Singapore, Malacca and Penang were united to form the Presidency of the Straits Settlements in 1826, with Penang Governor Robert Fullerton appointed as its first governor.[1] The presidency was abolished in 1830 as part of an administrative reform introduced by Lord William Bentinck, then the governor-general of India. The Straits Settlements subsequently became a residency that was dependent on the Presidency of Bengal, which was under Bentinck’s charge.[2] The seat of government shifted from Penang to Singapore in 1832 as the latter was considered "the most important of the three settlements."[3] Fullerton’s recommendation to make Malacca the administrative centre of the Straits Settlements had been rejected by Bentinck, who “chose Singapore because of its increasing importance and its proximity to Java and the Archipelago.”[4]
References
1. Turnbull, C. M. (1972). The Straits Settlements, 1826–1867: Indian presidency to crown colony (p. 54). London: Athlone Press. Call no.: RSING 959.57 TUR-[HIS].
2. Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. St. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (pp. 21–22). Singapore: Oxford University Press. Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE-[HIS]; Jarman, J. L. (Ed). (1998). Annual reports of the Straits Settlements 1855–1941 (Vol 1: 1855–1867, pp. 3–4). Slough, UK: Archive Editions. Call no.: RSING English 959.51 STR.
3. Buckley, C. B. (1984). An anecdotal history of old times in Singapore 1819–1867 (p. 226). Singapore: Oxford University Press. Call no.: RSING 959.57 BUC-[HIS]; Makepeace, Brooke & Braddell, 1991, p. 22.
4. Cowan, C. D. (1950, March). Early Penang & the rise of Singapore 1805–1932. Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. 23, no.2 (152), 18. Retrieved August 22, 2013, from JSTOR.
The information in this article is valid as at 2014 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.