Thomas Shelford

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Thomas Shelford (23 November 1839 - 12 January 1900) was a merchant and a member of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements and the Municipal Commission of Singapore.

Contents

Early life

Shelford was born in Cosford, West Suffolk on 23 November 1839. [1]

Career

He came to Singapore in 1863 or 1864 due to his poor health. He was then employed at Paterson, Simons & Co. as a junior assistant, and eventually became a partner of the firm. [1] [2] In 1867, he became a member of the Board of Trustees of Raffles Institution. [3]

In June 1872, he was made an unofficial member of the Legislative Council of Singapore, and served on the council for around 25 years. [1] [2] In 1887, Shelford, Charles Burton Buckley and John Cuthbertson contributed funds to convert The Singapore Free Press from a weekly publication to a daily publication. [1] He was a member of the Municipal Commission of Singapore, and retired from the commission in December 1893. [4]

In 1892, he was conferred the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George. [5] In 1895, he was nominated a Municipal Commission of Singapore representing Rochor Ward. [6] He was also on the board of trustees of the Raffles Library and Museum. [1]

Personal life and death

Shelford married twice and had several children, [1] including Robert Shelford, William Heard Shelford and Thomas L. Shelford. [7] [8] [9] In 1897, he and his family returned to England as his second wife and his children could not adapt to life in Singapore. [1]

He died of Influenza at his residence in Guildford on 12 January 1900. [2] A full-length portrait of him was unveiled at Singapore City Hall on 10 June 1901. [10] Shelford Road was named after him in 1941. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Tan, Bonny. "Thomas Shelford". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board . Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "THE LATE MR. SHELFORD". The Straits Times . Singapore. 13 January 1900. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "MR. THOMAS SHELFORD, c.m.g." The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly) . Singapore. 15 January 1900. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "The Municipal Elections". The Straits Times Weekly Issue . Singapore. 14 November 1893. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  5. ↑ "The Hon'ble T. Sheflord, c.m.g. (May 26th)". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly) . Singapore. 31 May 1892. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  6. ↑ "THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser . Singapore. 26 November 1895. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  7. ↑ "LATE MR. R. SHELFORD". The Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. Singapore. 26 July 1912. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  8. ↑ "ONE OF S.S. "COMMERCIAL GIANTS" PASSES". The Straits Budget . Singapore. 10 June 1937. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  9. ↑ "THE LATE CAPT. T.L. SHELFORD. R.N." The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser . Singapore. 19 June 1915. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  10. ↑ "Memorial Portrait of the late Mr. Shelford". The Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. Singapore. 15 June 1901. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
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