was a strong supporter of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and member of the Singapore T'ung Meng Hui along with Lim Boon Keng and Dr. S. C. Yin and a president of the Singapore Kuomintang. He headed the Fukien Protection Fund together with Tan Kah Kee collecting $130,000 during a nine-month campaign.
He was a trustee of the Anglo-Chinese School's Boarding School, and together with Dr. Lim Boon Keng, Sir Song Ong Siang and a few other Straits-born Chinese leaders, he initiated the Singapore Chinese Girls' School.
He had a stable of a dozen racehorses. In 1898 his famous horse, Vanitas won the Viceroy's cup in Calcutta, India, the first time that a horse from the Straits Settlements or the Federated Malay States won this trophy, earning Tan Boo Liat $100,000.
He had strong commecial links to Thailand and was honoured by the King of Thailand, two of the things he had in common with his famous grandfather Tan Kim Ching. In 1920 he was awarded the title Phra Anukul Sayamkich.
He owned Golden Bell Mansion (built 1901) on Pender Road at the Mount Washington side of Mount Faber, Singapore. Dr. Sun Yat-sen stayed there on 15 December 1911 as did his wife and daughters (February 1912). After Tan Boo Liat's death in Shanghai in 1934 the house was sold. It is currently occupied by the Danish Seaman's Mission.
From left to right
Tan Boo Liats’s son Jubilee Tan Thoon Hor (with medallion)
Tan Boo Liat’s sister Lilian Tan Luk Neo who married Seow Poh Leng
Tan Boo Liats’s daughter Polly, 10 yrs in this picture, later to marry Seow Poh Leng after her aunty Lilian Tan Luck Neo dies.
Tan Boo Liats sister’s mother inlaw: Mdm Yeo Buay Neo (Mrs Seow Chye Watt), mother of Seow Poh Leng, mother in law of Lilian Tan Luck Neo.
Tan Boo Liat’s soon Charlie Tan Thoon Lay
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