Marine Man in a Double Teochew Tomb

TAN JOO KHOON  陳臣忠 (1882 – 1926) & NG JOO TIAN  黃如珍 (1888 – 1960 )
Place of Ancestry : Teo Ann (潮安)

Tan Joo Khoon spent his life career in the shipping circles and died of a heart attack as he was about to enjoy the sea waters during a holiday. When he passed away, a double tomb was erected for him and hiswife styled in Teochew fashion. His tomb is situated near the end of Hill 1 in a cluster with other Teochew tombs, distinct  from the Hokkien tombs that make up a much larger area of Hill 1. There are other Teochew tombs elsewhere in  Bukit Brown, most  within  clusters. This husband-and-wife tomb is typical with inscriptions that name his other wife. It is not uncommon to find inscriptions for up to 5 official wives on Teochew tombstones, an indication of the status of the husband’s wealth and ability to support more wives. The double tomb also features some rare decorative tiles, an indulgence in some of the larger Teochew tombs. 

Decorative tiles from England (photo credit : Victor Lim)

Tan’s grave is also  atypical in that it does include the names of all his children from both wives –  four sons, two daughters and one daughter-in-law, which were carved out in marble slab and  embedded into the altar table. His son Lye Sia followed in his footsteps and also worked in the Master Attendant’s office but passed away at age 52 in 1957.  Another son, Ah Chua, trained as a dental surgeon and  went on to be Deputy Chair of the Public Utilities Board and he also died relatively young at 53 in 1972.  

Tan himself finished his form six at Raffles Institution at age 16 and went on to be Chief Clerk to manage port operations for 26 years. With that, he can be considered a successful member of the Teochew community. He was said to be popular with his bosses and his staff.  Among those in  attendance at his funeral were his British bosses, a captain, a commander and a lieutenant, together with the entire marine department which sent a wreath in the shape of an anchor.  

Tan was a man who obviously had deep connections to the sea. He lived in Beach Road at a time when it was still near the sea, worked in the Maritime industry contributing to Singapore’s entrepot trade at a time when it had already taken off and still growing. He met with a poignant death after suffering from a heart attack just as he was about to enter the sea with other bathers. Despite first aid rendered on location, he died at just 44 years old on the way to the General Hospital.