Parsi Lodge Charity
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The Parsi Lodge Charity is the name given to a charitable Trust
Endowment which was created in 1829, primarily "to furnish
a burial ground for Parsis". The Trust today consists of a
building, the Parsi cemetery and investments in bonds and fixed
deposits.
Description
At the time, the trust property consisted of a piece of land
near Tanjong Pagar for the burial of Parsis. In 1848, a
bungalow was erected on an adjoining piece of land and it also
formed part of the Trust.
The bungalow, informally known as the Parsi Lodge, was built to
provide respite for Parsi traders traveling from China and to
host Zoroastrian religious ceremonies. Unfortunately, in May
1877, a bad bout of cholera in the village nearby led its
lodgers to quickly vacate it. In 1889, the property was
officially named The Parsi Lodge Charity. It was described as a
beautiful cool house with good sea bathing as advertised for
lodgers in September 1891. Its other advantages were its
proximity to the commercial square and its seaside view. It
seemed to languish in the late 19th century and was
put up for sale in 1898 but no suitable price was offered. The
auctioneers, Powell & Co., describe how the Lodge's
frontage adjoined the beach and had its own jetty. Beside the
lodge was a small dwelling house, and a large building formerly
used as a store or godown. In 1903, the site was placed on sale
again and by 1908, the building had been torn down and in its
place were the Palmer Godowns.
Management
When the last two trustees, Nanabhoy Framjee and Rustomjee left
to settle in India, the Trust was transferred to the Mohammedan
and Hindu Endowment Board. With the establishment of the
Parsi Association of Malaya on 29 May 1954, the management of
the Parsi Lodge Charity was returned to the
community.
When the Trust was handed over to the Parsi Association to
appoint their own trustees to manage and administer the Trust,
the association petitioned the High Court to appoint the Public
Trustee, as the sole Trustee.
On 27 May 1969, the administration of the Parsi Lodge Charity
was transferred to the Public Trustee Office.
The Public Trustee is authorised "to apply the Funds...
towards the improvement and upkeep of the Parsi Cemetery;
...for defraying expenses of religious ceremonies and providing
for scholarships for Parsi Zoroastrians...resident in
Singapore;... and for medical benefits or housing for needy
Parsis". A Committee of Management is elected annually
at the Annual General Meeting of
The Parsi Association in Singapore.
Currently, the Trust consists of a building, standing on
Government-owned land, at the Parsi Cemetery on Choa Chu Kang
Road, and also of investments in bonds and fixed
deposits.
Author
Phiroze N. Medora & Bonny Tan
References
Auction sales. (1898, April 22) [Microfilm NL342]. The
Straits Times, p. 3.
Medora, Phiroze N. (2001). Extracts from unpublished papers in
author's collection.
(Not available in NLB holdings)
Notice. (1891, September 23) [Microfilm NL331]. The Straits
Times, p. 2.
Parsee Lodge. (1898, May 13) [Microfilm NL342]. The Straits
Times, p. 3.
Untitled. (1877, May 5) [Microfilm NL5046]. The Straits
Times, p. 3.
Untitled. (1908, May 29) [Microfilm NL314]. The Straits
Times, p. 6.
The information in this article is valid as at 2009 and correct
as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended
to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please
contact the library for further reading materials on the
topic.
Subject
Ethnic Communities>>Customs and Traditions
Endowments--Singapore
Parsees--Singapore
People and communities>>Death and bereavement
Philosophy, psychology and religion>>Religion>>Other religions