Sir Stamford Raffles's birth

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Raffles, Thomas Stamford, Sir, (b. 6 July 1781, off Port Morant, Jamaica - d. 5 July 1826, Middlesex, England), founder of Singapore island, was born at sea off Jamaica on 6 July 1781 on board the West Indiaman Ann. The Ann was the ship captained by his father, Benjamin Raffles. His full name at birth was Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, where each name had significance to people who had influence over him or his family.

The Date
Although the ship Ann had been at anchor at Port Morant, Jamaica for some days, Anne Lyde, Benjamin Raffles' wife, gave birth only the day after the ship had pulled out of port. Raffles was thus born at sea on 6 July 1781 or 5 July if taken by sea reckoning which calculates a full day from noon to noon rather than midnight to midnight.

The Name
The baby was named Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles at a christening ceremony on board the ship Ann, naming Stamford of Jamaica and Bingley of London as the child's godfathers. But he was rechristened Thomas Raffles by his uncle, the Rev John Linderman on 4 July 1784 at Eaton Bishop, Herefordshire, during a combined christening with his sister Harriet who was born in 1783. The Rev Lindemann was the brother-in-law of Anne Lyde. Raffles was the only surviving son of Benjamin Raffles.

The name "Thomas" was a reference to his grandfather (d. 1784) who had been a clerk for at least 40 years at the Prerogative Office, Doctors' Commons. Raffles never used the name "Bingley", denying that Thomas Bingley had ever been his godfather although historians believe the wealthy Bingley had financially assisted the family during Raffles' cash-strapped childhood years. "Stamford" remains a shadowy figure although a Thomas Stamford has been identified - a merchant who traded between London and Jamaica during the same period Raffles was born. Raffles only officially used the name "Stamford" after his knighthood.

The Ship
The Ann was part of a convoy of 200 ships which were on the way to England and North America after a stopover in the lucrative slave trade of the Carribeans. She was a 260 tonner with 8 four-pounders. Built in 1765 in Scotland, the ship was owned by Hibberts & Co. of Glasgow with a possibility that Benjamin Raffles had a share in it, suggested in the ship's named closely correlated to his wife's, short of an "e".



Author
Bonny Tan



References
Egerton, H. E. (1900). Sir Stamford Raffles: England in the Far East (pp. 1-3). London: T.F. Unwin.
(Call no.: RCLOS 959.570210924 RAF)

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles: Book of days (p. 126). (1993). Singapore: Antiques of the Orient.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57021092 SIR) 

Wurtzburg, C. (Ed). (1984). Raffles of the eastern isles (pp. 15-17). Singapore: Oxford University Press.
(Call no.: RCLOS 959.570210924 RAF) 


Further Readings
Collis, M. (1982). Raffles. Singapore: G. Brash.
(Call no.: RSING 959.570210924 RAF)

Hahn, E. (1968). Raffles of Singapore: A biography (pp. 1-12). Kuala Lumpur: University of Malaya Press.
(Call no.: RSING 959.570210924 RAF) 

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles: A comprehensive bibliography. (1997). Singapore: Singapore Resource Library, National Library Board.
(Call no.: RSING 016.95957 SIR) 



The information in this article is valid as at 1997 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
Personalities>>Biographies>>Colonial Administrators
Personalities>>Biographies>>Pioneers
Colonial administrators--Singapore--Biography
Raffles, Thomas Stamford, Sir, 1781-1826
History>>Asia>>Southeast Asia>>Singapore