William Farquhar correspondence and other Malay letters, 1812-1832

Biographical Note

William Farquhar (1774-1839) was born in Scotland. In 1791, Farquhar joined the Madras Military Establishment in British India as a cadet at the age of 17. He arrived in Melaka in 1795 and went on to serve as the British Resident of that port city from 1813-1818. After more than two decades in Melaka—during which Farquhar forged close relationships with influential Malay leaders and local society—Farquhar was appointed Resident of Singapore. He held this post from 1819 to 1823, and was instrumental in leveraging his relationships with Malay rulers for the success of the East India Company’s enterprise in Singapore.