I have served National Service (Special Constabulary)
I knew my ancestors came from China, 5-8 generations ago.
I knew I had Peranakan roots.
Over the last 6 months, prompted by finds at Bukit Brown, I have explored more of my roots and found this Malacca & Singapore connection.....
Malacca has always been a fun sleepy hollow place for me to visit.
Nyonya food, Kebaya to purchase, tourist sights to see.
Tan Tock Seng (my Great Great Great Great Grand Father) came from Malacca
Last year we visited his mother's tomb in Malacca.
Kow Geok Neo
My Great Great Great Great Great Grand Mother
Names on TTS mother's (Kow Geok Neo) gravestone.
On the left are the
names of her 2 sons, Tock Seng and Oo Long.
As her eldest son, Mern
Long had predeceased her some years back, his name is therefore not on
the gravestone. Below these names is that of her fifth daughter, Yaw
Neo. 4th daughter, Bong Neo had also predeceased her mom.
Further
down are the names of her 6 grandsons.
Left Block: Kim Ching and Watt
Guan.
Middle Block (insufficient space to put in the names): Swee Guan
and San Guan.
Right Block: Tai Guan and Swee Lin.
(Tai Guan, Swee
Guan, Watt Guan and San Guan are the sons of Oo Long.)
Next to the Yaw
Neo's name is a block of 5 Chinese characters saying that the tomb was
erected by Yuan Zheng, Madam Kow's eldest grandson who is the only son
of Mern Long.
A cyber-visit to the National Library and recent tomb study showed me another link to Malacca: My Great Great Grand Mother Mdm Su (who married Lim Thean Gow and gave birth to Lim Boon Keng) came from Malacca...
Lim Boon Keng was a second-generation Straits-born Chinese. His grandfather Lim Mah Peng was born in Hai Teng District, Fujian Province, China. Lim Mah Peng arrived in Penang in 1839 and married a local-born Chinese lady. Their only son was Lim Thean Geow, who was born in Penang.
Shortly after Lim Thean Geow was born, Lim 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 attended school at Raffles Institution and he later also worked for Cheang Hong Lim in his opium business.
Lim Boon Keng was born on 18 October 1869, the third son of Lim Thean Geow and his Malacca-born Chinese bride. He had two elder brothers, two younger brothers and four younger sisters. Lim lost his mother when he was about eight years old. His father then remarried and had another three daughters.
The same visit indicates that my Great Great Great Grand Mother Mdm Qiu (Khoo) who married Lim Mah Peng, comes from Penang. Again I did not previously know of my direct family lineage from Penang.
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