Wanted: Genealogy books for the National Library
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(From left) Heritage researcher Sarafian Salleh; retired chef Percival Shepherdson, who co-wrote a family history book; Genealogy Society Singapore president Ng Yew Kang; genealogist Nathan Co; and Taoist priest Chung Kwang Tong at the National Library Building on Sept 21.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
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SINGAPORE – When Mr Chung Kwang Tong dug deep into his ancestral roots in China, he started wondering if he was a Hainanese or Hokkien. While his grandparents came to Singapore from Hainan, his ancestors had originated from Fujian.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, he managed to connect with his ancestral hall in Hainan. When travel restrictions were lifted, he made a trip there and brought back copies of his zupu, or genealogy book.
From there, he traced his lineage back to Zhuang Sizong, a Song Dynasty official who served as an administrator of Hainan, but was originally from Putian in Fujian province.
Mr Chung, 39, said that when he approached the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan with the information, he was told he has to follow the dialect indicated on his birth certificate, which is Hainanese, despite tracing his ancestral roots to Fujian, where the Hokkiens come from.
“But I’m a Singaporean for sure,” he said. “And each Singaporean’s story has unique values and experiences that collectively shape Singapore’s multicultural tapestry.”
The Taoist priest donated his genealogy book to the National Library Board (NLB), in response to a call from the Genealogy Society Singapore (GSS). Eight titles have been donated by GSS so far.
On Sept 21, NLB and GSS signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the National Library Building to jointly promote the interest in genealogy among Singaporeans by organising talks, workshops and exhibitions. GSS will also help enrich the genealogy collection of NLB with its donations.
Mr Ng Yew Kang, president of GSS, said zupus were written in the traditional form in classical or semi-classical language, which makes for dry reading even for people with a good command of the Chinese language. As a result, many were discarded over time.
“GSS is trying to minimise the loss of these valuable documents, and appeal to holders of such valuable documents to donate them to NLB through us.”
On behalf of GSS, Mr Ng contributed two genealogy publications donated from China. One came from the Khoo family in Zhangzhou city, Fujian, and contains the family history of famous Singaporeans like the late businessman Khoo Teck Puat.
The other is from the Ng family in Tangpu village of Chaozhou city, Guangdong.
Mr Ng said that GSS, which was started in 2012, is in discussions with the Overseas Chinese Museum in Quanzhou city, Fujian, China, to bring in its family history collection of Singaporeans whose ancestors hailed from Quanzhou, to have it exhibited here.
Ms Alicia Yeo, director of National Library who signed the MOU with Mr Ng, said donated materials are organised and made accessible at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library for public consultation.
“The National Library is the national repository of Singapore’s literary and heritage materials. We have the expertise to conserve, catalogue, and permanently preserve these valuable materials, which are accessible to scholars, researchers and the general public,” she said, adding that it plans to digitise its collections to make them easily accessible to Singaporeans and international researchers.
“For migrants from around the world, such as those from South-east Asia and China who have made Singapore home, genealogy books and other ancestry records help Singaporeans to trace their roots and develop a sense of belonging, which contribute to the collective Singapore narrative,” Ms Yeo said.
To help members of the public with their research, NLB created a Family History Resources webpage
Mr Ng Cher Pong, NLB chief executive, said in his speech at the event that the MOU is an example of how NLB works with partners and donors to achieve its Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025
GSS member Sarafian Salleh, 54, said he will donate his genealogy book and records to NLB.
The heritage researcher, who is president of the Bugis Malay Society Singapore, authored an English-language book in 2023, titled Tuah Bugis – Chronicles Of The Seafaring People Of Singapore.
“Sharing family history in a public repository ensures that personal and local stories are preserved and accessible beyond just my immediate family,” he said. “It could serve as a valuable resource for future generations, researchers, and anyone interested in genealogy or history of our nation.”
He added that as Singapore is a multicultural society, documenting personal histories contributes to a collective understanding of the country’s shared past.
“By sharing these records, Singaporeans can strengthen national identity, foster mutual respect among different communities, and provide future generations with a deeper sense of belonging and the spirit of patriotism,” he said.
Mr Sarafian Salleh is the author of the book “Tuah Bugis - Chronicles of the Seafaring People of Singapore”.
ST PHOTO: EUGENE TAN
Mr Percival Shepherdson, 77, said that besides the National Library, Singaporeans can start their research with the National Archives of Singapore and The Straits Times’ archives.
The Singaporean, a retired chef, co-wrote a family history book titled Journey To The Straits – The Shepherdson Story with his nephew Kevin Shepherdson in 2003. It took them more than 30 years of research to trace their roots to Captains Robert and Matthew Shepherdson, brothers who arrived from Ramsgate, England, in the late 1700s.
The Shepherdson family even organised a family history exhibition with the National Library in 2005, and started a website which contains “all things Shepherdson”.
Mr Nathan Co, founder of genealogy group Chinese Ancestry Research (CAR)
“Hopefully, with this MOU, we can further raise awareness and interest in genealogy, as what we are today is deeply influenced by those before us,” he added.
Correction note: In an earlier version of the story, we identified Ms Alicia Yeo as the director of NLB. She is the director of National Library. We are sorry for the error.
