The story starts with the discovery of Wee Theam Tew's grave in Lao Sua....
The search for Wee Theam Tew's roots begin.....
Exhumation notice published in Nanyang Siang Pau in Sep 1971 of the exhumation of Wee Hee and his wife and Wee Kay Cheang and his wife
Straits Times 1971 Sep 17
Yuen Fu Li - posthumous name of 阮啓昌 Wee Kay Cheang
Year of death - 1882/1883 - correspond to the year he wrote the will and said he was sick
Wu So Chun - posthumous name of 吳德娘, Goh Teck Neo, Kay Cheang's wife
Sons: from the way they write, the middle son is the eldest as they copy from right to left ie
Tim Seng - 添成
Tim Tow - 添籌
Tim Beng - 添銘
Sia Neo - 霞娘
Yuen Chen Lan -1873/1874 posthumous name of Wee Hee
NB : Wee Hee wrote his will on 8th Aug 1871 and passed away on or around 1st March 1873
Chi Tai - Kay Tye - son mentioned in his will
Chi Chang - Kay Cheang
Mun Neo
Choi Yuen
Tim Chye - Theam (Cham) Chye mentioned in his will (presently of Amoy in China)
Tim So - Theam (Cham) Siew mentioned in his will (presently of Amoy in China)
Tim Tow - Theam Tew
Tim Seng - Theam Seng
Chuan Yi - should be Wee Hee wife Lim Gun Neo
Wife of Wee Hee reburied in Bukit Brown from Heng San Teng.
Tomb date : 1858 lunar 6th month
Mdm Gay Posthumous name - Qing Ee (Meaning Quiet One)
Sons : Kay Tye
Kay Cheang
Kay Seng
Daughters: Mun Neo, Chai Hoon
Wee Hee and Wee Kay Cheang burial land
Based on analysis of the respective wills and land deeds with the help of Charles, I am now able to determine the final resting place of Mr and Mrs Wee Hee and Mr and Mrs Wee Kay Cheang.
They are reburied in CCK 482A12,13,14,15 on 15 Nov 1971 after the exhumation notice was published in Straits Times and Nanyang Siang Pau
Wee Hee
Mrs Wee Hee nee Lim Gun Neo
Wee Kay Cheang
Mrs Wee Kay Cheang nee Goh Tek Neo
Wee Hee tablet
明贈義士號大總理諱錫禧阮府君禄位
The spirit tablet of Patriotic Guardsman Conferred By the
Ming the honourable Ruan， personal name Xixi, [who held the position of] General Headman
(Ref: David Chng book)
Wee Hee and Chop Hong Seng
Singapore Free Press 1st Nov 1860
Wee Hee's will
Wednesday 16th Apr 1873 In Open Court
Present
His Honor Thomas Sidgreaves Esq
Chief Justice
It is ordered that Probate of the Last Will and Testament of Wee Hee sometimes called Wee Tian Siew deceased be issued to Wee Kay Cheang the Executor in the said Will named upon his taking the prescribed oath
Wee Kay Cheang's will (in Chinese)
----------------
Mrs Wee Theam Tew nee Tan Bee Choo
14 Dec 1939 Straits Times
Mrs Wee Theam Tew 68 yrs of age, of 49-A Emerald Hill Road, died on Dec 13, 1939 and was buried in BBHP, Blk 4 Sec C Tomb No 1787. She left behind 2 sons Chye Hin and Chye Hoe, two daughters, eighteen grandchildren including Tan Hock Chuan and 5 great grandchildren
Her husband Theam Tew's brother was Wee Theam Seng's whose 6 daughters were married to:
Kwa Siew Tee
Yeo Chiang Swee
Gaw Khek Swee
Gaw Khek Chiew
Lauw Pek Tjin
Tan Chin Tuan
Death of Tan Chin Hoon (son of Tan Koon Swee), father in law of Wee Theam Tew, age 56, in 1899
Kabar Slalu 1924 Mar 22 Baba Tan Chin Hoon
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The Story of Wee Theam Tew
Source : One hundred years' history of the Chinese in Singapore by Song Ong Siang
Source: Twenty Century Impressions of British Malaya, pg 634
Mr Wee Theam Tew, one of the leading Chinese legal practitioners of Singapore, comes of a family who have resided in the Straits Settlement for 3 generations. His grandfather, Wee Theam Soo, came from China as a literary graduate, and together with Dr Lim Boon Keng's father and Mr Cheang Hong Lim's father, to whom reference is made on another page, acquired the first opium farm in the colony. Mr Wee Theam Tew was educated locally, after which he entered a commerical house in Singapore and rapidly rose from the position of clerk to that of manager. He was however, attracted to the legal profession, and, enrolling himself as a student of Lincoln's Inn, he was called to the Bar in 1897.
Returning from London to the East, he was appointed secretary to the Prince of Su, the military governer of Peking,but after occupying that position for a short time, he came back to Singapore and commenced practice as a barrister. He has now attained an honourable position in the profession and built up an extensive practice
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Singapore Free Press 1897 Aug 12
Wee Thiam Tew became the second Chinese resident of Singapore to qualify for the legal profession in English
Straits Times 18 Jul, 1900
Wee Theam Tew calling to fight against the Boxers and the Manchus
STRAITS CHINESE FOR CHINA.
The Straits Times, 18 July 1900, Page 2
Straits Times 6 Feb 1901, Wee Thiam Tew elected as Municipal Commisioner for Rochore Ward
PRINCE CHUN'S ARRIVAL and Wee Theam Tew address on behalf of the Straits born Chinese
The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942),
31 July 1901, Page 3
Wee Theam Tew takes up post in China
14 Aug 1902 Straits Times
10 Oct. 1902
阮添疇 Wee Theam Tew a Chinese fr. Singapore who says he and his father were born
there was introduced by Cowie, to talk abt. the Kalgan line. He says Chang Yen mao and
Wang Wen-shao sent for him to ask whether he cld. raise money in Singapore for a railway
to Kalgan. They said China had not the money, and the Russians who were pressing them
wd. certainly insist on doing it themselves if they did not. But there was an agreement that
it must be built by China herself, with her own money. Now he could easily get the money
in Singapore, and Chang Yen mao said the Govt. would give a guarantee of 5%. If he got
the concession wd. he be supported? For otherwise the Singapore Chinese wd. simply lose
their money.
I said I wd. think over it, and if I had anything to tell him, wd. send to him thro’ Cowie.
Teleg’d to Fr[ank]. Swettenham to ask about him.
Source:
The Diaries of Sir Ernest Satow,British Envoy in Peking (1900-06)_vol.1(1900-03)
14 Jan 1903 Straits Times - Wee Thiam Tew to return to Singapore
《南亭联话》清·李伯元
肃亲王联
阮添筹大状师，现为肃亲王聘作幕府参谋，闻王虚怀若谷，于阮君尤为敬礼。某日，王在邸第宴崇文门税务诸员，阮君预坐，位居王右。席间用摄光法以留小影，复亲笔题联一副赠之曰：“孺子亦知名下士；乐人多唱卷中诗。”上款书“添筹大法家雅属”，下书“肃亲王”三字。
Death of Wee Theam Tew in 1918
