Boey Chuan Poh and family (Bukit Brown)

Boey Chuan Poh was born in Malacca. He is the sole proprietor of Union Times (a Singapore paper published in Chinese and English) and was the former proprietor of the Weekly Sun. He passed away at his residence at No 49 Devonshire Road, Singapore on August 19, 1926 at the age of 53. (the tomb indicated his age was 56) He is survived by his widow and 2 daughters. He is buried in Bukit Brown, Hill 2, Division D. 
Boey Chuan Poh 
Union Times vs Chong Shing Yat Pao 
Union Times (a pro-loyalist paper ) and Chong Shing Yat Pao (pro-revolutionist paper) were often at logger heads, with each suing the other and counterclaim for libel. The Union Times Press was located at 126 Cross Street. Union Times was a paper associated with the pro-monarchist reformist movement, often associated with Kang Yu Wei and his Pao Huang Hui or Emperor Protection Society. Chong Shing Yat Pao (1907-1910) on the other hand was a paper which was the mouth piece of the Tung Meng Hui or United League. Dr Sun Yat Sen was one of it's contributors. The paper was founded by Tan Chor Nam, Teo Eng Hock and Lim Nee Soon.  There was an article of the Union Times Press being in liquidated in 1916, but from research, the paper was still in Boey Chuan Poh's hand till his death in 1926. The Union Times Press continued to exist until 1946.
Source: NewspaperSG
The Union Times by Boey Chuan Poh (source: NUS)

Bin Chan House / Sun Yat Sen Villa  / Wan Qin Yuan
Bin Chan House located at 94 Balestier Road was a Bungalow with stables built by Boey Chuan Poh in 1880s. However, in a 1902 advertisement, it indicates that Bin Chan was built in 1902 or slightly before that. Boey Chuan Poh was an avid horse rider and he had a horse named Bin Chan as well. The house was sold to a timber merchant for $10,800 in 1902 and in 1905 acquired by Mr Teo Eng Hock for his mother. Teo Eng Hock was the one that opened the house for Dr Sun Yat Sen and Tung Meng Hui or Chinese Alliance members. 
Advertisement for rent of Bin Chan House 1902
Bin Chan House
Mr Boey's horse Bin Chan
Bin Chan House / Sun Yat Sen Villa
In 1937, five Chinese community leaders, Messrs Lee Kong Chian, Lee Choon Seng, Lee Chin Tian, Tan Ean Kiam, Chew Hean Swee and Yeo Kiat Tiow bought the house in No 12, Tai Jin Road, off Balestier. This was the historically important site where Dr. Sun Yat Sen visited, stayed and work with the local revolutionaries to plan and drum up support for the 1911 revolution that ended 267 years rule of the Qing dynasty.

Family

Father: Boey Ah Sam
Boey Ah Sam
Boey Ah Sam was born in Canton on July 14, 1829. He came down to Singapore at the age of 14. A chance meeting and friendship with Mr. James Guthrie of Messrs Guthrie & Co. who through his help set up a bakery in which he operated for 10 years. He then went into partnership with his eldest brother, Boey Ah Soo and set up a Cantonese sundry shop at No 21 Market Street under the style of Boey Ah Soo & Co, chop Swee Wo, with branches in Canton, Hong Kong, Penang and Calcutta. In 1890, Boey Ah Soo was one of the pioneer member of the newly set up Chinese Advisory Board. He represented the Cantonese community. The Hokkien representatives were Tan Jiak Kim, Tan Beng Wan, Lim Eng Keng and Lee Cheng Yan. The Teochew representatives were Seah Liang Seah, Tan Yong Siak and Low Cheang Yee.

Around 1893, Boey Ah Sam wound up his business and settled in Batu Pahat as a plantation owner having gotten concessions there and grew gambier, pepper and rubber. On December 25, 1913 at the age of 84, he passed away at the residence of his son, Boey Chuan Poh at "Eng House House", No 46 Cairnhill Road. Boey Ah Sam is buried in Pek San Teng, the Cantonese Cemetery in Thomson Road.

Brother: Boey Kee Sang
Boey Kee Sang was the eldest son of Boey Ah Sam. He passed away at the age of 66 on May 1922, leaving behind one son, 2 daughters, Boey Siew Kuan (Mrs Wee Hean Boon) and Boey Piu Siong. The funeral left from 35 Owen Road to Pek San Teng Cantonese Cemetery.
The Union Times by Boey Kee Sang
Brother: Boey Siew Chong
Boey Siew Chong was a editor, publisher and director of the Union Times. He passed away at his residence in Damar Road on June 1913 at the age of 47. He is survived by a widow, a son, an aged father (Boey Ah Sam) and five brothers to mourn his lost. Two brothers mentioned in the article were: Boey Chuan Poh and  Boey Yeak Kum. The funeral took place at a Cantonese Cemetery located at 4th milestone, Thomson Road.
Union Times by Boey Siew Chong (1909) (source: NUS)
Brother: Boey Yeak Kum
Boey Yeak Kum was a planter in Batu Pahat. He together with Boey Siew Chong established Nam Yong Chai Wai Po or The Union Times Press at 83, Cross Street on May 28, 1908.

Brother: Boey Hong Ying
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Reference
Advertisement. (1902, March 6). The Straits Times
Stylish cruelty to horses. (1904, June 13). The Straits Times
For Sale. (1912, May 18). Weekly Sun
Death of Mr. Boey Siew Chong. (1913, June 28). Weekly Sun
Death. (1913, December 27). The Straits Times
Social and Personal. (1914, January 8). The Straits Times
Announcement. (1922, May 26). The Straits Times
Death. (1926, August 21). The Straits Times
Yong, Ching Fatt, and R. B. McKenna. The Kuomintang Movement in British Malaya, 1912-1949. NUS Press, 1990. pages 15,19
Lee, Lai To, and Hock Guan Lee, eds. Sun Yat-Sen, Nanyang and the 1911 Revolution. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2011.pages 149
Song, Ong Siang. One hundred years' history of the Chinese in Singapore. Ed. Edwin Lee. Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1984.

Comments

  1. Hi

    Is this statement accurate: "Bin Chan House located at 94 Balestier Road was a Bungalow with stables built by Boey Chuan Poh in 1880". Boey Chuan Poh died aged 53 in 1926, which would have made him 7 years old in 1880. He must have been the youngest bungalow builder in history;)

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  2. Thanks lorongm for spotting this. i missed out an s, so it will be 1880s. The source of this is from infopedia http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_537__2009-01-07.html and also from newspaperSG. Interestingly even in 1880's, oldest would make him 16-17 years of age...very young !! : P

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  3. In 1880's Boey Chuan Poh would only between 7-17 years of age if we take his age of death as 53 in 1926 or 10-20 years if we take his age of death as 56 in 1926. Thanks for highlighting this lorongm !

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