First person to be buried in Bukit Brown

Madam Koh Beng Choo, died at the age of 50 was listed as the first person to buried in Bukit Brown when it officially became a Municipal Cemetery managed by the British Colonial Government. Based on the burial records, she was interned on April 5, 1922. From her tomb, Koh Beng Choo is born on Saturday, 8 June 1873 and died on 1 April 1922. 

Madam Koh Beng Choo

Burial Register (source: NAS)

When she was first interned there, Bukit Brown was not a popular public cemetery among the chinese who previously were either buried in their own clan cemetery which provided slightly more better flexibility in terms of size of the tomb as well as the ability to choose their orientation (i.e. where the tomb faced). 

See Tiong Wah and Tan Kheam Hock, Municipal Commissioners in charge of chinese affairs and responsible for formation of Bukit Brown, made some improvements in terms of space and provided flexibility to those who could afford it to buy more than 1 lot for either themselves or their families.With this improvements, it became popular again. 

Location of tomb 

Madam Koh Beng Choo's tomb is narrowly missed by the 8 lane highway and not affected. It is located in Hill 1 Division A, plot 334