Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The definition of the phrase "in or near the coasts of the Colony" WAS NOT confined to
the immediate coasts of the Colony, say within a three mile distance. The following cases
heard before Courts of Inquiry, Singapore, as listed below during the period of the
Colony of the Straits Settlements (1867-1946) are open records and any undergraduate
from Institutions of Higher Learning in Malaysia and Singapore can have access to these
facts. These cases are part of the Historical Legal Records of the Colony of the Straits
Settlements and its successor Governments of the Colony of Singapore; State of
Singapore and Republic of Singapore. These hearings were published in Annual Reports
of the Department of Marine,. 'Colony of the Straits Settlements and the Colony of the
Straits Settlements Government Gazettes and sold to members of the public.
A Marine Court of Enquiry is a Civil Court of Summary Jurisdiction. Ordinance XXVI of
1870, under which these Enquiries are held, was passed for holding enquiries and
investigations into charges of incompetency and misconduct of Masters and Mates of
Ships as to shipwrecks and other casualties affecting ships, and is of the nature
therefore, of an ordinary Wrecks Commissioners Court of Enquiry in England, where the
meanest stoker may be represented by counsel. (Source: STRAITS LAW JOURNAL,
June 1888)
8. The Straits Times dated 2nd May 1874
The Straits Times published the entire proceedings of the Vice Admiralty Court of the
Straits Settlements before His Honor Sir Thomas Sidreaves KT. C.J. dated 22nd April
1874. This was a claim for damages by collision instituted on behalf of the Owner of the
Siamese barque Advance against the North German steam ship Egeria whereof James
Entwistle was Master. The facts of the case are that on the night of the 18 th August 1873
at about 5 minutes before midnight, in about Latitude l degree 58 minutes North,
Longitude 102 degree 45 minutes East about 25 miles South of Pulo Aur, the abovenamed barque Advance and the above-named steam ship Egeria came into collision,
the Egeria's stem striking the jib-boom of the Advance and causing considerable
damage, for which the claim is brought. (Note: There appears to a typo error in the
Longitude 102 degree 45 minutes East as this will place the incident on the Straits of
Malacca side of the Malay Peninsula and not near Pulau Aur which is Longitude 104
degree.
9. Straits Settlements Government Gazette, 18th February 1880, Government
Notification - No. 54.
The Finding of the Marine Court of Enquiry into the stranding of the British Steamer
Brisbane, is published for general information. The Marine Court of Enquiry was
convened at the request of His Excellency the Administrator of the Straits Settlements.
The ship was stranded on an unknown reef in the Arafura Sea on the 11th of January
1880 at Lat. 8 degree 22 minutes 30 seconds, Long. 128 degrees 24 minutes E.
10. Investigating and Reporting on Maritime Hazards
"Survey of the Ajax Shoal", Lieutenant Henry Belam to Acting Colonial Secretary, Colony
of the Straits Settlements, dated 7th March 1885, in Paper laid before the Legislative
Council by Command of His Excellency the Chief Office Administering the Government,
dated Tuesday 24th March 1885. The Ajax Shoal is located in the Straits of Singapore
and the survey of this maritime hazard was done by the Admiralty Surveyor and his
findings was presented to the Legislative Council of the Colony of the Straits
Settlements.
11. Straits Settlements Government Gazette, 11th May 1888, Government Notification No. 291.
Narrative and Finding of a Marine Court of Enquiry into the grounding of the British
steamer Nam Kiang. The ship grounded on North Point of Red Island in the Straits of
Singapore, 3 miles South of Raffles Lighthouse on Coney Island. Coney Island was
formally taken possession by James Crawfurd in 1825 and marked the Southern most
limits of the Settlement of Singapore under the Cession Treaty of 2 nd August 1824. Red
Island is in Dutch Territories as part of Rhio Residency.
12. Straits Settlements Government Gazette, 28th January 1910, No. 128.
Marine Court of Enquiry into the Circumstances relating to the Stranding of the British
Barque King George off Java's Third Point on the 24 th November 1909. The incident
occurred near the Sunda Straits and the case was heard in the Marine Court of Enquiry
of the Colony of the Straits Settlements held in Singapore.
13. Straits Settlements Government Gazette, 1st June 1906, No. 539.
Marine Court of Inquiry into the Stranding of the S.S. Beechley on the Reef off the South
end of Libau Island, Wetta Passage, on the 14 th April 1906. The incident occurred on the
reef off the south end of Libau Island, Wetta Passage in Dutch Territories.
14. Straits Settlements Government Gazette, 4th January 1918, No. 2
Court of Investigation into the circumstances attending the loss of the S.S. Hong Wan in
the Straits of Malacca. The Merchant Shipping Ordinance, 1910. The Court investigated
the loss of the S.S. Hong Wan, nearer to Muar, State and Territory of Johor.
15. Straits Settlements Government Gazette, 1918, No. 14,
Court of Investigation into the circumstances attending the stranding of the British S.S
Anamba near Sabang on the 26th September, 1918, Straits Settlements, Port of
Singapore. Report of Court. The Merchant Shipping Ordinance, 1910. The vessel
stranded North West of Pulau Way (Pulo Weh), Sabang, North Sumatra under Dutch
Territories.
16. Straits Settlements Government Gazette, 9th April 1920, No. 43
Court of Investigation to examine into the circumstances attending the stranding of the
S.S. Kajang on a voyage from Sandakan to Kudat on January 23rd 1920. Straits
Settlements. Port of Singapore. Report of Court. The Merchant Shipping Ordinance,
1910. The incident occurred on a reef on the south-east side of Pulau Taganak in the
Sulu Seas.
17. Straits Settlements Government Gazette, 10th September 1920
Court of Investigation to examine into the circumstances attending the collision between
the British S.S. Chak Sang and the Dutch S.S. Ban Fo Soo about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 miles
north of the Horsburgh Lighthouse on the night of the 9th July, 1920. Report of Court.
The Merchant Shipping Ordinance, 1910, No. 96
18. Straits Settlements Government Gazette, No. 577, 1st April 1927.
Court of Investigation to examine into the circumstances attending the grounding of the
S.S. Royalstar near Batu Beranti in Singapore Strait on the 13 th January 1927. The
incident occurred close to north-east of Batu Beranti Lighthouse in the Singapore Strait,
in Dutch Territories. From the records it would appear that the vessel entered the
Singapore Strait from the China Sea through the South Channel.
19. Straits Settlements Government Gazette, No. 578, 1st April 1927
Court of Investigation to examine into the circumstances attending the grounding of S.S.
Ban Hong Liong on a reef on the East Coast of Banka Island on the 14 th January 1927.
The incident occurred in the South China Sea, Dutch Territories.
20. Straits Settlements Government Gazette, No. 771, 29th April 1927.
Court of Investigation to examine into the circumstances attending the grounding of the
m.v. Asiatic Prince on Cabilao Island, in the Philippines, on the 15 th December 1926.
The incident occurred in Philippine Territories.
21. Straits Settlements Government Gazette, No. 1302, 15th July 1927.
Court of Investigation to examine into the circumstances attending the grounding of the
s.s. Conus on Royal Captain Shoal, Palawan Passage, China Sea, on the 16th May
1927. The incident occurred on Latitude 9 degree 02 minutes N and Longitude 116
degrees 38 minutes E. in the China Sea.
22. Annual Report, Marine Department, Colony of the Straits Settlements, 1930.
Marine Courts of Investigation, Singapore "to enquire into the circumstances attending
the stranding of Government S.Y. Sea Belle 11, Official No. 156086 of Singapore, off the
Perhentian Islands, Malaya East Coast, on the 17th June 1930. The incident involved the
grounding of the Government Yacht with the Governor of the Colony of the Straits
Settlements on board on an unchartered coral reef 42 miles off the coast of Trengganu
and some 340 miles away from the Settlement of Singapore. The yacht was refloated
with the assistance of the Singapore Harbour Board salvage tug Varuna which was
summoned to the scene by telegraph.
The Period 1946-1957, Colony of Singapore
The only source readily available are the Annual Reports of the Marine Department,
Colony of Singapore and State of Singapore, where cases are mentioned with
minimal details. The Colony of Singapore Government Gazette did not mention these
cases, unlike that of the predecessor government of the Colony of the Straits
Settlements. Other possible sources that could be researched includes the Straits
Times and other contemporary newspapers of the period.
23. Annual Report of the Marine Department, Colony of Singapore, 1948, Pp. 8-9.
"Marine Court of Investigation under Section 302 of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance",
One case was heard involving "M.A. No. 6" and "Tanjong Balai". There is no reference in
the Annual Report on the location of the incident.
24. Annual Report, Marine Department, Colony of Singapore, 1952, Pp. 33-37.
Court of Investigation held in October 1951, Report of Court. The case involved an
investigation into the circumstances attending the explosions and fire that took place on
board m.v. Drornus on the 20th August 1951 at Wharf 6, Pulau Bukom, Colony of
Singapore.
25. Annual Report, Marine Department, Colony of Singapore, 1952, Pp. 37-39.
Court of Investigation held in 1952, Report of Court. The grounding of m.v. Torina on 19th
December 1951 on Pulau Manis Island, near Singapore, in the Straits of Sugi (Republic
of Indonesia's Territories). The tug boat Croaker was sent from Singapore Harbour and
with her assistance the vessel was refloated and towed to Singapore.