光緒十六年𡻕庚寅重修榖旦
Kiong Kong Tuan died at the age of 64 years on 16th January 1854
(see notes below)
Choa Leong Neo wrote a will in 1841 lunar 5th month 5th day. I believe she would have died shortly thereafter.
Her father was the well known Choa Chong Long where there was a pantun written about him.
Her father celebrate his 44th birthday in Singapore on 8th Jun 1831 and died in Macao in 1838 (ie 51 years). Mr William Spottiswoode was his executor of his will.
According to Choa Leong Neo's will, she mentioned that she was the eldest daughter and together with 3 younger sisters inherited Chong Long properties. As she was then ill and may die in the near future, she has named her husband executor of her estate
Mr Kiong Kong Tuan came from Penang, where he had carried on business as a merchant and established himself in Singapore. He married a daughter of the well-known Choa Chong Long, by whom he had an only son, Kiong Seok Wee, and several daughters, one of whom became the wife of Wee Bin of the steamship rm of ‘Wee Bin & Co’.
Mr Kong Tuan also figured as the Spirit Farmer for some years. He had a spirit factory at Pearl’s Hill, and the site is still known among the Chinese as Chiu-long-san (the spirit factory hill). He died at the age of 64 years on 16th January 1854. Mr Kong Tuan was the grantee of that large tract of land comprising twenty acres which has now become a thickly populated Straits Chinese residential quarter with Chin Swee Road as the main artery, and Cornwall Street and Seok Wee Road as side streets.
His son, Kiong Seok Wee, did not fancy spirit farming. He went into business with his brother-in-law, Wee Bin, but the partnership was short-lived. In 1865 along with Wee Leong Hin, the rm of Leong Hin, Seok Wee & Co, chop Aik Ho, ship-handlers, was established at Boat Quay and another under the chop Joo Chin & Co. as General Merchants. ‘Aik Ho’ was accidentally burnt down, and as it was not covered by insurance, Mr Seok Wee sustained a severe loss which was augmented by the failure of Joo Chin & Co. He was at that time one of the proprietors of the Singapore Daily Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. In 1869 the affairs of Mr Seok Wee and his partner were administered by the Court of Insolvent Debtors. He died in 1888 at the age of 49 years, leaving six sons and two daughters, the elder of whom became a daughter-in-law of Mr Tan Kim Ching.
The youngest son of Mr Seok Wee is Kiong Chin Eng, chief clerk and cashier at the General Hospital, a man of liberal education and a first- class player both in tennis and chess.
Straits Times 1885 June 15
Mr Kiong Hun Tiong is authorised to sign per procuration for my chop JOO CHEN
Kiong Siok Wee
Singapore 28th May 1885
Thian Hock Keng plaques
Mr Kiong Kong Tuan came from Penang, where he had carried on business a merchant and established himself in Singapore. He married
a daughter of the well known Choa Chong Long, by whom he had an only son, Kiong Seok Wee, and several daughters, one of whom becamethe wife of Wee Bin of the steamship firm of Wee Bin and Co. Mr Kong Tuan also figured as the Spirit Farmer for some years. His had a spirit factory at Pearl’s Hill, and the site is still known among the Chinese
as Chiu long san (spirit factory hill). He died at the age of 64 years
on 16th Jan 1854. Mr Kong Tuan was the grantee of that large tract of land comprising 20 acres which has now become a thickly populated Straits Chinese residential quarter with Chin Swee Road as the main artery, and Cornwall Street and Seok Wee Street as side streets. His son, Kiong Seok Wee did not fancy spirit farming. He went into business with his brother in law Wee Bin, but the partnership was short lived.
He died in 1888 at the age of 49 years, leaving 6 sons and 2 daughters,
the elder of who became a daughter in law of Tan Kim Ching.
The youngest son of Seok Wee is Kiong Chin Eng, chief clerk and cashier at the General Hospital, a man of liberal education and a first class player both in tennis and chess.
Pic from Song Ong Siang book. Mrs Kiong Chin Eng was the sister
of Helen Yeo, Mrs Song Ong Siang.
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Lianhe Zaobao on 4 Jul 1983 has an article on Kiong Kong Tuan written by David Chng.
Kiong Kong Tuan has married a daughter of Choa Chong Long. Chong Long has ever housed Sir Stamford Raffles and his wife in his house before.
Both Kiong Kong Tuan and his father in law Choa Chong Long were the
Chinese leaders at that time. Choa has donated $400 to build Heng Shan Teng and was only placed behind Seet Hood Kee and Tan Che Sang. Kong Tuan himself was ranked 5th in terms of donation for Heng San Teng, at that time, the organization in charge of the Hokkiens before Thian Hock Keng.
In the 1830s, Kiong Kong tuan tried planting coffee, but failed Later he
set up a spirit factory in Pearl’s Hill and succeeded. In the 1850s, he
was the top 3 in the Hokkien organization.
In the year 1830, there was a big court case involving Kiong. It was a business dispute between Syme & Co which deal with various goods
with branches in Batavia and Manila. What happened was that in Feb of that year, there wa a big fire, and Syme & Co has sold the goods to a Ong Tuan, as a result the company was chasing for 14,635 spanish dollars from Ong and his two business partners Si Lee and Kiong Kong
Tuan.
Now, Kiong Kong Tuan has actually preparing to break off the partnership with Ong sometime in late 1829 and has notified Ong on Oct 1829 of the breakoff. But the main witness Tan Che Sang, also a well known Chinese,testified by cutting off a chicken’s head that during the discussion meeting in Dec 1829, there was no mention of Kiong Kong Tuan leaving the partnership.
Although Kiong does not have any monetary interest in this transaction
of goods between Syme and Ong, he was deemed by the court to be liable as he was seen to be a partner of Ong. In fact, the deal was made with Ong by Syme because of the presence of Kiong as a partner of Ong, even though Kiong does not gain from this deal.
Because of this court case, the Chinese started to publicize in the
newspapers on record whenever they are leaving a partnership or company, so that they will no longer be liable for any debt incurred from then on.
Before Kiong Kong Tuan died in 1854, he actually tried his hands on nutmeg. He seen to be some kind of success, as seen by the auction of his nutmeg plantations:
He was also the Opium farmer during the 1840s, and was mentioned by Logan 1848 Journal of the Indian Archipelago “On the habitual use of Opium in Singapore by R Little”
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Siok Wee Road
Note, case against Ong Tuan, Si Lee and Kiong Kong Tuan
Singapore Chronicle and Commercial Register, 12 August 1830, Page 3