The name of Frederick Weld, who was a colonial administrator in Malaya in the nineteenth century, lives on in Penang in Weld Quay in George Town, and until fairly recently in Kuala Lumpur as Weld Road (now Jalan Raja Chulan) and Weld Hill (now Bukit Nanas), and English speaking locals still refer to their port as Port Weld rather than Kuala Sepetang.
Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld was born in 1823 in Chideok, Dorset, in England, to traditional Catholic parents, and was educated at Stoneyhurst College, a Jesuit college in Lancashire founded by his grandfather, and at University of Friborg, Switzerland.
On graduating he decided to pursue a career in colonial administration and travelled to New Zealand arriving in Wellington on 22nd April, 1844 with little money and a land order for a small two acre plot of land. Fortunately, his cousin Charles Clifford, who later became a politician and the first speaker of the House of Representatives, took him under his wing and together they worked as sheep farmers.
However, Mr. Weld, after several years of successful farming with his cousin, decided to go into politics, and in 1853 became a member of New Zealand’s first parliament, and due to his political acumen, by 1864, had risen to the position of cabinet minister.
The following year, on the resignation of Frederick Whitaker, he was appointed to the top job as Prime Minister, becoming the sixth premier of New Zealand, although like his predecessor he only lasted a year in the job, a victim of factional fighting within the Government.
For the next ten years he would gain invaluable experience in colonial administration which would stand him in good stead when he later joined the Straits Settlements, first as governor of Western Australia (1869-74), and then as governor of Tasmania (1875-1880).
His big break came in 1880 when the Governor of the Straits Settlements, William Robinson, was transferred to Australia to serve a second spell as the Governor of Western Australia, and the Colonial Office, seeking a man of experience decided to appoint Mr. Weld as his successor.
The position of Governor of the Straits Settlements, which he held from 1880 to 1887, was undoubtedly a promotion, and a reward for his many years of excellent service in the colonial administration. “A man of character and an excellent governor” was one tribute paid to him following his departure from Australia.
The state of affairs in the Malay peninsula in 1880 when Mr. Weld arrived required a firm but sensitive approach by the administration as the British, in the words of Frank Swettenham, were in the process of replacing “a policy of inaction for a policy of protection”, following the signing of the Pangkor Treaty in 1874, which introduced British Residents to effectively administer the States.
According to the biographer of Mr.Weld, his cousin Lady Alice Lovat, writing in her book “The Life of Sir Frederick Weld – A Pioneer of Empire” (1914), his time as governor in the Straits Settlements was characterised by consolidation of British power under steady stewardship:
“His period as a colonial administrator was notable for the increase of British influence among the princely rulers of the Malay States.”
This is echoed by historian H.E.Cartwright who also praises Mr. Weld’s contribution to the development of the country during his tenure of office:
“To his energetic initiative and persistent advocacy was due in large measure, to the steady uninterrupted progress made.“
According to Frank Swettenham, this personal energy was demonstrated by his frequent travels around the States where he met with local people, including the wealthy Chinese miners, as well as the rulers, developing a good reputation as a man who would listen to their concerns which was in stark contrast to his predecessor Sir W. Robinson who during the eighteen months in the post never left Singapore.
“Sir Frederick Weld took an immense interest in the Malay States, and spent a good deal of time travelling about in them, seeing the country and making the acquaintance of the Rulers and chiefs.”
Cartwright refers to several of his travels throughout the States and quotes from some of the reports he sent back to the Secretary of State about the current state of development in the States. About Kuala Lumpur he writes in 1883:
“The improvement in the town was marked. The main road has improved; neat, inexpensive police stations and good bridges have replaced decayed old ones, whilst several new buildings are in progress.“
In Selangor his popularity is evident in his report of the warm welcome he received from the local population:
“In the inhabited districts all the villages were decorated, always tastefully and sometimes very beautifully. I was welcomed with dancing and singing; they emulated their legends… in ancient times, and there is little doubt but that I had at least the advantage in the heartiness of the welcome.“
In 1887, after nearly eight years at the helm, and one of the longest serving Governors of the Straits Settlements, he announced, it was said reluctantly, his retirement at the age of 64. However, he remained active in public life after returning to Dorset becoming a member of the Royal Colonial Institution and Imperial Federation League.
In recognition of his services to the Empire, in addition to the C.M.G, he was also awarded the G.C.M.G. which is the first class award in the order and awarded to British subjects who have rendered extraordinary and important services abroad or in the Commonwealth. In addition, as a devout Catholic, the Pope made him a Knight of the Order of St. Pius.
His death just four years later in 1891 was unexpected. When he revisited the Straits Settlements as a director of the Pahang Exploration Development Company he became ill with fever and soon after his return to Dorset he succumbed to his illness and died, in the town where he was born, on 20th July, 1891.
Malaysia 1786 - 1957 