Tan Wi Yan and family (Bukit Brown)

Tan Wi Yan ( 陳維賢 ) is the son of Tan Teck Guan and the grandson of Tan Tock Seng.
Tan Wi Yan was a director of Malaka Pinda Rubber Estates Ltd. The Chairman during that time was Mr. Tan Cheng Lock and the other directors include; Chan Kang Swi, Choa Eng Wan, Chi Kang Cheng, Lee Choon Guan and F.C. Peck. Tan Wi Yan was also a director of the Tiang Guan Brick and Tile Manufacturing Co. Ltd. There were articles mentioning that he was in tin mining. Another mentions of his Bungalow in Tanah Merah area and that he was the responsible for building the famous Garden Club at Tanah Merah. 

Tan Wi Yan passed away on 9th January 1935. He is survived by 9 sons and 2 daughters. The cortege left his residence 27-3 Blair Road to Bukit Brown on the 13th January 1933.

Tan Wi Yan 

Mr. Tan Wi Yan,  with his 1914 "ALPINE EAGLE",
A Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 40/50 horsepower

  

Contributions 

Tan Wi Yan contributed to many causes, including the China Famine Fund, King George's Fund For Sailors, but what he was well know was for Malaya No. 4 (the "Wi-Cheng-Kim" name after the middle names of the donors) that was presented on 16th August 1915 by Messrs, Tan Wi Yan, Sim Cheng Mia and Tan Kim Wah of chop Hup Liong & Co, merchants of No 4 Beach Road after they donated $11,150 to the Singapore Chinese Aeroplane Fund. 

Malaya No 4 alias Wi-Cheng-Kim
(source: One hundred years history of the Chinese in Singapore.)

 

Fight against Bankruptcy 

In 1926-1927, Tan Wi Yan faced creditor petitions and this was brought up to the courts. A number of this were subsequently withdrawn. There was even a case where the recent floods (1926) cause a landslide at one of the mines of Tan Yi Wan and it exposed a rich vein of tin ore, which his lawyer defended that should be able to repay his creditors. His lawyer went on to describe Tan Wi Yan as once a wealthy man in the past, enough to have built the Gardens Club. I am not sure subsequently what happened for this bankruptcy cases.

Family 

Wife: Chee Wye Kee 

Chee Wye Kee  was the first wife of Mr. Tan Wi Yan. She passed away on 14 January 1931 and is buried in Bukit Brown, Block 3 Section B, plot 994. 

Wife: Cheong Siow Hing 

Madam Cheong Siow Hing passed away in September 1930 and is buried in Bukit Brown, Block 3, Section A, plot 117

Wife: Yeo Wan Neo

Yeo Wan Neo is buried in Bukit Brown very close to Hill 1 and Hill 3 (where the road forks) 

Brother: Tan Tat Yan

Tan Tat Yan passed away on 5th March 1914 at his residence in No 1 Dublin Road. Tan Tat Yan was the second son of the late Tan Teck Guan and grandson of the late Tan Tock Seng and brother of Tan Chay Yan and Tan Wi Yan. Tan Tat Yan was a director of rubber company United Malacca and linked to many other companies.

Son: Tan Hong Ghee

Tan Hong Ghee was in 1922 employed as an assistant with the Chinese Commercial Bank and since have resign and engaged in general broking (rubber, jewelry). In October 1926, he and his father were in the courts fighting off bankruptcy petitions after facing losses in rubber transactions. 

Son: Tan Chee Kong 
Tan Chee Kong (son of the late Mr. Tan Wi Yan and Mrs Tan Wi Yan) married Miss Seow Ah Lay (Sally Seow) daughter of Mr and Mrs. Seow Cheng Poh on 18 December 1937. 

Variant Names: Tan Chiee Kong / Tan Chi Kong  / Maurice Tan Chi Kong

Tan Chee Kong and Seow Ah Lay

Son: Tan Chi Lam 
In February 1941, Khoo Hoon Leng (third daughter of Khoo Kay Hian) married Mr Tan Chi Lam (sixth son of  the late Mr and Mrs Tan Wi Yan) at the Ee Hoe Hean Club where Dr Lim Boon Keng officiated.

Khoo Hoon Leng
(source: NewspaperSG)

Daughter: Rose Tan Kim Kee

Rose Tan Kim Kee ( second daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Tan Wi Yan) married Mr. Tow Siang Ling (eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Tow Keng Hee) on 7 October 2604 (1944) at the Straits Presbyterian Church. 

Location of tomb

Tan Wi Yan is buried in Block 3, Division D, plot 839
 

Tan Wi Yan's tomb in Bukit Brown 

 

 

Variant Names

Tan Wi Yan also refers to: Tan Wee Yean / Tan Wee Yan  

 

 [research on-going]

 

References

Fair Warning. (1914, March 6). The Singapore Free Press, page 7
Malaka Pinda Rubber Estates. Ltd. (1915, November 30). The Singapore Free Press, page 10

Advertisement. (1920, April 1). Malaya Tribune, page 6

Bankruptcy Courts. (1926, April 23). Malaya Tribune, page 8

Brankruptcy Court. Recent Floods and a Debtor. (1927, March 5). Malaya Tribune, page 7
Domestic Occurences. (1935, January 11). Malayan Tribune, page 10
Weddings. (1937, December 19). The Straits Times, page 8
Mr. Tan Wi Yan, Grandson of Tan Tock Seng. (website). Roney Tan Collection. National Archives
Mrs Tan Wi Yan nee Chee Whye Kee. (website) Singapore Tombstones Epigraphic Materials 新加坡墓碑铭集录

Mrs Tan Wi Yan nee Yeo Wan Neo. (website) Singapore Tombstones Epigraphic Materials 新加坡墓碑铭集录