Nadia Wright
Travellers visiting the bustling city-state of Singapore may
not be aware of the great impact made by the Armenians who form one of its
smallest minorities. Between 1820 and 2000, fewer than 700 Armenians ever lived
in Singapore. Although most were transient, with a mere 12 families residing
for three generations, they have left a legacy incommensurate with their
numbers. Along with the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator, the oldest
existing church in Singapore and its parsonage, there are other reminders of
the Armenian presence. These include Raffles Hotel, the Straits Times
newspaper, and Singapore’s national flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim.
(Members of the Armenian community of Singapore in 1917)
As in most cities where Armenians settled, there is an
Armenian Street. In Singapore, this short street gained its name because it
bordered the back of the church property. Three other streets attest to the
Armenian presence: Sarkies Road, named after property owner Regina Sarkies;
Galistan Avenue, which recognizes the work of Emile Galistan of the Singapore
Improvement Trust; and St. Martin’s Drive, which commemorates the philanthropic
Martin family who once owned a mansion and substantial property along Orchard
Road. Stamford House, built by the firm of Stephens Paul in 1904, still stands
offering insights into Edwardian architecture.
Armenians in Singapore in 1960
So, when and why did Armenians arrive in Singapore and what
They were descendants of Armenians from Persia, in
particular those deported from Julfa to Isfahan by Shah Abbas in the early
1600’s. In later years some of those Armenians migrated to India, the Dutch
East Indies, Burma, Malacca, Penang, and lastly to Singapore, thus forming an
extensive trading diaspora. Armenians in Singapore in 1960)
To better assimilate, most Persian Armenians
Anglicized their names; thus some surnames are not recognizable as Armenian.
For example, Mardirian became Martin, Stepanian became Stephens, and Yedgarian
became Edgar.
The tombstone of Sarkies A. Sarkies who passed away in 1849
In 1820, one year after the British opened a trading post in
Singapore, the first Armenians, the apparently unrelated Aristarkies Sarkies
and Sarkies A. Sarkies, arrived from Malacca. They were soon joined by Carapiet
Phannous, Mackertich Moses, the Seth brothers, and the Zechariah brothers. All
were traders or commercial agents. By 1824, there were 16 Armenians out of a
population surpassing 10,000. More arrivals trickled in hoping to make their fortunes
in the new duty-free port. (
Before long, the Armenians wanted their own priest rather
than relying on visits from the priest in Penang. In 1825, Isiah Zechariah, on
behalf of the community, wrote to the archbishop in New Julfa asking that a
priest be sent to Singapore, and in 1827 Reverend Gregory Ter Johannes duly
arrived. The next step was for the Armenians to have their own church. Having
been granted land by the governor, the community, which was basically comprised
of 10 families, raised most of the construction costs. In 1836, the Armenian
Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator was consecrated, and for the
ensuing century met the needs of the growing community.
Between 1820 and 1983, Armenians in Singapore operated more
than 85 commercial enterprises. Most set up as traders, specializing in
importing textiles and exporting regional produce. Such firms included Andreas
& Company, Edgar & Company, Demetrius & Company, Arathoon Brothers,
and Chater & Company. The Calcutta-based Armenian shipping line Apcar
Brothers was patronized by the Armenians, and was also the main carrier of the
then-legal opium into Singapore from the 1860’s until the 1880’s.
Some firms petered out after a short time, whereas Sarkies
and Moses, founded in 1840, lasted until 1913. Others developed into
multinational import and export firms, including Edgar Brothers (1912-68),
Stephens, Paul, and Company (1896-1941), and A. C. Galstaun (1957-83).
George Michael ran Singapore’s leading photographic studio
until 1919
A few individuals owned law firms, restaurants,
watch-making, and
The hospitality industry attracted many Armenians, their
ventures ranging from small boarding houses to the grandest of hotels: Raffles
Hotel. This future icon was the initiative of Tigran and Martin Sarkies, who
were already running two successful hotels in Penang: the Eastern Hotel and the
Oriental. Propitiously, they named their hotel after Sir Stamford Raffles,
Singapore’s founder, whose statue had recently been unveiled amidst much pomp and
splendor.
An advertisement for Raffles Hotel
Opened in December 1887 and managed by Tigran, Raffles Hotel
quickly established a reputation for its dining innovations. Its fame escalated
after its magnificent new Renaissance-style block was opened in 1899. The
grandest balls and banquets were hosted at Raffles, and guests included royalty
and celebrities such as Somerset Maugham and Noel Coward.
Managed by Tigran for nearly 20 years, then his younger
brother Aviet for another 10, the hotel reached its halcyon days in the 1920’s
under managing proprietor Martyrose Arathoon.
Advertisement for Hotel de l’Europe
For a short time at the turn of the 20th century, the three
major hotels in Singapore were managed or owned by Armenians. Competing with
Raffles was the Adelphi Hotel run by Johannes and Sarkies, while even the
exclusive Europe Hotel was being managed by Joe Constantine. (Advertisement for Hotel de l’Europe) Before that, there had been a series of Armenian hoteliers operating smaller
hotels, including Moses’ Pavilion and Bowling Alley, St. Valentine’s Bath
Hotel, and Goodwood Hall and the Sea View Hotel, which was finally acquired by
the Sarkies brothers. The Oranje Hotel, in today’s Stamford House, which was
run in the 1950’s by Klara van Hien, was the last of the Armenian hotels.
Some of the pioneering merchants built or acquired
magnificent houses, and played a significant role in the educational, economic,
civic, and social life of the colony. They served on various committees
including the first Chamber of Commerce, which met in 1837. In 1895, two out of
the eight elected municipal commissioners were Armenian: a very high ratio for
such a small community.
A notable individual was prominent lawyer Joaquim P. Joaquim
(Hovakimian) who served as president of the Municipal Commission, a member of
the Legislative Council, and was appointed deputy U.S. consul in 1893. Another
prominent figure was George G. Seth, who rose to become solicitor-general of
the Straits Settlements in the 1920’s and later served as acting
attorney-general.
Agnes (Ashkhen) Joaquim
One Armenian who received posthumous fame was Agnes
The Armenians were very loyal to Britain; Hoseb Arathoon,
for example, donated an aeroplane to the British War Office in 1915, and young
men volunteered for both World Wars. The community was also acutely aware of
the suffering of their brethren in Turkey and raised large amounts of money for
the victims of the massacres of the 1890’s and later the genocide.
Although the community was too small to run its own school,
an Armenian newspaper was printed for a short time. Gregory Galastaun published
“Usumnaser” (“The Scholar”) from 1849 until 1853, with his friend Peter Seth
creating an exquisite etching of Singapore for the masthead.
Gregory Galastaun published ‘Usumnaser’ (‘The Scholar’) from
1849 until 1853, with his friend Peter Seth creating an exquisite etching of
Singapore for the masthead.
In 1845, Catchick Moses established the ‘Straits Times’
newspaper
In 1845, Catchick Moses had established the “Straits Times”
newspaper, which today is the leading newspaper of Southeast Asia. Moses had
acquired the printing press to help out his beleaguered compatriot, Martyrose
Apcar, but soon sold the newspaper to the paper’s editor, Robert Woods. (
‘Armenian numbers peaked at just over 100 in the 1920’s. A
branch of the AGBU was up and running, Raffles Hotel was in full swing, and the
trading firms were busy and all employed young Armenian men often from other
Armenian communities. However, this was the calm before the storm. First came
the Depression, which adversely affected the trading companies in particular;
then in 1938, the last resident priest returned to New
Julfa; and in 1942 Singapore fell to the Japanese. The
Armenians suffered diverse fates: Some women and children escaped to Australia,
while their menfolk enlisted. Civilians who were British subjects were interned,
while those who were classified as Persians were not. Death struck both
soldiers and civilians.
After the war, a new Singapore emerged: one in which
Armenians faced limited prospects. The few Armenian firms included Edgar
Brothers and Arathoon Sons, and A. C. Galstaun, which was the last of the
Persian-Armenian firms. Gradually the families migrated mainly to Australia,
the U.S., or Britain.
By the 1970’s the community had virtually disappeared; only
a handful of the old families who still spoke Armenian remained. The very
smallness of the community, which had helped it to integrate, also helped cause
its demise: It was demographically unviable. Intermarriage and the consequent
assimilation into a larger culture, death, and emigration had taken their toll.
In 2007, Helen Metes, the last of Singapore’s Persian Armenians, died.
But not the Armenian community of Singapore. This has been
revitalized by the recent migration of Armenian entrepreneurs from Armenia and
Russia. Along with other expatriates they are creating a new, vibrant, and
growing young community, building on the past to secure a sound future for
Armenians in Singapore.
Armenian Street, Singapore, 1890
Armenian Street today
URL to article:
http://armenianweekly.com/2015/01/06/armenians-of-singapore/
About Nadia Wright
Nadia Wright, whose mother was Varsnik Deukmedjian, was born
and raised in New Zealand, and later settled in Australia with her husband.
When he was posted to Singapore, she began researching its Armenian community,
which led to her book Respected Citizens: the History of Armenians in Singapore
and Malaysia, and a subsequent book on the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid. After
retiring from teaching, Nadia completed a Ph.D. and is currently engaged in
further historical research and writing.
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