Michael Gray 
SIR CHARLES BULLEN HUGH MITCHELL G C M G [EPUB ebook] 
1836 to 1899 — The Forgotten Colonial Governor

This is the first known biography of Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell G C M G, former Governor of the Straits Settlements and District Grand Master of the freemasons in the Eastern Archipelago.

The book traces his early life as an officer in the Royal Marines, where he served for 15 years, ending up with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, as well as his long, distinguished career in the Colonial Service, serving Queen Victoria in many countries including Natal in Southern Africa during and after the Zulu Wars, British Honduras, British Guiana, Fiji and Singapore.

It is his time in Singapore that is given extensive treatment in the book. Having been sworn in as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of The Straits Settlements and their Dependencies (the ‘Colony’) on 1 February 1894, Mitchell inherited a colony, which was in very serious financial difficulty. With his prudent financial management, the governor brought the Colony back to a strong financial position and completed many projects. He was also instrumental in the implementation of the Federation of Malay States and was its first High Commissioner.

His governorship was cut short when he died suddenly at the Colony’s Government House (the current Istana) on 7 December 1899 and was buried in Singapore.

However, his legacy was written out by his successor Sir Frank Swettenham who would take credit for the Colony’s achievements. To this end, this book will go towards correcting the history of Singapore and Malaya at that time.

The book also contains one of the very few public accounts of freemasonry in Singapore during the 19th Century and those of prominent freemasons participating in the colonial administration and commercial sector in the Colony.

Contents:

• Family and Early Years


• Military Service in the Royal Marine Light Infantry


• British Honduras and British Guiana


• Natal (as Colonial Secretary)


• Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner of the Western Pacific


• Natal (as Governor)


• Governor of the Straits Settlements


• The Malay States and Borneo


• The Federation of the Malay States


• Mid-Term Review and Thereafter


• Sir Charles Mitchell as a Distinguished Freemason


• Death and Burial


• How Will Mitchell Be Remembered?


• Appendices:
  
  
  
  • Family Tree
  
  
  • Appointments
  
  
  • Newspaper Articles
  
  

Readership: Advanced undergraduate and graduate students, researchers and historians interested in the colonial history of Singapore and Malaysia and the life of the British colonialists.

Key Features:

• First book covering the life of Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell G C M G


• Contributes to the existing literature on the colonial history of Singapore and Malaya in the late 19th Century


• Uncovers historical details of that era which were previously unpublished


• Provides an insight into freemasonry in Singapore in the late 19th Century