Palace of Ghosts: Singapore's Untold History

The island of Labuan in todays West Malaysia was, along with Singapore, once part of the Straits Settlements. Although, in itself, it is not a part of the story of Palace of Ghost s, events connected to it were to play a role in some of the important outcomes in the story. As told in an earlier posting, William Napier is one of the key characters appearing early in the story of Palace of Ghosts . He made two sojourns in Singapore and the catalyst for his second visit was when the tiny island of Labuan became a Crown Colony of Britain in 1846. Today, few people outside of Malaysia, and many of those within it, know much about the place, if anything. It is safe to say that William Napier probably wished he had also never heard of it either, or even better, wished he had never even set foot on it. Napier’s Labuan misadventure is not a vital element of the central narrative of Palace of Ghosts and is therefore largely omitted from the book. However, there are several threads that link the...

Within Singapore's District 10, there is an upmarket neighbourhood named Tanglin. Much of the story of Palace of Ghosts takes place here. While the meaning of Tanglin is believed to be derived from the Teochew Chinese language, meaning “great east hill peaks”, the neighbourhood took its name from a house that was called Tang Leng, built by William Napier in 1854. The location of Tanglin, indicated in red, can be seen on the map of Singapore below.  Historically, this was the first suburb outside the original settlement located around the Singapore River to its southeast. It was considered a desirable location because it was away from the noise, dust and smells of the crowded settlement. It was green and the climate was thought to be better than in the coastal areas. It was reached by Orchard Road which was a track first put down during the 1830s and gradually improved thereafter. As the name suggests, the area was previously used for orchards and plantations, the latter being main...