THE LATE WILLIAM ANDERSON ESQ.
In this week's obituary will be found recorded the death of William Anderson Esquire junior member of the firm of Messieurs William Hall and Company, of this place. He died of a severe attack of congestive fever contracted about a week previously on a visit to his sugar estate in Province Wellesley from which he returned to Penang on the evening before his death.--Mr. Anderson was a native of Scotland the descendant of a highly respectable family who for many years held large landed possessions in the County of Galloway. He was one of the oldest residents and merchants of this Settlement. He arrived here in 1820 and soon afterwards--assisted by his brother Mr. John Anderson late Secretary to the Government of Penang--he commenced his mercantile life in the firm of Balhetchet and Company; three years there after he joined the firm of Carnegy and Company in which he continued until 1832; he returned home in 1834 and came out again in 1835 and established the firm of Anderson Wardrop and Company which he managed until 1838 when he a second time embarked for his native country; in 1840 he left England for Calcutta where he remained for about eighteen months; in the middle of 1840 [*] he returned thence again to Penang and in 1843 became a member if the firm from which death has just removed him, and during the last twelve months he was also engaged in sugar planting in Province Wellesley. Mr. Anderson originated the Chamber of Commerce of Pinang in 1835 which has been the means of securing many useful and important measures to the Settlement. He on one occasion filled the office of Sheriff, and during the first period he resided here he was enrolled a Magistrate of this Settlement and latterly of the incorporated Settlement.
The sudden and premature death of Mr. An[derson] is justly considered a great loss to the Settlement. During the three different periods he resided here he was held in much esteem by all classes of the community--european and native. He gained their regard and consideration on account of the general and warm interest he took in all matters relating to the welfare of the Settlement; he was esteemed by the poor for the charitable feelings he evinced towards them--his advice and purse were ever at their command, in short his charity to them had no other limit than the extent of his means; by his brother merchants he was respected for his upright and liberal conduct in all his dealings, although he experienced several vicissitudes of fortune in his mercantile career yet he sustained a high character with those who were affected by his misfortunes. The independence of his principles, the manly simplicity of his conduct, together with the probity and purity of his heart will long live in the remembrance of those who knew him. He was a warm and most affectionate parent and his loss in this respect must indeed be long and deeply deplored.
The greatest respect was shown for his memory on the day of his funeral. Early in the morning every vessel and boat in the harbour hoisted their colours half mast high; a great number of natives of all classes attended the funeral procession, and nearly all the Chinese and Parsee merchants present came in the mourning garb of the european,--which was no small manifestation of the respect they felt for the deceased. Gazette Dec 6th
Source: The Straits Times, 13 December 1845, Page 3
[* might be 1839, given he was there for eighteen months and left there for Penang in the middle of 1840]
