Cheang Jim Hean Family

Cheang Jim Hean and Khoo Ek Neo 

章任憲
邱益娘

光緒廿七年辛丑三月初一

民國五十年辛丑九月初七

章綢梅 Cheang Tew Muey

孫

清財 Cheng Chye

清萬 Cheng Ban

清安 Cheng Ann

女孫

清金 Cheng Kim

清雨 Cheng Hor

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

CHEANG JIM HEAN

DIED ON 1st APRIL 1901
AGE 28 YEARS
KHOO EK NEO

DIED ON 16 OCT 1961
AGE 87 YEARS

Cheang Jim Hean first wife Mdm Lim would have died sometime in 1895, and left him a newly born son Kah Boe and a young daughter Kim Siok.

光緒廿一年嵗次乙未八月

皇清誥授二品夫人林智慧

孝男

甲楙

女

金淑

祀立石

Mdm Lim died shortly after giving birth to Jim Hean only son Cheang Kah Boe

His second wife Khoo Ek Neo later give birth to a daughter Cheang Tew Muey.

Jim Hean himself died on 19 Apr 1901. He was only 28.

In early Feb 1907, when Kah Boe reached 12 years of age, his stepmother Khoo Ek Neo (Jim Hean second wife) had applied to court for an increase in maintenance allowance from $100 to $300 per month but the trustees of the estate (Jim Chuan and Jim Eng) had offered $150 in August, but the stepmother did not consider this sufficient.

The will of Jim Hean had provided $2000 for her and $2500 for her daughter Tew Muey, and the estate to Kah Boe.

During the case, the schedule of the monthly expenses was shown :

$60 for 2 teachers English and Chinese

$30 for clothing (considered too large by the judge)

$23 for pay of syce’s wage ($15 was the outside expenditure for a syce wage in Singapore, and no reason for employ of two syces, as there was only one horse)

She was already getting $199 a month from the rents of the property, in addition to the$100 previously granted by the court, and the trustees were willing to grant her another $50, making a total of $349, which was a ridiculous sum for the upkeep of such a child. The Lordship said that the stepmother was not entitled to apply the rents to the upkeep of the child, in addition to the sum given for that purpose, without authority of the trustees, but the latter should provide suitably for the education and care of the child. The case was adjourned for a week to allow production of other evidence.

Unfortunately it was during this adjournment that Kah Boe died.

光緒卅三年歳次丁未八月

章甲楙 Cheang Kah Boe 

承継男

清財

The rich infant Cheang Kah Boe who died before he could inherit his father’s fortune

On 26 Feb 1907, when the court resumed, it was informed that Cheang Kah Boe has died the previous Saturday ie 23 Feb 1907 after an illness of only 3 days.

Finally the estate was passed to the infant Cheang Tew Muey, Jim Hean’s daughter, with Khoo Ek Neo being the administrator of the estate.

In 1929, Mdm Khoo Ek Neo donated $2000 in memory of her husband, Chean Jim Hean to the Tras Street Chinese kindergarten, established in 1921,

filling the need in the education of Chinese children in Singapore.

Cheang Jim Hean and his wife Khoo Ek Neo

Khoo Ek Neo died on 16 Oct 1961, at an old age of 87 years old

Jim Hean remains have been transferred earlier from Cheang Hong Lim family burial ground in Alexandra Road,  and she prepared her tomb next to him.