Captain Charles Edward Faber

Captain Charles Edward Faber of the Madras Engineers, arrived in Singapore in September 1844. For a while, he was Sheriff and Marshall of the Court of Judicature, and also government Superintendent Engineer. He constructed the road and signal station up Telok Blangah Hill, and for that, the hill was renamed Mount Faber, after him. He also built the first Ellenborough Market, the North Gateway to Fort Canning Cemetery, and a gaol at the foot of Pearl's Hill. In the course of his duties in Singapore, he was later promoted to Major Faber.

On 19 September 1844, Charles Edward Faber of the Madras Engineers arrived from Madras on the ship Orestes. The next day, 20 September, in the presence of Governor Colonel J. W. Butterworth, C. B., this gallant officer was appointed and sworn in as Sheriff and Marshall for the Court of Judicature, for Prince of Wales Island (Penang), Singapore and Malacca, a post he held until 20 September, 1845. The official Government notification of this appointment with effect from 29 September 1844, was published in the Singapore Free Press dated 3 October 1844.

Mount Faber, Signal Station and Flagstaff
One of his first duties as Superintending Engineer was to cut a road up Telok Blangah Hill, and establish a signal station with a flagstaff on its summit. This narrow winding road and the new signal station was completed in July 1845, and Telok Blangah Hill was renamed Mount Faber, after Captain Faber. A Government notice dated 21 July 1845, signed by Resident Councillor Thomas Church, officially announced in the Singapore Free Press of 24 July 1845, stated that "Mount Faber in Telloh Balanga has been selected for a Signal Post in lieu of Blakan Mattie (sic), the establishment will be withdrawn from the latter place on 1 August next, and the usual distinguishing numerical, and other flags hoisted at the new Station from that date."

Fort Faber
Also named after Faber, this must have also been constructed during Faber's tenure in Singapore. This defence installation had two gun emplacements just above the Temmengong Abdul Rahman's Istana Lama rsidence, half-way up Mount Faber hill, to command the Selat Sinki, and the western half of the harbour. These emplacements existed for a long time, as did the granite emplacements laid on the top of Mount Faber for two mortars. Not much other information is available on Fort Faber.

Ellenborough Market
While Ellenborough Street was being laid, Faber began the construction of Ellenborough Market in May 1845. In April 1846, he was criticised by the Government and the local press for the bad construction of the building, as cracks in several places were found on the walls of this new market. Fire eventually destroyed the Market and the 1899 extension structure on 30 January 1968, and the remains were cleared sometime later.

Gothic Gateway for Cemetery
The Gothic Style North Gateway on the eastern section of Government Hill Cemetery (now Fort Canning Park), was built by Faber sometime in 1846.

Outram Prison
On Saturday morning, 6 February 1847, the foundation stone of the new Pearl's Hill Prison (a.k.a Outram Road Gaol) was laid by the architect and Superintending Engineer, Faber, in the presence of their honours, Governor Butterworth and the Resident Councillor Thomas Church. The gaol complex was built from plans by J.T. Thomson. The building was completed in late 1847.

Failures
Amongst his peers, he, unfortunately, is known more for the few constructions which fell apart soon after they were built than for his engineering contructions that stood. He was highly criticised in the press for firstly the slip-shod construction of his unstable Faber's Bridge, and then the cracks that were found on the walls of his new Ellenborough Market. In particular, was his infamous advice that the Singapore River be dredged in order to raise the headroom under the Thomson Bridge, at high tide.

Other Notes of Captain Faber
Sometime between 1846 and 1847, Faber was promoted, and became Major Charles Edward Faber. On 27 April 1847, his daughter was born in Singapore.

Of his development work in Singapore, the winding road up Mount Faber and his Gothic Gateway structure can still be seen on Fort Canning Park.



Author
Vernon Cornelius-Takahama



References
Buckley, C. B. (1984). An anecdotal history of old times in Singapore:1819-1867 (pp. 420, 452, 459, 486, 491). Singapore: Oxford University Press.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 BUC) 

Hall-Jones, J. (1979). An early surveyor in Singapore: John Turnbull Thomson in Singapore, 1841-1853 ( pp. 43, 60, 88). Singapore: National Museum.
(Call no.: RSING 925 THO) 

Makepeace, W., Brooke, G.E., & Braddell, R. St. J. (Eds). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 1, pp. 380, 481). Singapore: Oxford University Press.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE)

Singapore street directory and guide (pp. 9, 19). (1957). Singapore: Survey Dept.
(Call no.: RCLOS 959.57 SIN)

Tyers, R. K. (1993). Ray Tyers' Singapore: Then & now (pp. 27, 147, 184). Singapore: Landmark Books.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 TYE)


Further Readings
Singapore Free Press [Microfilm: NL 1559]. (1844, September 26). 

Singapore Free Press [Microfilm NL 1559]. (1844, October 3). 

Singapore Free Press [Microfilm NL 10589]. (1847, December 18). 



The information in this article is valid as at 2004 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>>Colonial Administrators
Architecture and Landscape>> Building Types>>Historic Buildings
Engineers--Singapore
Science and technology>>Construction>>Architectural structure
Science and technology>>Construction>>Buildings

Librarian Recommendations
>> Pearl's Hill
>> Mount Faber
>> Pearl's Hill Prison


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