Seah Boon Kang (Bukit Brown)

The rediscovery of a beautiful Teochew tomb that has beautiful decorative tiles is a wonderful find. It it  close by the loop road of Hill 2 Division B but often missed by people because it was once covered up with vines. Seah Boon Kang passed away at the age of 54 on 26 July 1927. From his tomb, the names of his children as follows;
Son: Seah Eng Khee, Seah Eng Kiak, Seah Whee Tian

Seah Boon Kang 

The birth of Emerald Hill as a residential area

The land where the current Emerald Hill used to be held from 1836 to 1900 under single ownerships before it was purchase, subdivided into building lots and sold separately around 1900. One of the very first owner of the single piece of land before it was subdivided was William Cuppage (one of the early European settler and first legal owner and occupant of the land). The land when he first purchased it was already cleared and not a jungle. It was cleared likely by the early chinese gambier planters.

After the death of William Cuppage at the age of 65 on 21 March 1872, the land was purchased by his son-in-law, Edwin Koek. He ran into financial problems and mortgaged the land twice in 1878 and 1891.  In December 1900, the property and the 3 houses on it were jointly sold to Seah Boon Kang and Seah Eng Kiat.  The 13.2 hectare land and its three houses (Erin Lodge (143), Fern Cothage (142) and Claregrove (141) ) were subsequently demolished: Fern Cottage in 1906 made way for terrace houses; in 1924 Claregrove gave way to the Singapore Chinese Girls' School; Erin Lodge was replaced with more terrace houses.

The two enterprising landowners subdivided the land into 28 lots and sold off most of them thus becoming property owners themselves. The first house plans where submitted 2 years later and thus Emerald Hill- as we know it, started. Between 1902 and 1930, 112 houses were built in the area including plans for buildings and houses submitted by Seah Boon Kang and Seah Eng Kiat themselves. 

Plan of Singapore Town Showing Topographical Detail and Municipal Numbers (1893)

Plan of Building at Orchard and Emerald Hill for Seah Boon Kang

Alteration to Emerald Hill House for Seah Boon Kang (Architect /Surveyor: Tomlinson & Tian Fook)

Alteration to Plan 7126 for Seah Eng Kiat (Architect / Surveyor: Almeida & Co)

Building Plan for 3 Shophouse at Emerald Hill for Goh Kee Hoon

Seah Boon Kang - A Bankrupt

The article surprised me as it reads that Seah Boon Kang faced financial difficulties and was declared a bankrupt. In a notice on the Singapore Free on 6 March 1905, he was forced to sell some of the freehold buildings he used to own at Emerald Hill Road.

Nolle Prosequi 

In October 1898, it was reported in the papers that 2 Chinese babas, Seah Boon Hang and Seah Boon Kang were charged with being in possession of stolen property, to wit, diamonds belonging to Mr. M. Zerner, which were lost in a rikisha opposite the Medical Hall. Fortunately for them, the case was dismissed in November.  

In another incident, Seah Boon Kang's name appeared for a case where his servant girl (13 years old or less) attempted suicide by trying to cut her own throat. After being hospitalised, the girl said she did so after being beaten by Seah Boon Kang's brother. What happened beyond that is unknown to me, but Kramat Road is very near to Emerald Hill area which he and Seah Eng Kist purchased)

Location of tomb 

Seah Boon Kang's tomb is located in Block 2 Division B, plot 156. Nearby are the tombs of Mrs. Neo Tiew and Kway Mee Koo. 

 

Seah Boon Kang's tomb now visible after cutting the vines that use to block it 

Beautiful and rare decorative tiles with origins from Belgium

Name of Seah Boon Kang's sons

References

Monday, April 12, 1897. (1897, April 13). The Singapore Free Press, page 14 

Wednesday, October 12, 1898. (1898, October 13). The Singapore Free Press, page 13
Advertisement. (1905, March 6). The Singapore Free Press, page 2 
Emerald Hill tells its tale.by M Gretchen (1984, July 1). The Straits Times, page 21
Plan of Singapore Town Showing Topographical Detail and Municipal Numbers. (website). National Archives, Singapore
Semi-detached House and Outhouse at Emerald Hill. (website). National Archives, Singapore
Plan of Building at Emerald Hill Road. (website). National Archives, Singapore
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