Restoring a Century-Old Document: The Will of Cheang Hong Lim
What can a 100-year-old document tell us about Singapore in the early 20th century? Senior Librarian Gracie Lee pieces together the story behind an extraordinary donation to the National Library.
In March 2021, the National Library was contacted by Gavin Koh, the great-great-grandson of Singaporean pioneer Cheang Hong Lim, who expressed his family’s intention to donate the will of Cheang Hong Lim, along with other legal and financial documents relating to the Cheang family estate spanning three generations. This generous donation presented us with the extraordinary opportunity and responsibility to restore and preserve this significant collection of historical documents on one of Singapore’s most prominent families during the turn of the 20th century, and to ensure their accessibility to a wider audience.
Cheang Hong Lim — A Singaporean Pioneer
Source: One Hundred Years’ History of the Chinese in Singapore (1923), plate facing page 168
Cheang Hong Lim (1841–1893) is a well-known figure to most and best remembered for gifting Hong Lim Park in 1876, which now serves as the venue of Speaker’s Corner. Cheang was a successful businessman who amassed his wealth in spirits and opium farming,¹ as well as real estate. His philanthropic endeavours — including contributions to education, fire and disaster relief, temple construction, and the protection of women and children — earned him recognition as the leader of the Hokkien community by the colonial administration in 1891. Today, reminders of his legacy are imprinted in Singapore through place names such as Hong Lim Market, Cheang Hong Lim Place and Cheang Wan Seng Place.
Provenance and Scope of Collection
The donation was made in the name of the “Family of Cheang Theam Kee”. Cheang Theam Kee (1906–1992) was the grandson of Cheang Hong Lim. The collection encompasses probate documents concerning the estate of Cheang Hong Lim, a copy of the will of Cheang Sam Teo (1805–1862), the father of Cheang Hong Lim and the first of the Cheangs from China to settle in Singapore, as well as legal and financial documents on the estate of Cheang Jim Chuan (1873–1940), the second son of Cheang Hong Lim, and his wife Chan Kim Hong Neo (1875–1934).
The chain of custody of the documents is as follows: Cheang Hong Lim > Cheang Jim Chuan > Cheang Theam Kee > Cheang Siew Lian Neo. Gavin Koh is the nephew of Cheang Siew Lian Neo.
During our visit to the family home, the donor explained that the reason these documents had survived in the family all this time was due in part to the complexities around the division of Cheang Hong Lim’s vast estate, which necessitated repeated visits to court until as late as 1970.
Below is a simplified chart depicting the relationship between the various generations and family members connected to the provenance and scope of this collection.
Conservation and Access
Upon receiving the collection, our immediate concern was the condition of Cheang Hong Lim’s will. The paper had become extremely brittle as a natural consequence of the ageing process, resulting in cracks, tears, disintegration along fold lines, and some paper losses. The remaining items in the collection exhibited varying degrees of damage, with many documents being folded and requiring flattening. Additionally, rust stains and embrittlement were also observed in areas where paper clips had been used to hold the pages together.
As a start, the collection underwent anoxic fumigation² to eliminate any possible pest infestation. Subsequently, the documents were cleaned to remove surface dirt, and rusty paper clips and staples were carefully removed. They were then flattened using weights, placed inside archival-grade polyester pockets, and finally housed into protective boxes.
The will of Cheang Hong Lim presented several challenges during the restoration process. The fragile nature of the paper required extra care during handling. Furthermore, the will was written on both sides and ha suffered text losses, making the reconstruction of the fragmented pieces akin to solving a complex jigsaw puzzle. Fortunately, a typewritten transcript was available to aid the process. A friability or fugitivity test³ was also conducted to ensure that the ink would not bleed when exposed to moisture. Subsequently, paper repairs and infills were carried out with conservation repair tissue and museum-grade adhesive.
Upon completion of the conservation works, the materials were sent for digitisation to facilitate broader public access. The digital surrogates are accessible from the library’s digital portal NL Online. To locate them, simply enter “Family of Cheang Theam Kee” in the search box. The results page will display 35 items under “Documents and Manuscripts”.
Three Documents of Interest
Last Will of Cheang Sam Teo, 6 March 1862
I was intrigued to find an office copy⁴ of Chang Sam Teo, signed by the court registrar, and stamped with the seal of the Supreme Court of the Straits Settlements. In Song Ong Siang’s canonical work, One Hundred Years’ History of the Chinese in Singapore, he touched on the controversy surrounding the authenticity of the will. In 1872, Cheang Hong Guan, the younger brother of Cheang Hong Lim and co-executor of the estate brought a charge against Cheang Hong Lim and others, alleging that the signature on the will was forged. The ensuing trial, which spanned five days, concluded with the court finding no wrongdoing. In celebration of his acquittal, the Chinese community hosted a large banquet in honor of Cheang Hong Lim.
Estate of Cheang Hong Lim: Last Will and Testament, and Triple Probate, 1891–1899
This handwritten court transcript of Cheang Hong Lim’s will forms part of the grant of probate to Cheang Jim Chuan when he came of age. A notable aspect of the will were the provisions that Cheang had made for his daughters. He specified that they should be allocated a share of the trust fund that would generate an income for their use, free from the control of their husbands. This gesture granted them a level of financial autonomy rarely afforded to married women in patriarchal societies then.
Additionally, Cheang appointed his eldest child and daughter, Cheang Cheow Lean Neo, as one of the executors of his will and the guardian to her younger siblings, Jim Hean and Jim Chuan (who were also named as co-executors), until they reached 21. This move appears to have been quite unusual for its time as it prompted Song Ong Siang to remark in his book that it was a rare instance in which a woman was entrusted with the administration of a Chinese gentleman’s estate.
Cheang Cheow Lean Neo’s husband was Lim Kwee Eng, the manager and attorney for Cheang Hong Lim’s business. Being a trusted employee and son-in-law, Lim would have been familiar with Cheang’s business affairs, which could have also influenced the decision to appoint his daughter as one of the executors. It is important to note that in England, from which the Singapore inherited its common law, married women were limited in their ability to own property and to sue until 1882 when the Married Women’s Property Act (45 & 46 Vict c 75) came into force in England on 1 January 1883.
Estate of Chan Kim Hong Neo: Grant of Probate no. 92 of 1934, and Last Will and Testament; Documents Relating to the Execution of the Estate of Chan Kim Hong Neo 1934–1936
The documents of Chan Kim Hong Neo form a substantial part of the collection. Often referred to as Mrs Cheang Jim Chuan in historical newspapers, it is evident from the documents that she was a woman of independent means and considerable wealth. The probate documents recorded shares and loan certificates, some 20 properties and a list of jewellery that would have made any Peranakan matriarch proud. Her will was also one of the few women’s wills that I have come across in the course of my work. It was an interesting read, notably for the more equitable distribution of the estate between sons and daughters.
The history of the Cheang family is rich and extensive. By preserving the past for the future, we hope it will spur more people to uncover the stories within this invaluable collection.
The writer wishes to thank the descendants of the Cheang family, Mr Gavin Koh and Professor Walter Woon, as well as conservator Mr Alex Teoh for their inputs on this article.
- There are variant spellings for some names, for example, Cheang Sam Teo is also spelled as Cheang Sam Tio, Cheang Cheow Lean Neo as Cheang Cheow Lian Neo, and Lim Kwee Eng as Lim Quee Eng.
Gracie Lee is a Senior Librarian with the National Library, Singapore. She enjoys uncovering and sharing the stories behind Singapore’s printed heritage.
[1] Farming here refers to revenue farming where the government grants a private operator the monopoly over the distribution and sale of certain goods such as opium or liquor. These concessions are typically awarded through competitive bidding.
[2] Anoxic fumigation is a non-toxic pest control method that involves placing materials in an oxygen-deprived environment for a set period of time. This process typically occurs in a sealed chamber or bubble enclosure where nitrogen is introduced to displace air, creating an extremely low-oxygen atmosphere. The lack of oxygen effectively eliminates pests without using harmful chemicals.
[3] A friability or fugitivity test evaluates ink stability during aqueous treatment. The assessment determines if ink runs or bleeds when exposed to moisture. The primary method, spot testing, involves applying a small amount of water to a localised area of the ink being examined.
[4] An office copy refers to “an authenticated or certified copy of an official or legal record”. Source: Merriam-Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/office%20copy
