Teo Hoo Lye (Bukit Brown)

Teo Hoo Lye (1853-1933)

Teo Hoo Lye (18 Oct 1853- 16 Nov 1933) was born in China and came to Singapore when he was 18. Like many stories of rags to riches of the early pioneers, Teo Hoo Lye worked from ground up, starting as a manual labourer, saving money to open a small grocer business called chop Soon Bee in Rochore Road. At the age of 25 he went to the Natuna and Anambas Islands and got into the copra (extracted for its coconut oil) business which was a valuable commercial product then. This then led him to expand and become a steamship owner (Aing Hong, Flevo, Batavier, Benuit, etc) and he became a consignee of ships for the export of copra, sago, rubber, etc from Natuna to Singapore and also to Sarawak.

His company, Teo Hoo Lye S.S. Co. (or Soon Bee Steamship Co.) was eventually liquidated in 1935, for half a million  dollars (by his trustees after his death) and 12 steamships such as Willy o' the Wisp, Massima, Huat Chiang among others bought up by Heap Eng Moh Steamship Co. Ltd. In Singapore he owned many property and was also the owner of two sago factories named Hock Soon Guan (in Havelok Road) and Hock Bee Guan (in Geylang) and a shareholder of Sze Hai Tong Bank. In 1900 he became a naturalised British subject and was a committee member of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

Teo Hoo Lye School (Institution)

Teo Hoo Lye Institution was established in 1925 in joint partnership with Rev. Chanan Singh. Mr Teo Hoo Lye provided the premises at a rental and Rev. Chanan Singh ran the operations of the school. It was a popular institution at that time located at Dhoby Ghaut.

Teo Hoo Lye residence was at No. 13 Dhoby Ghaut. It was bought over in 1934 by Loke Yew (to be more precise, Mrs. Loke Yew and her son, Loke Wan Tho) and eventually demolished in 1939 to make way for the Cathay Building.

Front elevation of a building for Teo Hoo Lye at Dhoby Ghaut

Teo Hoo Lye's house in postcard circa 1920 

Family

Mr Teo Hoo Lye passed away at the age of 80 on 16 November 1933. The late Teo Hoo Lye left behind;

Sons; Teo Teow Peng, Teo Teow Gim, Teo Teow Geok, 

Daughters; Mrs. See Cheng Ann ( Miss Teo Hong Eng) and Mrs. Chin Hock Chye (Teo Nya Chwee). 

There was mentioned of a daughter by the name of  Teo Choon Neo, who celebrated her 24th birthday in 1951. This was an error from the Straits Times.  From family accounts - Teo Choon Neo is actually the grand daughter of Teo Hoo Lye and she had two older brothers- - Teo Loh Swee and Teo Kum Swee (grandchildren of Teo Hoo Lye and his second wife, Madam Tan Chee Neo).

reported on Straits Times, 28 August 1951

His funeral procession was mentioned by the papers to be one of the longest procession, starting from 11 am from Dhoby Ghaut, Selegie Road, Middle Road, Rochore and Rochore Canal Road, Bukit Timah Road and finally Bukit Brown. The procession started from his house at No. 13 Dhoby Ghaut and the whole procession ended past 4pm.

Start of the funeral of Teo Hoo Lye at his residence No. 13 Dhoby Ghaut

Funeral Procession of Mr. Teo Hoo Lye

Wife: Madam Kaw Tak Poh

Madam Kaw Tak Poh passed away on 9 November 1933 at No. 13 Dhoby Ghaut. Mr. Teo Hoo Lye passed away a week later after her. 

Wife: Tan Chi Neo /  Tan Chee Neo (born  8 Nov 1864 - 6 July 1940)

His second wife, Madam Tan Chee Neo passed away on 6 July 1940 at the age of 77 at No 119 Beach Road. She is buried in front of Mr Teo Hoo Lye.

Children listed on her tomb include;

Sons; Tan Teow Peng, Tan Teow Gim, Tan Teow Geok

Daughters; Teo Siew Kim, Teo Hong Eng, Teo Ah Chwee

Madam Tan Chee Neo 

Prior to his death, he removed the power of attorney from his eldest son, Teo Teow Peng.

Power of attorney dropped for Teo Teow Peng (the eldest)
a year after Mr Teo Hoo Lye's death 

Son: Teo Teow Peng (1882 -27 April 1944)
His eldest son, Teo Teow Peng, born 1882 in Singapore and educated in Raffles Institution is effectively bilingual in English and Chinese and was in the board of directors of the Sze Hai Tong Bank and the Ho Aik Steamship Co. He was also the patron of the Tiang Ho Kok Association. 

Teo Teow Peng passed away on 27 April 1944 at the age of 62.  His wife Madam Tan Kim Lian passed away at the age of 56 on 29 July 1936. Both are buried side by side in Bukit Brown.
Sons: Teo Bock Huay, Teo Bock Lim
Daughters: Teo Soh Boon, Teo Soh Cheng, Teo Soh Sim, Teo Soh Kay

Teo Teow Peng 

(source: NewspaperSG)

Son: Teo Teow Gim 
Teo Teow Gim went on to be a committee member in 1939 representing the Hokkien section of the Malayan Patrotic Fund (Chinese Relief Fund), whose chairman was Lee Kong Chian.

Son: Teo Teow Geok 

Teo Teow Geok's wife is Madam Ong Boo Lat.

From her obituary notice when Madam Ong Boo Lat passed away at the age of 84 on 3 January 1983, i can gather the names of their children.

Sons: Teo Kum See, Teo Loh Swee (deceased)

Daughter: Teo Choon Neo

Daughters-in-law: Lucy Kang, Khoo Saw Khim

Grandsons: Teo Hock Seng, Teo Hock Hin, Ray ; Teo Hock Ann, Mark,  Teo Hock Hoe

Granddaughters: Teo Siew Guat, Ethel

Granddaughters-in-law: Chua Hwee Meng, Katherine ; Lim Lay Choon, Patricia

Grandson-in-law: Jacob John

Great grandsons: Teo Lok Wan, Trevor ; Teo Lok Tsong, Terence ; Teo Khong Hui, Gary

Great grandaughter: Teo Yin Leng Valerie ; Teo Tsu In, Tracy

Cortege left from 4 Second Avenue. 

Daughter: Teo Hong Eng / Maria Teo Hong Eng / Mrs. See Cheng Ann

Mrs. See Cheng Ann passed away on 24 June 1952 at the age of 69 at her residence, No. 45 Hooper Road leaving behind;

3 sons; See Gim Soon, See Gim Hee, See Khoo San

3 daughters-in-law, 

5 daughters; Bebe See, Dorothy See Gim Lim (the maiden names i could find so far)

5 sons-in-law; Wee Whi Hock, Edwin Then, Chia Keng Hock, John Then, Lee Teck Swee and several grandchildren. The cortege left for Church of Saints Peter and Paul and burial at Bidadari 

See Kim Kow passed away at the age of 57 on 22 Feb 1938 at his residence, No. 288 Joo Chiat Road

His children: See Gim Hock, See Gim Lock, See Gim Sue, See Gim Chuan, See Gim Siang, See Gim Khoon

2 sons-in-law: Lim Tok Yong and Tay Geok Swee

Sim Kim Kow and See Cheng Ann are brothers. See Kim Kow is buried in Bukit Brown.

Side track note
The iron steamship Willy o' the Wisp has a long history of sailing in Singapore waters. It was once owned by the Wee Brothers Steamship until 1917. This was the same ship that accompanied the remains of Wee Leong Tan, father of Capitan China of Bengkalis, Wee Chin Yean. The ship came to Malaya in 1886 and eventually after being bought over by Heap Eng Moh Steamship Co. Ltd in 1935, it was put for sale for breaking up in an age where steel ships rule the seas.

Location of tomb

Teo Hoo Lye's tomb is in Bukit Brown, Hill 3, Division D, plot 888.

Madam Tan Chee Neo tomb is just in front (Hill 3, Division D, plot 891)

Madam Kaw Tak Poh (Hill 3, Division D, plot 1025)

Teo Hoo Lye's tomb in Bukit Brown (photo taken in January 2025)

Tan Chi Neo tomb in Bukit Brown (photo taken in January 2025)

References

King Edward VII Memorial Fund. (1911, September 9). The Singapore Free Press, page 7
Funeral Announcements. (1933, November 24). The Straits Times, page 10
Mr Teo Hoo Lye. (1933,November 28). The Straits Times, page 2

Funeral of Teo Hoo Lye. (1933, December 6). Malaya Tribune, page 20
Untitled. (1935, August 23). The Singapore Free Press, page 6
Local Fleet Sold.  (1935, August 2). The Straits Times, page 12
Half-million dollar sale for Soon Bee Steamship Company.  (1935, August 3). The Singapore Free Press, page 2
Domestic occurrence death. (1936,July 29). The Straits Times, page 2
Chinese Donations to war fund now total $67,575. (1938, September 26). The Straits Times, page 11
Death (1940, July 7). The Straits Times, page 7
Song, O.S. (1984). One hundred years history of the Chinese in Singapore. Singapore: Oxford University Press

Teo Hoo Lye's tomb