Singapore First Map and Town Plan ~ Year 1828 ~ Framed
Known as the Jackson Plan or Raffles Plan, this is the first published map of Singapore. Published in 1828, the map was drawn by Lieutenant Philip Jackson at the request of the founder of modern Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles (1781-1826). It is divided into two sections, a map of the island of Singapore at top, and a close-up plan of the town of Singapore at bottom, oriented towards the west. The city plan presents an idealized version of Singapore following the Raffles vision and, while not fully implemented, was influential in the early development of the colony.
Size 42.6 by 33.6 cm
Quality Recycled Art Paper
Mounted with Thick Art Cardboard
Wooden Frame and Glass
Description on the Back
Our framed art prints are printed on recycled uncoated speckled art paper and framed with eco-friendly wood.
Stamford Raffles founded Singapore as a British colony in 1819, looking for a site to challenge the Dutch, who had a colony in Melaka from which they threatened to dominate the Straits of Malacca.
Finding a sparsely populated but strategically located island at the tip of the Malay Peninsula with a deep natural harbor and a ready supply of fresh water, Raffles intervened in factional struggles in the Sultanate of Johor, which nominally controlled the island, supporting one faction in exchange for being granted the island. Having engineered the surrender of the island to British sovereignty, Raffles established it as a free port and then immediately returned to Bencoolen, leaving William Farquhar (1774-1839) to manage the colony. Since its inception, Singapore witnessed rapid growth and high volume as a port. With limited funds, Farquhar was unable to fully control the urban development of the city of Singapore and allowed haphazard organic growth. When Raffles returned in October 1822, he was displeased with the chaotic developments and commissioned Lieutenant Philip Jackson, who had just arrived in Singapore, to draw up a new development plan outlining his ambitious urban vision.
The Raffles Vision
Raffles' plan for Singapore called for structured, centrally planned development with racial and social segregation. He created a Town Committee to lay out Singapore along six points:
1. The area between the Old Lines (a destroyed city wall roughly where Stamford Road now lies) and the Singapore River including a space up to 200 yards east of the Old Lines (i.e. up to where Bras Basah Road is now located) would be reserved as a cantonment for government use. A famous colonial-style hotel nearby that was built in the 1880s now bears Raffles name, due to its having been used by the Raffles Institution, the oldest educational institution in Singapore, for many years.
2. The European area would be located to the east of the cantonment (the government area) as far as the ground that belongs to the Sultan. The area of the cantonment facing the sea and area southwest of the river between Circular Road and Telok Ayer Bay would be used for commerce.
3. Raffles (correctly) expected that the Chinese would eventually constitute the largest community, and so reserved a large area for them southwest of the Singapore River. Indians would be settled further up the river.
4. The Bugis (who had already settled in Kampong Glam) and Arabs were to be allocated areas next to the Sultan's ground. Raffles (mistakenly) did not believe that there would be significant Malay settlers, but thought they may settle the upper banks of the river.
5. The sea front and port was to be reserved for public use.
6. In addition to allocating land, Raffles also determined a location for the Telok Ayer Market, stipulated that burial grounds be placed far from the town, and required urban uniformity.
Jackson incorporated all of Raffles' suggestions on this map. Although not exactly considered a master plan for the development of Singapore, Jackson's map had a strong influence on subsequent settlement and development of the colonial town.
Publication History and Census
The map was drawn in late 1822 or early 1823, but was not printed until John Crawfurd included it in the 1828 publication of his Journal of an Embassy from the Governor-General of India to the courts of Siam and Cochin-China: exhibiting a view of the actual state of those kingdoms. The plan was engraved in London by the firm of J. and C. Walker and was published by Henry Colburn. The map was included in all editions of Crawfurd's work but is rarely found separately and is scarce to the market.