Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles was a British colonial official who founded the city of Singapore and contributed to the expansion of the British Empire.

Political Figure

July 6, 1781

Cancer

July 05, 1826

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Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a prominent British colonial official who founded the city of Singapore and significantly contributed to the expansion of the British Empire. He held positions as Governor of the Dutch East Indies and Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen. Raffles is primarily known for establishing Singapore as a crucial port for the British East India Company. Additionally, he was a zoologist who gathered specimens for the British Museum and authored notable works such as “The History of Java” and “Memoir of the Life and Public Services of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles”. Among his other accomplishments, Raffles was a member of the Freemasons and collaborated with French naturalists Alfred Duvaucel and Pierre Médard Diard. He is regarded as one of the most renowned Britons who contributed to the growth of the British Empire.