TOH Eng Swee

Chinese Baba of Taiping and Penang / Chop Teik Hoe / married GOH Hooi Een in 1910 / aged 28 in 1916

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitse...

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitse...

TOH ENG SWEE, MY GRANDFATHER, ACCORDING TO MOTHER, WAS A PLANTER.

HIS FATHER CAME FROM CHINA AS A VERY YOUNG PERSON AND MADE VERY GOOD BUSINESS BY OPENING A GROCERY SHOP SELLING HAM BUTTER, WINE ETC TO THE EUROPEANS. MANAGED TO BUILD UP ESTATES, TEK HO, HOUSES ETC ETC.

He DIVIDED HIS ESTATE BETWEEN THE 2 BOYS AND 3 GIRLS. GAVE TEK HO TO ENG HO & THEREFORE MOSTLY HOUSES AND ESTATES TO ENG SWEE. ALSO HANDED OVER 4 'SLAVES' TO ENG HO. [3 CHINESE, 2 INDIANS].

ENG SWEE USED TO ALWAYS HAVE BETWEEN 3 TO 5 CARS AT ONE TIME. SOME WERE VAUXHALLS, WILLIS KNIGHT, AUSTIN, FORD, ESSEX, STANDARD. (This must be where I have acquired my taste of cars !)

ALSO, USUALLY ABOUT 6 HORSES, DIXIE, PEARL DIVER, OLYMPIC JYNX. RACING COLOURS WERE BLUE & WHITE.

THE HOME IN SWEETENHAM ROAD WAS HANDED DOWN TO ENG SWEE AND ENG SWEE HAD 4 SERVANTS FOR THE CHILDREN, 5 SLAVES, 3 SERVANTS FOR THE HOUSE, 1 MAN COOK, & 1 BENGALLI WATCHMAN WHO ALSO MILKED THE COWS IN THE ESTATES & COLLECTED RENT FROM THE TENENTED HOUSES. THE 'SERVANTS WERE PAID AROUND $20-30 AROUND THE 1930'S. THIS WAS A GOOD WAGE.

GRANDPA DID NOT REALLY HAVE VERY MUCH TO DO ECCEPT ENJOY HIMSELF. HE LOVED LISTENING TO THE RADIO. THE 2 GIRLS, MOTHER & ZEE EE HAD A SPECIAL ROOM SET ASIDE FOR PRIVATE USE DURING MEAL BREAKS AT SCHOOL. THEY WERE THE ONLY ONES IN THE WHOLE SCHOOL WHO COULD DO THIS. THE BROTHERS NEVER RECEIVED THIS ATTENTION BECAUSE KING EDWARD THE 7TH SCHOOL WAS 'GOVT' & DID NOT ALLOW THIS. THIS WAS THE SCHOOL THAT MY GRANDFATHER ALSO ATTENDED, AND SO DID ADAM.

His ashes are in urn 101, next to his brothers (eng hoe) urn 102, located about head level, situated under the sleeping Budha in Penang.

Charles Liew