Telling better stories - why we need to talk about Raffles

Julie Gittoes and Dave McCormick on a local resident with a complicated legacy

A drawing of 19th century imperialist Thomas Stamford Raffles — Thomas Stamford Raffles by James Thomson (“Engraved by Thomson, from a Miniature in possession of Mr. Raffles” – 1824)

Though the name Raffles is most commonly associated with hotels, Barnet has a significant connection to the man behind the famous name: not a hotelier but Sir Stamford Raffles, an employee of the East India Company.

Raffles was one of those involved in founding Singapore and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). He is buried at St Mary’s, Hendon and to mark the 200th anniversary of his death on 5th July people gathered for an exhibition and to hear talks reflecting on his life and legacy.

This is important because understanding the complexity of a man of his time helps us appreciate the nuances of history and challenges us to reflect on how we engage with questions of trade, social justice and the environment today.

Born in humble circumstances and with only two years of formal education, Raffles spent much of his adult life working for the East India Company as a London based clerk before travelling to Java and Sumatra.

His life was marked by personal tragedy – the death of his first wife and four of the five children born to him and his second wife Sophia. He himself died at only 45.

He was a largely self-taught polymath who was fascinated by religion and culture, and who learnt to speak Malay. He corresponded with William Wilberforce and contributed to the abolitionist movement. He sought to suppress the opium trade, clashed with William Farquuar about the running of Singapore, having established it as a freeport.

Whilst pragmatism sometimes outweighed his idealism, and his own records minimised the violence of colonial rule, his work in contributing to the foundation of ZSL was something that along with Charles Darwin’s work shifted how we saw our relationship to and interest in the natural world, just as Sir David Attenborough has done with significant impact today. Raffles’ wife Sophia was the first woman to be a fellow of ZSL.

On the 200th anniversary of his death, the event at St Mary’s was a rare opportunity to reflect on the challenging aspects of our history in a way which might shape present action. Telling better stories – with honesty and nuance – helps us face the concerns of our own generation.

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