William Farquhar at Greyfriars Burial Ground in Perth, Scotland

William Farquhar was a Scottish colonial administrator employed by the East India Company, who served as the 6th Resident of Malacca between 1813 and 1818, and the 1st Resident of Singapore between 1819 and 1823, playing a significant role in the founding and development of modern Singapore. He was sent by Stamford Raffles to oversee the establishment of a trading post on the island.

During his tenure in Singapore, William Farquhar played a crucial role in developing the settlement on Singapore island. He introduced various policies to attract traders and merchants, implemented regulations to maintain law and order with the first police force, and allowed more construction of buildings, not all which are pleasing to Stamford Raffles.

William Farquhar died on 11 May 1839 aged 66 in Early Banks, Perth, Scotland, and is now resting in a dedicated mausoleum in Greyfriars Burial Ground, Perth.

Greyfriars Burial Ground is about a 15-minute walk away from Perth Railway Station.

Greyfriars Burial Ground

Greyfriars Burial Ground is an historic cemetery in Perth, Scotland, dating to 1580, and which was the Monastery of the Franciscan or Grey Friars in 1496, but destroyed in 1559 at the start of the Scottish Reformation.

A plaque by the side foot entrance marks the history of Greyfriars Burial Ground.

Much of Greyfriars Burial Ground has large tombstones by Singapore standards, and I spent a few minutes walking along to try finding a mausoleum.

Greyfriars Burial Ground has its own natural habitat for biodiversity.

William Farquhar Mausoleum

Alas, the walking around was not necessary as the William Farquhar Mausoleum is actually attached to the main gate facing Canal Street, though facing outwards (backwards).

So what I thought was a tall wall or side room from the outside is actually the William Farquhar Mausoleum.

William Farquhar Epitaph

An epitaph on William Farquhar’s tombstone on the mausoleum marks a summary of William Farquhar’s life in Malacca and Singapore.

“Sacred to the Memory of
Major General William Farquhar
of the H.E.I.C. Service and Madras Engineer Corps who served in the East Indies upwards of 33 years.

During 20 years of his valuable life he was appointed to offices of high responsibility under the civil government of India having in addition to his military duties served as Resident in Malacca and afterwards at Singapore which later settlement he founded. In all the stations which he filled he acquired honour to himself and rendered service to his country.

He departed this life at Early Bank, Perth, on the 11th of May 1839, highly respected and deeply regretted by all who had the happiness of his acquaintance.”

Conclusion

Not many people know about William Farquhar as Stamford Raffles is usually the face of the founding of modern Singapore as a British settlement, but it was William Farquhar who negotiated with Temenggong Abdul Rahman, and did most of the work during his tenure in Singapore, while Stamford Raffles was in British Bencoolen (today’s Bengkulu) on Sumatra, and communication between Raffles in Bencoolen, the East India Company in Calcutta, and Farquhar in Singapore was poor, so Singapore developed on her own with Farquhar at the helm.

I think more Singaporeans should learn about William Farquhar, even if it’s just reading his Wikipedia page, to see who did the work in founding modern Singapore.

Singapore’s Farquhar Road has been expunged in 1994, and proposals to name another road after William Farquhar were met with backlash with reasons of glorifying colonialism, though Singaporeans and the world continue to recognise and propogate the other familiar premium brand of hotel, schools, roads, shopping centre, and central business district. One may not be “better” than the other.