George Drumgoole Coleman
George Drumgoole Coleman | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Drumgoole Coleman (1800s) | |
| Born | 1795 |
| Died | 27 March 1844 (aged 48–49) |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Spouses | Takoye Manuk (m. 1829–1844)Maria Frances Vernon
(m. 1842–1844) |
| Children | Meda Elizabeth Coleman (daughter) George Vernon Coleman Napier (son) |
| Parent | James Coleman (father) |
| Buildings | Telok Ayer Market (second market, demolished) |
George Drumgoole Coleman (1795 – 27 March 1844), also known as George Drumgold Coleman, was an Irish
Early life
George Drumgoole Coleman was born in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland, he was the son of James Coleman, a merchant, part of whose business was dealing in building materials.[1] Coleman was trained as a civil architect.
Career
In 1815, at the age of 19 years, he left Ireland for
Coleman then obtained an introduction to Sir
In June 1823, Coleman left for Java where he spent his next two and a half years, and returned to Singapore in 1825 due to conflicts between the Dutch and native Javanese.
In June 1827, Coleman was employed as a Revenue Surveyor, surveyed land titles which was issued mostly to cover shop-house lots in the town. In 1828, Coleman designed and built his own house which was completed in May 1829.
In 1829, Coleman worked as a Topographical Surveyor which he surveyed in minute detail the islands that would form the new harbour of the port which included all the shoals, slopes and heights of the hills along the coast for the possible fortification of the harbour. On 19 October 1833, Coleman was appointed the
On 1 October 1835. Coleman helped cofound the establishment of the
Although Coleman designed numerous private houses in Singapore, only two certain to be designed by Coleman have survived in Singapore, the Parliament House (originally Maxwell's house, but has undergone considerable changes since), and Caldwell House, currently part of CHIJMES on Victoria Street. Another residence building, the Istana Kampong Glam, is believed to be by Coleman although there is no definite evidence.[7]
An outstanding example of his work that survives to this day is the
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Parliament House in 1846, then known as the Public Offices of the Settlement. The building has undergone considerable changes since and not much of Coleman's original design remains. |
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Personal life
Coleman had a daughter, Meda Elizabeth Coleman, born in Singapore on 10 March 1829 (or 1828) by an unknown woman, and was christened at St. Andrew's Cathedral on 30 July 1837. The mother of his daughter is likely to have been Takoyee Manuk, the sister of Gvork Manuk, even though Coleman had built a mansion for her adjacent to his own.[11]
On 25 July 1841, Coleman left for England after 15 years of continuous work and 25 years in the East. On a return trip to in Ireland, Coleman married Maria Frances Vernon, of Clontarf Castle, Dublin on 17 September 1842. Coleman however found himself unable to settle down in Europe, and returned to Singapore via Calcutta with his bride on 25 November 1843 at short notice. He took possession of another of his houses which stood at 1 and 2 Coleman Street. Coleman later had a son, George Vernon Coleman, who was born 27 December 1843 by his new bride.
Death
Coleman died in his house on 25 March 1844 due to a fever at the age of 49. He was buried in an
After his death, Coleman's widow married attorney William Napier within months of her first husband's death. Napier adopted Coleman's infant son George, who would die on board of HMS Maeander at sea in 1848 at age 4. His daughter Meda Elizabeth Coleman died in Singapore in October 1907.
George Coleman grave along with others were since exhumed from 1954 to 1965 and their preserved gravestones were built into the walls of the former cemetery. The memorial for his gravesite still stands at Fort Canning Park. In December 1965, Coleman's residence, the Coleman House at 3 Coleman Street, was demolished to make way for the Peninsula Hotel.
Legacy
George Drumgoole Coleman's name lives on in the following entities in Singapore:
- Coleman Bridge
- Coleman Place
- Coleman Street
- Coleman House, Coleman's residence, demolished in 1965
References
- ^ Hancock (1986) pp. 2–6.
- ISBN 978-9971947972.
- ^ Hancock (1986) pp. 8–9.
- ^ Hancock (1986) pp. 12–15.
- ^ Hancock (1986) pp. 22.
- ^ Hancock (1986) pp. 22–28.
- ISBN 978-9971947972.
- ^ Hancock (1986) p. 75.
- ^ "G. D. Coleman". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board, Singapore.
- ^ "Former Telok Ayer Market (now known as Lau Pa Sat)". Roots. National Heritage Board. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ^ (Wright 251-2)
- ^ "Grave of George Dromgold Coleman, deceased 1844. Coleman was …". www.nas.gov.sg.
Sources
- T.H.H. Hancock (1986), Coleman's Singapore, The Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in association with Pelanduk Publications.
- Lee Geok Boi (2002), The Religious Monuments of Singapore, Landmark Books, ISBN 981-3065-62-1.
- Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), Toponymics – A Study of Singapore Street Names, Eastern Universities Press, ISBN 981-210-205-1.
- Nadia Wright (2003), Respected Citizens: The History of Armenians in Singapore and Malaysia, Amassia Publishing. ISBN 0-9751082-0-4.
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