Song Hoot Kiam

Song Hoot Kiam (Chinese: 宋佛儉; 1830–1900) was a Singaporean community leader.

Song Hoot Kiam
Born1830
Malacca,  Straits Settlements, British Malaya
Died7 November 1900
Singapore,  Straits Settlements, British Malaya
Children14, including Song Ong Siang
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese宋佛儉
Simplified Chinese宋佛俭
Hanyu PinyinSòng Fójiǎn
Hokkien POJSòng Hu̍t-khiǎm

Early life

Song was born 1830 in Malacca, British Malaya.[1] His father was Song Eng Chong.[2] He attended an English educational institution, after following Christian missionary James Legge to England, alongside two of his Malaysian peers.[1] He also studied at Hong Kong's Anglo-Chinese College, taking up the Cantonese language as a subject.[3] He was a choir member at the Strait Chinese Church.[4]

Career

After arriving back in Singapore, Song worked as a teacher for a short period of time,[5] before working as a cashier for much of his lifetime,[6] from 1853 to 1895.[5] He is cited as having "founded the oldest family of Straits Chinese Christians in Singapore",[7] as well as being the "first local Christian pioneer in Singapore".[8]

Personal life

Song had his first marriage some time after his return to Singapore,[9] though not to the girl his parents had chosen for him, for she was not of Christian faith.[5] His first spouse was Choon Neo (née Yeo),[9] an alumna of the Chinese Girls' School. He later wed Phan Fung Lean, a Thai Chinese, following the death of Yeo.[5] One of his children was author Song Ong Siang.[4] Song had fourteen children[5] and three marriages in total.[10] He was a Christian,[5] and could speak excellent English,[4][6] and could also converse well in the Malay language.[5] A road was named after him in Singapore.

Death and legacy

Song died in 1900, aged 70.[10] The Straits Chinese Magazine wrote that Song "was a specimen of the best type of the Chinese character", describing him as a "mighty rock to his large family".[5] Hoot Kiam Road, located near River Valley Road, is named after him.[7]

References
  1. Song 1984, p. 76.
  2. Smith, Carl (1995). A sense of history: studies in the social and urban history of Hong Kong. Hong Kong Educational. ISBN 978-962290313-5.
  3. Song 1984, p. 77.
  4. Chew, Phyllis Ghim-Liam (2012). A Sociolinguistic History of Early Identities in Singapore: From Colonialism to Nationalism. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 190–. ISBN 978-1-13701234-0.
  5. Sng, Bobby Ewe Kong. "Song Hoot Kiam". Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  6. "James Legge, Missionary and Scholar". Electric Scotland. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  7. Lee, Kip Lin. "Hoot Kiam Road shophouses: general view". PicturesSG. Archived from the original on 2013-07-06. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  8. "South East Asian woman ordained into Church of England". Anglican Church of Canada Continuing Education Plan. July 10, 2012.
  9. Song 1984, p. 78.
  10. "The Peranakan" (PDF). The Peranakan Association. January–March 1998. pp. 8–.

Bibliography
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