The British East India Company in Penang

INTRODUCTION

The British East India Company (British EIC) came to Penang after the Sumatran Malays had arrived in Penang prior to 1734. These early Sumatran settlers opened Penang. They settled in Kg Batu Uban. Land cultivation extended to Tanjong Penaga (renamed George Town by the British EIC). Masjid Jamek Batu Uban in Penang was built in 1734 and Masjid Tengkera in Malacca was built in 1728. Both mosques were built by the same person - Hj Muhammad Salleh bin Tuanku Betis Nan Sebatang, a Sumatran prince from Istana Pagarruyung in West Sumatra. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that Captain Francis Light discovered or opened Penang. The British EIC came to Penang more than 50 years after the founding of Penang by Hj Muhammad Salleh @ Nakhoda Nan Intan.

============== 1 ===============

CAPTAIN FRANCIS LIGHT 1740-1794

===============================

Captain Francis Light arrived in Penang in 1786. He was a young man in the British East India Company based in Penang (1786-1794). He had negotiated a trading post with Kedah's Sultan Muhammad Jiwa and managed to obtain a piece of land upon which Fort Cornwallis was later built. Light School was built by the sea in his honour.

Penang was infested with mosquitoes and malaria was rampant. A cure for malaria was unknown then. The Malays consume buah kuinin (quinine fruit) to protect themselves against malaria. However, the Europeans did not know of this and they died of malaria. Unfortunately, Light too died of malaria in Penang.

Light is laid to rest at the Protestant Cemetery in George Town, Penang, not far from where his fleet landed at Tanjong Penaga - near Fort Cornwallis and Light School. The cemetery is not well cared for and the graves have been left to rot in the humid weather and salty seabreeze of Penang.

Light was already deceased when Shaik Ahmad arrived to work in Penang circa 1860s.

=========== 2 ==========

PENANG GARDENS 1786

=======================

Penang Gardens was established in 1786. Among the plants which were cultivated here included nutmeg and cloves, both which require the seabreeze for successful growth.

In 1794, the British EIC employed Christopher Smith, a botanist trained at Kew Gardens, to establish spice gardens at Ayer Itam and Sg Keluang.

========== 3 ============

JAMES SCOTT 1746-1808

========================

James Scott was the trading partner of Captain Francis Light in Penang. He acquired Light's estate when Light passed away in 1794.

His company was Scott & Company.

James Scott became the largest landowner in Penang after he acquired Light's estate.

Six years after Light died in 1794, David Brown arrived in Penang in 1800. James Scott then partnered with David Brown, his village friend. Their company was Brown, Scott & Company.

In 1808, James Scott was heavily investing in the James Town project at Sg Kluang - opposite Pulau Jerejak. He had believed that the place would be earmarked for a naval base by the British Government. Alas! The intended project failed as a naval base was created by the sea at Sg Glugor in Glugor instead of Sg Kluang in James Town (now Bayan Lepas).

James Scott lost in his investments, and was declared a bankrupt.

James Scott passed away in 1808.

As business partner, David Brown took over the business of the Scott, Brown & Co, when James Scott died. He acquired James Scott's estate and renamed the company Brown & Co. David Brown then became the largest landowner in Penang.

========== 4 ============

DAVID BROWN 1778-1825

========================

David Brown was born in 1778. He was a Scotsman. He was from Longformacus, a small village in Berwickshire, Scotland. He was from the same village as James Scott.

David Brown studied law in Edinburgh and arrived in Penang in 1800 and aged 22 years old.

Edinburgh

In Penang, David Brown went into business with his fellow Scotsman, James Scott. David Brown was a partner in Scott & Company.

In 1806, David Brown established Spice Gardens in the area of Sg Gelugor - an area between Tg Kudin's House, TESCO, the Malayan Teachers' College (MTC) and Minden Heights, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) today.

David Brown had used capital borrowed from Scott and other friends to clear a part of the hillside at Gelugor* for pepper and nutmeg planting. Along side this he experimented with new commercial crops.

*Glugor (Gelugor) is approximately 8 km from George Town.

However, James Scott died in 1808 - 2 years after Spice Gardens was created and 8 years after David Brown's arrival in Penang.

David Brown acquired James Scott's estate when James Scott died. David Brown then became the largest landowner in Penang.

David Brown was a pioneer nutmeg planter in Penang. Together with his eldest son George Wilson Brown (Nonia Ennui's son), they planted many nutmeg trees (about 6,000 trees) in Glugor - possibly on the slopes between Signal Hill and Minden Barracks.

David Brown died on 12 Sept 1825 while on board the ship H.C.S. Windsor Castle, on his way to Malacca.

After David Brown died in 1825, the numerous nutmeg trees started bearing fruits in 1836. His eldest son George Wilson Brown died in 1946. His second son David Wardlow Brown enjoyed the benefit of possessing 10,000 Sterling pounds a year - a huge sum in those days (ref: NST 15 Nov 1993).

Though David Brown was best remembered as a nutmeg planter in Penang, he was a philanthropist. He donated 12 acres of land at Dato Kramat Road to the local municipality. The place is known as Padang Brown (Padang Datuk Kramat). It is bordered by Johore Road, Datuk Kramat Road, Perak Road and Anson Road. It was once popular for football matches, but is now popular as a food court. Johore Road is now popular hawker centre. There is David Brown memorial at the corner of Anson Road and Perak Road. This memorial was previously at the centre of Padang Brown, but was moved to the corner.

From The Early Malay Doctors blog:
http://theearlymalaydoctors.blogspot.my/2012/08/david-brown.html?m=1

========= 5 ========

GELUGOR, PENANG

===================

In the 1960s-1970s, Gelugor was largely a lush jungle with big tall trees. Roads were narrow but passable by little cars. There was a Malay village by the sea - Kg Sg Gelugor, before land reclamation was done. The village is still extant in 2017. There is a mosque in the village of Sumatran Rawa settlers - ie, Masjid Sg Gelugor. The Rawa village is behind the mosque. There was an army base with wooden barracks by the sea, which was then occupied by a Malay primary school. There was a British military camp on initially Bukit Jenaton (which then became Minden hills). The rest of Gelugor was dense jungle thickets.

Pulau Jerejak could be viewed from Gelugor - from Signal Hill (Bukit Pemancar) or Signal Crescent (Lengkok Pemancar).

================== 6 ================

BROWN & GLUGOR ESTATES IN PENANG

====================================

The British East India Company arrived in Penang in 1786. Then David Brown arrived in Penang in 1800. Then the Brown family was involved with business in Penang. The Brown family owned Brown Estates on Penang island, which included Glugor Estate.

Brown Estates:

1. Glugor Estate - part of it is now USM and Kg Buah Pala
2. Brown Garden - residential area in Gelugor
3. Brown Garden - football playground and food court in Jalan Datuk Kramat, George Town
4. Brown Road
5. Snake Temple
6. Strawberry Hill - part of Penang Hill

Painting of Brown's Glugor Estate in Penang. From Penang Museum. The island in the background at right is Pulau Jerejak. The big building overlooking the sea could be the old Chancellory at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Minden Campus in Penang.

================== 7 ================

BROWN GENEALOGY

====================================

Brown family members included:

1. David Brown (1778-1825, aged 47) - father of 5 sons and a daughter, by his 4 wives.
2. Laurie Brown (c.1850-1931, aged 80+)  
3. JG Brown (c.1860 - deceased 1926, aged 66). 
4. David Alexander Murray Brown/Mr DAM Brown (1871-1936, aged 65).

David Brown had 5 sons and a daughter by many ladies:

1. Nonia Ennui (Chinese lady) - 2 kids - George Wilson Brown (born 1805) and Sophia Brown (born 1806).
2. Inghoo (Indian lady) - 1 son 
3. Javanese Malay lady - 1 son
4. Burmese lady - 1 son
5. Eurasian lady - 1 son

David Brown's 5 sons:

1. First son: George Wilson Brown (1805 - 1846). He helped his father with the spice cultivation. and expanded acreage for spice cultivation. He died of fever in Penang Harbour. He may have died young due to his hard work in the nutmeg plantation. He pioneered the nutmeg industry with his father. 
2. Second son: David Wardlaw Brown (born 1812 - died 26 Sept 1864). He married Magaret Turnbull Tait.
3. Third son: Forbes Scott Brown (1818 - 1874). Forbes Scott Brown, Esq. of Longformacus, Berwickshire, Scotland. Classmate of James Richardson Logan. He was appointed as Member of the Legislative Council of the Strait Settlements on 17 March 1868 by the Queen of Britain and India. Died on 28 May 1874 at the age of 56. He is buried at the Protestant Cemetery, Penang. 
4. Fourth son: Alexander Stuart Brown (10 Dec 1818 - 12 Feb 1857). He is buried at the Protestant Cemetery, Penang. 
5. Fifth son: John James Erskine Brown (1820 - 1895). He was a merchant in Penang.

David Brown's grandchildren:

Children of Forbes Scott Brown (13 children):

1. David Alexander Murray Brown or D.A.M Brown (1871-1938?). He was active in the local community. He was a Penang Juror in 1904; General Manager of Pinang Gazette Press in Penang; secretary of Penang Club and later President in 1913, 1915,1917,1921 and 1931. He was an avid golf player, and won the first Strait Championship in 1894, and continued to win four straight wins from 1894-1897, and in 1908. He was also a partner of an accounting firm. He was a fellow of the Royal Colonial Institute. 
2. Laurie Brown (c.1850 - died in 1930/31, aged 80+) – youngest son.
3. Fourth daughter - Sarah Holdway Brown (died in 1931), South Australia. She married to Sir John Alexander Cockburn, MD, KCMG (23 Aug 1850 - 26 Nov 1929) on 13 May 1875. He was the Premier of South Australia from 27 June 1889 to 18 Aug 1890. Sir John Alexander Cockburn was the first doctor to be the premier of South Australia. She was the founders and first President of National Council of Woman of South Australia. The inaugural meeting was held in Sept 1902 (ref: Ever Yours, CH Spence; by Catherine Helen Spence, Susan Magarey, Barbara Wall, Maryan Beams, Mary Lyons, page 198). 

Great-granddaughter of David Brown:

David Alexander Murray Brown's (D.A.M. Brown) only daughter is Helen Margaret Brown.

1. Helen Margaret Brown (H. M. Brown, died in Dec 1964). She was the last owner of Brown & Co, who sold the Gelugor Estate to Arumugam Pillai. Helen Margaret Brown was the one who gave away the land at Kg Buah Pala to a housing trust under her name for the Tamil workers of the company. Currently the land deal of the location has become a top issue in the State of Penang, where the land has been sold by the State. She was also involved in the legal dispute with other family members of the Brown Family on 31 January 1924 (ref: NST). Note: She inherited the land at Kg Buah Pala in 1938 - as dated in the land title transfer. 

Others possibly related to David Brown:

1. Serge Negus, also known as Serge Cockburn, is a descendant of David Brown. He played Crocodile Dundee's son in the third Crocodile Dundee movie. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0168303/ He is descended from David Brown via his mother, who is the great granddaughter of Sir John Alexander Cockburn and Sarah Holdway Brown.
2. John Robertson Brown. He was a Penang juror in 1904, and an assistant in David Brown & Co, Glugor. 
3. Lawrence Coombe Brown - legal battle with Helen Brown 
4. Edmund Brown - he was mentioned in the book (ref: Ever Yours).

=============== 8 ================

MR J. GEORGE BROWN (birth-1926)

=================================

Mr JG Brown was the general manager Brown, Phillips and Stewart (1894-September 1926) but had passed away in September 1926. Mr DAM Brown replaced him as general manager of Glugor Estate(s) in September 1926.

Shaik Ahmad could have worked for Mr JG Brown - general manager of Brown, Phillips and Stewart (1894-September 1926).

=============== 9 ============

MR D. A. M. BROWN 1871-1936

=============================

David Alexander Murray Brown (D. A. M. Brown) was born in 1871. He was educated at Harrow and Trinity Hall at Cambridge University, England, where he was Captain of the University's Golf Club in 1891. He returned to Penang (undated) and entered the Perak Civil Service (undated), but resigned in 1894.

In 1901, he was the Secretary of the Town Club. In 1908, he was the Secretary of the Penang Turf Club and Golf Club. He was later President of both clubs.

He ventured into private business, where he co-founded Brown, Phillips and Stewart and served as a Senior Partner.

He suffered from pleurisy and succumbed to pneumonia. He died on 28 April 1935 at 10 am in Penang. He left behind his widow and 3 daughters.

===================== 10 ====================

BROWN GARDEN & HELEN BROWN 1960s - 1970s

===========================================

There was mention of Brown Garden and Helen Brown in the 1960s.

Brown Garden had met with problems pertaining to landownership, but details are not available at the time of this writing.

When I was a primary schoolgirl attending Sultanah Asma Primary School (Standard 1-3) in Alor Star, Kedah and visited my grandfather on weekends who lived on Lengkok Pemancar, I heard of "problems" regarding Brown Garden, which was near to my grandfather's land. Apparently, the hill slopes between my grandfather's land and Brown Garden were good for rambutan trees. In 1965-1970s, fruiting rambutan trees filled the slopes of Lengkok Pemancar down to Brown Garden in the valley below. At the time, Brown Garden was visibly filled with "big trees and green foliage" when viewed from the road outside my grandfather's house.

---------------------
USEFUL LINKS

1st Regt. of Bengal (1861)

• 1861 - 1st Regt. of Bengal Cavalry.
• Uniform - The yellow mess jacket and black waistcoat of the old 1st Bengal Lancers was adopted by the 1922 regiment of Skinner's Horse and was the cold weather mess dress until 1939. All six of these various uniforms are in the collection of the National Army Museum.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Horse_(Skinner%27s_Horse)

Luscombe, Stephen; Griffin, Charles. "Land Forces of the British Empire: 1st Bengal Lancers (Skinner's Horse)".
http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/indiancavalry/skinners.htm

Regiments of the British Colonial Army - British Indian Army
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:British_colonial_regiments

Uniform of the British Army, Hyderabad
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/322218548313180169/

British Indian Army, 3rd Cavalry Hyderabad Contingent

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/575264552386001643/

Governors of Penang
http://dictionnaire.sensagent.leparisien.fr/Governor%20of%20Penang/en-en/

Governors of the Straits Settlements
http://www.penang-traveltips.com/governors-of-the-straits-settlements.htm

John Sjovald Hoseason Cunyngham-Brown
http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=2932&name=the_swashbuckling_municipal_president_of_penang

John George Brown
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_George_Brown

Mr JG Brown of Glugor Estate, Penang
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/issue/maltribune19260918-1

NEW ESTATE MANAGER
Malaya Tribune, 18 September 1926, Page 6
Penang, September 17.
Mr D A M Brown has been appointed general manager of Glugor Estate vice the late Mr J G Brown.
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/maltribune19260918-1.2.30

1910. Brown, D. A. M., Glugor, Penang,
https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.7737/2015.7737.Journal-Of-The-Malayan-Branch-The-Royal-Asiatic-Society-Vol-vi-1928_djvu.txt

DEATH OF MR. D. A. M. BROWN
Malaya Tribune, 29 April 1935, Page 12
David Alexander Murray Brown (DAM Brown) was born in 1871.
He was the eldest son of Mr David Brown.
He was educated at Harrow and Trinity Hall, Cambridge,
where he was Captain of the University's Golf Club in 1891.
He returned to Penang ___ and entered the Perak Civil Service.
However, he resigned in 1894 and ventured into private business.
He was Senior Partner of Brown, Phillips and Stewart which he helped founded.
In 1901, he was the Secretary of the Town Club.
In 1908, he was the Secretary of the Penang Turf Club and Golf Club.
He suffered from __ and died on 28 April 1935 in Penang.
He left behind his widow and 3 daughters.
http://malayan-b-m-d.blogspot.my/2017/04/david-alexander-murray-brown-d-m-brown.html

David Brown (1778-1825) was a pioneer nutmeg planter in Penang.
He passed away while on a ship to Malacca.
http://teochiewkia.blogspot.my/2009/07/david-brown.html

Details of Brown Estates and the Brown Family
http://teochiewkia.blogspot.my/2009/07/david-brown.html?m=1

Share: