Suffolk House, Penang

Last updated

Suffolk House
Suffolk House.JPG
Wider George Town location map.png
Red pog.svg
Location within George Town
General information
TypeResidence
Architectural style Georgian
Address250 Air Itam Road, George Town, Penang
Town or city George Town, Penang
Country Malaysia
Coordinates 5°24′39″N100°18′20″E / 5.410743°N 100.305464°E / 5.410743; 100.305464
Completed1809;215 years ago (1809)
Website
suffolkhouse.com.my

The Suffolk House refers to two early residences built on the same site located some four miles west of George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Located on the banks of the Air Itam ("Black Water") River, the earliest of the two buildings is notable for having served as the residence of Francis Light, the founder of the first British settlement on Penang. Following Light's death in 1794, and with Penang becoming the fourth presidency of India in 1805, a newer Suffolk House replaced the original house, assuming multiple roles before it was later neglected and subsequently restored.

Contents

History

Suffolk House in 1811 Penang Museum historical painting 476.jpg
Suffolk House in 1811

As Light's residence

The original Suffolk House served as Francis Light's residence and has been described as a simple Anglo-Indian Garden House style of timber and attap construction, built within his pepper estate called Suffolk. Light lived on the estate until his death in 1794.[ citation needed ]

Service to Colonial Britain

Entrance hall of Suffolk House. Cmglee Penang Suffolk House entrance.jpg
Entrance hall of Suffolk House.

On the purchase of the land from Light's estate in 1805, William Edward Phillips began the works of a Georgian-styled mansion called Suffolk Park. At the time of the mansion's construction, he was not the governor of the island, but later became the governor. Penang at the time, barely had 120 European residents, many of whom were trades people and merchants.

The mansion subsequently served as the residence of several more early governors for less than a quarter century, including William Edward Phillips' father-in-law, Governor Bannerman, amongst other Governors of Penang and the Governors of the Straits Settlements. The mansion also served as a venue for social and official functions.

During the 1810s and 1820s, the mansion was a Government House that assumed the role as a meeting place for critical political discussions, including, discussions with Stamford Raffles regarding the founding of Singapore.

Service to the Methodist Boys' School

Suffolk House viewed from the northwest. The annexe is visible in the background. Cmglee Penang Suffolk House northwest.jpg
Suffolk House viewed from the northwest. The annexe is visible in the background.

The mansion remained in use as a governor's residence until the completion of The Residency in 1890, after which it was relegated to general government functions before being sold to Lim Cheng Teik. In 1928, Lim sold the building and land to Reverend P.L. Peach of the Methodist Church of Malaya for $40,000 (Straits Settlement dollars) for the purpose of housing the Anglo-Chinese High School, later to become the local Methodist Boys' School. A smaller school building containing 12 classrooms was built near the original north porch of the mansion in 1955. In 1956, the Methodist Church submitted plans to have Suffolk House demolished and to have new school buildings built over it. The President of the Municipal Council, John Sjovald Hoseasom Cunnyngham-Brown, persuaded the school to retain the mansion but build on the rest of the land. The main school building and another wing was completed later in 1956.

The building assumed various roles through its 46 years of ownership by the Methodist Church. In 1931, Standard Six students were transferred into the building, before the entire Primary School (Standards 1–6) eventually moved into it in 1945. World War II saw the building temporarily occupied by the Japanese administration. A dental clinic was added into the building in 1953, and it also served as the Old Tuckshop (school canteen) until 1975. The building's rapid deterioration had been noted since the 1950s, and in 1975, the building was declared unsafe and vacated. Between then and its restoration in the 2000s, the building's roof and upper floor had collapsed.

Restoration

View of the modern annexe of Suffolk House with the Methodist Boys' School in the background. Cmglee Penang Suffolk House annexe.jpg
View of the modern annexe of Suffolk House with the Methodist Boys' School in the background.

Campaigning to restore the mansion has existed since 1961. Through the years, various efforts to restore the house were hampered by complications, including problematic land transfers and waning interest. In 1993, the Penang Heritage Trust conducted structural studies and stabilisation works on the buildings with assistance from the SACON Heritage Unit, an organisation based in South Australia (Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, was surveyed and laid out by Francis Light's son, William Light). The Suffolk House Committee was also formed by the Penang state government.

In 2000, the Methodist Boys' School was given a neighbouring plot of land from the state government in exchange for the land on which Suffolk House stood. Restoration work began in November 2000, but funds by the state government were only sufficient to provide stabilisation steel work, repair the central jack roof timbers over the ball room and retile the pitched jack roof. From 2004 onwards, rehabilitation work were aided by further state funding and donations from HSBC (of RM 2.5 million) and various parties. An estimated RM 5 million was needed to restore and refit the mansion.

Reopening to the public

A tour group viewing the restaurant at the restored Suffolk House. Cmglee Penang Suffolk House restaurant tour.jpg
A tour group viewing the restaurant at the restored Suffolk House.

After years of anticipation, Suffolk House finally opened its doors to the public in 2009. The house is managed by the YKH Group of Restaurant under the supervision of Badan Warisan Malaysia, a non-government organisation, which is concerned with the conservation and preservation of Malaysia's built heritage.

The house and garden are open for public walkabout daily and guided tours are on offer.

Dispute over construction and ownership

First-floor colonnade terrace at Suffolk House with modern netting installed. Cmglee Penang Suffolk House terrace.jpg
First-floor colonnade terrace at Suffolk House with modern netting installed.

The first owners of the Suffolk House remains has been disputed, as to whether the present house was built for Light or Phillips. Light's will indicates that he bequeathed his common-law wife, Martina Rozells, "...the pepper gardens with my garden house, plantations and all the land by me cleared in that part of this island called Suffolk...", which does not provide proof that his house resembled in any way the current Suffolk House.[ citation needed ]

Historian F. G. Stevens, one of the main authorities on the early development of Penang, pointed out in a 1929 article "A Contribution to the Early History of Prince of Wales Island" that the road leading to the house from Air Itam Road was only "lined out but not made" in 1807, discounting the possibility that the house could have been built before then.[ citation needed ]

Australian historian Marcus Langdon believes that Suffolk House was built by Phillips, who was also the owner of Strawberry Hill, on Penang Hill, and not David Brown. [1]

Architecture

Cutaway model of Suffolk House. Cmglee Penang Suffolk House model.jpg
Cutaway model of Suffolk House.

The original house was simply a humble timber-and-attap garden house, fashioned in a simple Anglo-Indian Garden House style formerly common in British India. The current Suffolk House is a detached double-storey building of Euro-Indian Georgian styling.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Light</span> Founder of the British colony on Penang in 1786

Captain Francis Light was a British explorer and the founder of the British colony of Penang and its capital city of George Town in 1786. Light and his lifelong partner, Martina Rozells, were the parents of William Light, who founded the city of Adelaide in South Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion</span> Boutique hotel in Penang, Malaysia

The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is a government gazetted heritage building located on Leith Street in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The mansion's external decorations and indigo-blue outer walls make it a very distinctive building, and it is sometimes referred to as The Blue Mansion. Built by the merchant Cheong Fatt Tze at the end of the 19th century, the mansion has 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 vernacular timber louvre windows. It served as Cheong's private residence as well as the seat of his business activities in Penang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penang Hill</span> Resort in Penang Island

Penang Hill is a hill resort comprising a group of peaks near the center of Penang Island, Malaysia. It is located within the Air Itam suburb, 9 km (5.6 mi) west of the center of George Town. Penang Hill is also known by the Malay name Bukit Bendera, which actually refers to Flagstaff Hill, the most developed peak. One of the peaks is known as Strawberry Hill, which was also the name of a house owned by Francis Light, founder of Penang colony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government House, Brisbane</span> Building

Government House is a heritage-listed mansion at 170 Fernberg Road, Paddington, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the official residence of the governor of Queensland, the representative of the Australian monarch in Queensland. It was originally designed by Benjamin Backhouse and built 1865, but has been subsequently extended and refurbished. It is also known as Fernberg. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Xavier's Institution</span> Co-educational secondary school in George Town, Penang, Malaysia

St. Xavier's Institution, at Farquhar Street in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, is the oldest Lasallian school in Southeast Asia and one of the Catholic Lasallian schools in Malaysia. While it has a history dating back to 1787, the present-day institution, named after St. Francis Xavier, was only established in 1852.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carcosa Seri Negara</span> Residence in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Carcosa Seri Negara is a residence located on two adjacent hills inside the Perdana Botanical Gardens, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Originally built as the official residence and guest house of the British High Commissioner in Malaya, it is now owned by the Government of Malaysia. The name is a composite of the two colonial mansions located on the compound: the residence, named Carcosa, and the guest house, now named Seri Negara (1913).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methodist Boys' School, Penang</span> All-boys secondary school in George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Methodist Boys' School is an all-boys secondary school in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. It is one of the two secondary schools in George Town that were established by Methodists, the other being Methodist Girls' School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penang State Assembly Building</span> Legislative assembly of Penang

The Penang State Assembly Building is the home of the Penang State Legislative Assembly. It is located at Light Street in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia, within the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site. All State Legislative Assembly proceedings are held within the building

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Penang</span>

The architecture of Penang reflects the 171 years of British presence on the island, coalescing with local, Chinese, Indian, Islamic and other elements to create a unique and distinctive brand of architecture. Along with Malacca, Penang is an architectural gem of Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Unlike Singapore, also a Straits Settlement, where many heritage buildings had to make way for modern skyscrapers and high-rise apartments due to rapid development and acute land scarcity, Penang's architectural heritage has enjoyed a better fate. Penang has one of the largest collections of pre-war buildings in Southeast Asia. This is for the most part due to the Rent Control Act which froze house rental prices for decades, making redevelopment unprofitable. With the repeal of this act in 2000 however, property prices skyrocketed and development has begun to encroach upon these buildings, many of which are in a regrettable state of disrepair. The government in recent years has allocated more funding to finance the restoration of a number of derelict heritage buildings, most notably Suffolk House, City Hall and historic buildings in the old commercial district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayer Itam</span> Suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia

Ayer Itam is a suburb of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Nested within the central valleys of Penang Island, it is located approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) southwest of the city centre. The suburb is home to Kek Lok Si, touted as the largest Buddhist temple in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. George's Church, Penang</span> Church in Penang, Malaysia

St. George's Church is a 19th-century Anglican church within George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. The oldest purpose-built Anglican church in Southeast Asia, it was elevated by to the status of pro-cathedral in 2023. The church lies within the jurisdiction of the Upper North Archedeaconry of the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Residency, Penang</span> Official residence in Penang, Malaysia

The Residency is the official residence of Penang's head of state, the governor of Penang. Located in the state's capital city of George Town, it was built by the British in 1888 and the mansion used to serve as the official residence of the highest-ranking British officer in Penang until Malayan independence in 1957.

Cheah Tek Soon was a 19th-century Penang businessman, and headman of the Hokkien in Penang, after whom Tek Soon Street was named. He was an active member of the Penang community and the bandstand that was erected near the Town Hall before the Japanese Occupation was his gift to the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Caunter</span> British colonial administrator

George Caunter was a British administrator who governed Prince of Wales Island as Acting Superintendent from 1797 to 1798 and again from 1798 to 1800. As First Assistant under Lieutenant-Governor Leith he negotiated the treaty that brought Province Wellesley under British sovereignty in 1800 and that provided, in British eyes, an unequivocal basis for British sovereignty over Penang Island. At various times Caunter further held the offices of marine storekeeper, master attendant, Chief Magistrate, Treasurer and Chaplain in Penang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penang Botanic Gardens</span> Botanical garden in George Town, Penang, Malaysia

The Penang Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Situated at Jalan Air Terjun, it is also colloquially known as the Waterfall Gardens because of the cascading waterfall nearby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach Street, George Town</span> Road in George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Beach Street is a major thoroughfare in George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Part of the city's central business district, it is also one of the oldest streets in Penang, having been created soon after the founding of the state by Captain Francis Light in 1786.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light Street, George Town</span>

Light Street is the oldest road in the city of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. It was named after the founder of Penang, Captain Francis Light. As the epicentre of George Town, the street was created soon after Light established the settlement in 1786 and has been serving as a major thoroughfare within the city centre ever since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farquhar Street, George Town</span>

Farquhar Street is a major thoroughfare in the city of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Created in the late 18th century, the road forms part of the city centre's civic precinct, and is notable for the colonial buildings built under British rule. These include some of the most significant civic, religious, and commercial buildings of Penang, such as Penang High Court, Penang State Museum and Art Gallery, St. George's Church, Church of the Assumption, and Eastern & Oriental Hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seri Teratai</span> Official residence in Penang, Malaysia

The Seri Teratai is the official residence of Penang's head of government, the Chief Minister of Penang. It is located in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. The colonial-era double storey mansion was constructed in the early 20th century.

References

  1. "The light of his life Francis Light's contributions are fondly remembered but not those of his wife". Star Online. Article quotes Clodd (1948) and historians Ooi Kee Beng and Marcus Langdon. 6 April 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)