How Did Raffles and Crawfurd Shape Singapore, and Who Really Founded It?

Raffles returned to Singapore in 1822, dismissed Farquhar, banned gambling, set up cash-crop gardens and, with Lieutenant Philip Jackson, drew up the Town Plan so the town could grow in an orderly way. Dr John Crawfurd, the second Resident, secured the whole island in 1824 and kept the settlement running. These notes weigh what each man contributed and ask who really founded Singapore.

Raffles, the Planner

An old town map of Singapore showing streets and areas along the river and coast — The Jackson Plan, Singapore's town plan of 1822. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Only three visits: Raffles was based in Bencoolen from 1818 to 1824 and spent less than a year in Singapore in total, leaving Farquhar to shape its early growth.
Farquhar dismissed: on his last visit, from October 1822 to June 1823, he was unhappy with how the island had been developed and dismissed Farquhar.
Banning gambling: he shut down the gambling dens, because he felt gambling harmed people; he had banned it in Bencoolen too.
Cash-crop gardens: he set up a garden on Government Hill to grow , crops grown to sell, such as cloves and nutmeg.

How Did Raffles and Crawfurd Shape Singapore, and Who Really Founded It?

Raffles' Town Plan

PointRaffles helped to develop Singapore by drawing up the Town Plan.
EvidenceIn 1822, with Lieutenant Philip Jackson, he gave each area a purpose: on the south bank of the river for trading; Chinatown for the Chinese, split by dialect group; for the Indian traders; a for government buildings only; European Town for European traders; and for the Malays, Bugis and Arabs, where Sultan Hussein lived.
ElaborationGiving each community and activity its own area meant that, as more people arrived, the town could grow without disorder, with trade kept in one centre and government in another.
LinkHence, the Town Plan shaped Singapore's orderly growth, a key reason why Raffles is often called its founder.

Crawfurd, the Forgotten One

Portrait of Dr John Crawfurd, an older man in a dark coat — Dr John Crawfurd, the second Resident. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Second Resident: Raffles appointed Dr John Crawfurd in 1823.
Securing the whole island: he played a key role in the Treaty of Friendship and Alliance of 1824, which put all of Singapore under British control.
Keeping the town running: he kept going and brought back the gambling and opium licences to pay for the settlement.
Firsts: Singapore's first newspaper and street lighting came while he was Resident; Crawford Street and Crawford Park are named after him, though spelt differently.

Who Founded Singapore?

The case for Raffles: it was his idea, his 1819 treaty and his Town Plan.
The case for Farquhar: he was on the ground from 1819, defending the settlement and building it up from nothing.
The case for Crawfurd: he secured the whole island in 1824 and ran the town, yet he is the least remembered of the three.
It depends: the answer depends on what "founding" means; planning, building up and securing the island were all needed, and historians can disagree as long as they back up their answer with evidence.

In One Sentence

Raffles planned the town, Farquhar built it up and Crawfurd secured the whole island, so each contributed to founding Singapore and who deserves the title depends on what you count.

Think About It

Raffles visited Singapore only three times. Can someone found a place they spent so little time in? Explain.
Why do you think the Town Plan gave each community its own area? What might be good and bad about that?
Who do you think deserves the most credit for founding Singapore? Give two pieces of evidence.