Vol. I, p.497 re "The General Hospital"
The Building erected at Pearl’s Hill was first occupied (by eleven patients) on 1st November 1845. The swamps at the foot of the hill were probably bad, for a dozen mosquito nets were urgently procured. The references to this period are few and far between... It was about this time that Dr Oxley asked for a mortuary to be built. It was erected close to the New Bridge Road end of the path leading past Pearl’s Hill Hospitals, and was completed on the 21st October 1851; but the lead table-top was unfortunately stolen after a week!
Vol. i, p.517 re "The Science of Singapore"
Heads of Medical Department
- Prendergast, Sub-Asst. Surg. Thomas: Assistant in General Hospital, Penang, Apri 1817; Acting Surg.-in-charge Singapore and troops.
- Montgomerie, Asst. Surg. William: 19th Jan 1819-May 1819; returned to Madras on V.P.A. 7th Dec. 1822 (see below); Acting Surg.-in-charge Singapore, May 1819-March 1826.
- Alexander, G., M.D.: Ex-Superintending Surg., Penang; became Superintending Surg., S.S., on the incorporation of the Settlements in March 1826; left for good in Oct. 1828.
- Conwell, Asst Surg. W.E.E., M.D.: Acting Superimtending Surg., S.S., from Feb. to Sept. 1828.
- Montgomerie, Asst. Surg. William (see above): sent from Bengal to Penang in 1829, with the title of Senior Surgeon, S.S.: made Singapore his headquarters, 24th Dec 1834; 1837, 20th Sept., Sheriff of the three Settlements; retired 17th Jan. 1844 to England; died at Barrackpore, 21st March 1856.
- Oxley, Asst Surg. Thomas, B.A.: 1825, 15th April, on Penang Establishment; 1830, 13th Feb., Asst. Surg. to Residency; 1830, Oct., transferred to Singapore vice Dr Sim, deceased; 1838, transferred to Malacca (under protest, as all his savings had been sunk in spice plants); 1841, 12th Oct., returned to Singapore; 1842, Sept., Sheriff for the three Settlements; 1844, 17th Jan., Senior Surg., S.S.; 1847, 31st Jan., promoted to rank of Surgeon; 1857, 23rd Feb., retired to England; 1886, March, died.
- Rose, Asst, Surg. Joseph: Surg.-Major Bengal Service; 1857, Feb., Senior Surg., S.S.
- Randell, Henry Lloyd: Staff Surg. Imperial Medical Establishment; 1867, Acting Col. Asst. Surg.; 1869, Col. Surg.; 1871, Sebior Surg., S.S., vice Rose; 1873, title changed to Principal Civil Medical Officer; 1877, died.
- Anderson, Andrew Fergusson, M.D., J.P.: 1869, Asst. Col. Surg.; 1874, July-Sept, Acting P.C.M.O.; 1880, 14th Dec., retired on account of ill health.
Vol. I, p. 533 re Singapore Museum
"...The annual general meeting was held
[two days after] on the 31st January 1849, when the following
resolutions were passed: [...]
Proposed by Mr D F Davidson, seconded by Mr G McMicking, and
resolved unanimously, that Messrs J R Logan, H C Caldwell, A
Logan, T Oxley, H Man, and W Traill be constituted a Committee
for the purpose of framing rules to regulate the Museum, and to
procure contributions of objects for the Museum."
Vol. I, p.536-538
"... on 9th November 1854, Dr Oxley, as
Chairman of the Managing Committee of the Museum, addresses the
following letter:
‘To the Honourable Colonel W J Butterworth, C.B., Governor
of Prince of Wales Island, Singapore and Malacca.
Honourable Sir,
I have the honour to inform you that at an adjourned meeting of
the Managing Committee of the Singapore Museum held this day, a
list of articles lately received into the Museum was laid before
them by the Secretary and Curator, and it was unanimously
resolved that the best thanks of the meeting be tendered for the
valuable contribution of Native Arms, illustrations of Natural
History, and other suitable articles which Your Honour has been
pleased to present to the Museum in furtherance of its objects,
and I am requested to add that should there be any particular
history attached to any of them it would very much enhance their
value in the estimation of the Committee should Your Honour be
pleased to favour them therewith for record in the archives of
the Museum. I have the honour, etc., T Oxley, Chairman.
Singapore, the 9th November 1854.’
None of these specimens can now be traced in the Museum.
On the very next day (10th November 1854) Dr Oxley again writes
to Governor Butterworth, acknowledging his letter of the 6th
October:
‘Honourable Sir,
have the honour to report for your information that the
communication dated the 6th October with which I was honoured, on
the subject of extending the operations of this Museum to the
interchange of local produce, etc., with the Madras Committee,
together with the copy of Surgeon Balfour’s letter of date
the 16th August, were laid before the meeting of the Members of
the Managing Committee of this Museum held yesterday, and after
giving the important suggestions therein offered due and mature
consideration, it was found that this Committee has no funds at
its disposal which it could devote to the very desirable object
of procuring specimens of the marketable produce of these seas to
interchange with the Madras Museum; but the Chairman and members
of the Committee beg to assure Your Honour that they are fully
alive to all the advantages likely to accrue from the adoption of
the proposal which has thus been made to them, and they will
gladly evince their readiness and anxiety to co-operate in the
promotion of these objects of high and manifest utility by seeing
that any funds the Local Government may place at their disposal
under Your Honour’s direction be carefully applied so as to
improve the Museum as an interesting resort for the exhibition of
articles most suitable to illustrate the General History and
Archaeology of these Straits, and of the Eastern Archipelago, and
if possible, to carry out Your Honour’s valuable suggestion
to render it the means of advancing the commercial interests of
the Settlement.’
Unfortunately there is in the Minute Book no copy of Governor Butterworth’s letter of the 6th October 1854, nor do we know what sort of reply he sent to the Committee to their strong hint for funds for the Museum.[...]
The election of subscribers took place by circulars, which were faithfully copied out in the Minute Book. [...] In most cases this appears to have been a mere matter of form. Yet there were exceptions. When Dr Thomas Oxley, Senior Surgeon S.S., applied in December 1845 to become a subscriber of Class II, all members, with exceptions (viz. Mr Napier and Mr McEwen), expressed their opinion that he should be a proprietor, and ought not to be admitted as a second-class subscriber. However, he renewed his application soon after, and was admitted to Class II (February 1846)."
Vol. ii, p. 70: "Gambier and Pepper" re Agricultural and Horticultural Society
The first annual meeting of the Society was held in May 1837, Dr T. Oxley in the Chair; and it was then decided not to increase the economic section but to make the horticultural garden their chief care...
Vol. ii, p. 305 re "British & Foreign Bible Society"
In 1837 a local Auxiliary Society was formed, in which the Resident Councillor, Dr Oxley, and other leading residents, together with Protestant Clergymen, took a share.
Vol. ii, p.489
... Dr Oxley lived on his hill, where the Pavilion is now...