Wan Eng Kiat
Wan Eng Keat
范英吉
Obituary of Mrs Wan Eng Kiat
The Straits Times, 16 July 1926, page 7
Mrs Wan Eng Keat - On July 14, 1926 at No 125 Neil Road, Singapore, Mrs Wan Eng Keat (Tok Nya Chik) aged 85 years. She left one son Wan Boon Seng, three grandsons in law - Seow Siew Guan, Wee Kim Chuan and Wee Mah Kuan, five grandsons Wan Seng Kim, Wan Chin Inn, Wan Chin Hoe, Wan Chin Kuan and Wan Chin Hock, several granddaughters and great grandchildren. Funeral Sunday July 18, at 10 am to Toa Payoh (Bukit Brown)
Portait of Wan Eng Kiat in Song Ong Siang book
Wan Boon Seng, part proprietor of the Bintang Prankan, a Romanised Malay paper, said that defendant (Quek Ah Gek) was his stepmother. Wee Kim Chuan and Koh Kong Lim were trustees under the will of Wan Eng Kiat.
It is interesting to note that his Chinese surname has been translated wrongly as Yuan as early as 1961 by the famous Malay studies scholar Mei Jing 梅井, 4 years after Boon Seng passed away in 1957. Surname is also not correct here as in Claudine Salmon’s book Literary Migrations : Traditional Chinese Fiction in Asia
According to an obituary ppublished in Straits Times 24 Jun 1957 , pg 7, Wan Boon Seng passed away peacefully at 27, Lorong 104. Changl Road. Singapore and funeral took place on 25 Jun 1957.
The Straits Times, 16 July 1926, page 7
Mrs Wan Eng Keat - On July 14, 1926 at No 125 Neil Road, Singapore, Mrs Wan Eng Keat (Tok Nya Chik) aged 85 years. She left one son Wan Boon Seng, three grandsons in law - Seow Siew Guan, Wee Kim Chuan and Wee Mah Kuan, five grandsons Wan Seng Kim, Wan Chin Inn, Wan Chin Hoe, Wan Chin Kuan and Wan Chin Hock, several granddaughters and great grandchildren. Funeral Sunday July 18, at 10 am to Toa Payoh (Bukit Brown)
(ie born circa 1841)
民國八年歲己未四月初四 1919
十五年六月初五日 1926
庻男
文希 Wan Boon Hee
文成 Wan Boon Seng
文林 Wan Boon Lim
孫
成金 Wan Seng Kim
振興 Wan Chin Inn
女孫
水娘
宝娘
干舌
亞麟
继男
定珍
女
水娘
女孫
連娘
深娘
Madam Wee, mother of Wan Boon Hee, Wan Boon Teck and Wan Boon Seng
Madam Wee would be the first wife of Wan Eng Keat as the children was indicated as from a secondary wife in Madam Tok Nya Chit tomb. From the tomb date, she would have passed away around 1884
南靖
Madam Wee would be the first wife of Wan Eng Keat as the children was indicated as from a secondary wife in Madam Tok Nya Chit tomb. From the tomb date, she would have passed away around 1884
Among the Malacca lads who ventured to Singapore in 1851 to seek Dame Fortune’s favour was Wan Eng Kiat, then 17 years of age. For a little time he worked as a watchmaker, and then entered the service of Messrs Martin Dyce & Co. At the age of 24, he married Toh Nya Chik, who is still living. Mr Wan Eng Kiat, after his marriage, worked with Messrs Puttfarcken, Rheiner & Co and later with Messrs Puttfarcken & Co as storekeeper, retiring at the age of 68. He was a shrewd and careful investor in house properties, which at his death at the advanced age of 85, on 3rd May 1919, were worth half a million dollars.
Portait of Wan Eng Kiat in Song Ong Siang book
Wan Eng Kiat born circa 1834
ACTION UNDER A WILL
Malaya Tribune, 14 January 1931, Page 7
Wan Boon Seng, part proprietor of the Bintang Prankan, a Romanised Malay paper, said that defendant (Quek Ah Gek) was his stepmother. Wee Kim Chuan and Koh Kong Lim were trustees under the will of Wan Eng Kiat.
Wan Boon Seng Alias Panah Pranakan
Wan Boon Seng was the most active among the publishers of the Baba translated work from Chinese to Baba Malay. He has 12 published titles and also published Baba magazines such s Bintang Pranakan, Sri Pranakan, Stoy Teller and Two Baba Newspapers Kabar Slalu and Kabar Ucapan Baru
Koh Kong Lim was son of Koh Hoon Teck
14 Upper Cross Street is the address of the publishers of "Bintang Pranakan", of which Wan Boon Seng was proprietor. The first issue was published on Oct 1930
Instances of enterprise are rare enough to be notable in Malaya in these das. The publishers from 14, Upper Cross Street, Singapore of the Bintang Pranakan, a Straits Chinese born Chinese Romanized Malay weekly journal, the first number of which was issued on Saturday, deserve credit for their courage. The price is 10 cents, and the contents are varied and interesting
Koh Kong Lim was son of Koh Hoon Teck
14 Upper Cross Street is the address of the publishers of "Bintang Pranakan", of which Wan Boon Seng was proprietor. The first issue was published on Oct 1930
1
“袁文成” - Wrong surname attributed to Wan Boon Seng
Also Wan Eng Kiat the wrong surname 云英杰 was also used in some archives and references.
It is interesting to note that his Chinese surname has been translated wrongly as Yuan as early as 1961 by the famous Malay studies scholar Mei Jing 梅井, 4 years after Boon Seng passed away in 1957. Surname is also not correct here as in Claudine Salmon’s book Literary Migrations : Traditional Chinese Fiction in Asia
According to an obituary ppublished in Straits Times 24 Jun 1957 , pg 7, Wan Boon Seng passed away peacefully at 27, Lorong 104. Changl Road. Singapore and funeral took place on 25 Jun 1957.
Malaya Tribune, 9 March 1935, Page 10
Here we can see that Quek Ah Gek , the secondary wife of Wan Eng Kiat, was the mother of Wan Boon Lim and step mother of Wan Boon Seng
Wan Boon Lim was 23 years old on Jan 1937, which means he should be born sometime in 1913/1914
Note :
Because of 庻男 indicated on the wife Tok Nya Chik tomb, one would surmise that there is another wife besides Quek Ah Gek whose son was Wan Boon Lim. The English name of Wan Boon Hee and Wan Boon Seng tally in the 1884 tomb of Mrs Wan (Mdm Wee)
https://tombs.bukitbrown.org/2019/05/mother-of-wan.html
Here we can see that Quek Ah Gek , the secondary wife of Wan Eng Kiat, was the mother of Wan Boon Lim and step mother of Wan Boon Seng
Wan Boon Lim was 23 years old on Jan 1937, which means he should be born sometime in 1913/1914
Note :
Because of 庻男 indicated on the wife Tok Nya Chik tomb, one would surmise that there is another wife besides Quek Ah Gek whose son was Wan Boon Lim. The English name of Wan Boon Hee and Wan Boon Seng tally in the 1884 tomb of Mrs Wan (Mdm Wee)
https://tombs.bukitbrown.org/2019/05/mother-of-wan.html
References
Chinese Literary Works Translated into Baba Malay , Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Science, Vol 7, No 2 Dec 2002:1-23
Chinese Literary Works Translated into Baba Malay , Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Science, Vol 7, No 2 Dec 2002:1-23
Wan Eng Kiat
Early Life and Career
Born circa 1834 in Malacca, Wan Eng Kiat moved to Singapore in 1851 at the age of 17. He began his career as a watchmaker but later joined notable trading firms, including Messrs Martin Dyce & Co., and Messrs Puttfarcken & Co., where he worked as a storekeeper. He retired at 68, having accumulated significant wealth through shrewd investments in real estate.
At the time of his death on May 3, 1919, his property holdings were valued at half a million dollars, a substantial fortune for the era.
Family
Mdm Wee
Mdm Wee (黄氏) was Wan Eng Kiat’s wife who passed away early in 1884, as recorded on her tombstone, besides which honors her as a "diligent and virtuous wife." bear the inscription 皇清待贈壯年 “A woman in the prime of life during the Qing Dynasty, who passed away before receiving an official posthumous honor.”
She was the mother of:
Wan Boon Hee (文喜)
Wan Boon Teck (文德)
Wan Boon Seng (文生)
Tomb of Mdm Wee
Tomb of Mdm Wee, Wan Eng Kiat’s first wife (1884).
Tok Nya Chik
Tok Nya Chik (Toh Nya Chik) was another of Wan Eng Kiat’s wives. She passed away on July 14, 1926, at the age of 85. Her obituary, published in The Straits Times, highlighted her extended family, including her son Wan Boon Seng, several grandsons, grandsons-in-law, and great-grandchildren.
Her funeral was held on July 18, 1926, and she was buried at the Hokkien Cemetery next to Bukit Brown
Wan Boon Seng
Wan Boon Seng (文生/文成), the son of Wan Eng Kiat and Mdm Wee, was a businessman and publisher.
He was proprietor of the Romanised Malay newspaper Bintang Pranakan/Bintang Prankan.
The publisher’s address was 14 Upper Cross Street; first issue appeared in October 1930.
In a 14 Jan 1931 Malaya Tribune case (“Action under a Will”), he testified that the defendant, Quek Ah Gek, was his stepmother. Trustees named under Wan Eng Kiat’s will were Wee Kim Chuan and Koh Kong Lim (son of Koh Hoon Teck).
Burial Sites
Wan Eng Kiat: Hokkien Cemetery next to Bukit Brown
Mdm Wee: Bukit Brown Cemetery (1884)
Tok Nya Chik: buried next to Wan Eng Kiat