Benjamin Keasberry

Benjamin Peach Keasberry, Reverend (b.1811, India - d.1875, Singapore) was an independent Protestant missionary and one of the earliest Protestant missionaries who came to Singapore in 1837. He was noted as a leader in the art of printing and a pioneer in Malay education. He ran a Malay vocational school in conjunction with the Mission Press which became a major publishing source in the 19th century.

Early Career
Born in India, he initially entered commerce by opening a store in Singapore. Whilst serving as a clerk in a British firm in Batavia (Jakarta), he opted to devote himself to religious work. After learning the art of printing in America, he joined the American Board of Missions but when their agents were sent to China, he and his wife, Charlotte Parker, joined the London Missionary Society (LMS) in 1839. Enroute to China, he noticed the potential of the Malay work in Singapore, so he planted roots on the island, engaging Munshi Abdullah to assist him in polishing his Malay linguistic skills.

Work in Singapore
Malay services were restarted in the LMS chapel in Bras Basah Road and in 1843, he acquired a piece of land in Kampong Bencoolen (Prinsep Street) to build the Malay Mission Chapel with the help of public donations. At its opening service, more than 60 Malays and Straits-born Chinese attended. His close association with the chapel led to its nickname Greja Keasberry meaning "Keasberry's Church".

Remaining in Singapore at a time when most missionaries left for China, he set up a boarding school for boys on a hill he had purchased in 1848 in River Valley Road which he renamed Mount Zion. The pupils resided between 1 to 4 years and were taught not only English and Malay but were also instructed in the art of printing, lithography and bookbinding and compositors' work both in English and Malay type. The Rev Keasberry ran his successful Mission Press with older boys working for wages. Later a Malay girls' school was added. His two sons taught classes for boys whilst his wife and two daughters taught classes for girls. The only other person helping them was Munshi Abdullah.

Some of its students included members of the Johore Royal family. His Highness Sultan Abu Bakar received his education here and was a boarder in the Rev Keasberry's house. Although Colonel Butterworth, the Governor of the Straits Settlements then, had suggested that the Malay Princes be sent to England for their education, the Temenggong would not hear of it, and placed them in the care of the Rev Keasberry instead. Here he, his brother, and all the pupils were taught the Scriptures, and joined in family and school prayers. The Sultan of Muar and the Raja of Kedah also sent their sons to this school.

In his attempt to evangelise the Malays, the Rev Keasberry wrote and published many works in their language. With the assistance of Munshi Abdullah, the New Testament in Romanised Malay was published in 1853.

The Rev Keasberry died suddenly from heart disease on 6 September 1875, having served in Singapore for 38 years. He was buried at Bukit Timah Cemetery. His old student who became His Highness Abu Bakar Maharaja of Johore, had a monument erected over his grave.

Continued Work on Malay Chapel
Shortly before his death the Rev William Young, a Batavian Eurasian, took over the work for 10 years, and had a share in shaping what became the Straits Chinese Church, until he left the colony in 1885. In 1882, the Rev John A. Bethune Cook continued the work of the Mission. When the Malay Chapel was bought over from the London Missionary Society (LMS) in 1886, the English Presbyterian Mission became responsible for the Straits-born Chinese in Prinsep street, and it became known as the Straits Chinese Church. Today it is known as the Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church.



Author
Vernon Cornelius 



References
Cook, J. A. B. (1907). Sunny Singapore: An account of the place and its people, with a sketch of the results of missionary work (pp. 25-28, 60). London: E. Stock.
(Call no.: RRARE 279.5951 COO) 

Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. St. J. (Eds). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 2, p. 235). Singapore: Oxford University Press.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE) 

Sng, B. E. K. (1980). In his good time: The story of the church in Singapore, 1819-1978 (pp. 49-54). Singapore: Graduates'Christian Fellowship.
(Call no.: RSING 280.4095957 SNG) 



The information in this article is valid as at 1998  and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Personalities>>Biographies>>Religious Leaders
Pioneers--Singapore
Missionaries--Singapore
Philosophy, psychology and religion>>Religion>>Christianity

Librarian Recommendations
>> Prinsep Street Presbyterian
>> Munshi Abdullah


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