Richard James Wilkinson facts for kids

Richard James Wilkinson (born May 29, 1867 – died December 5, 1941) was an important British official. He worked in different parts of the British Empire, especially in Southeast Asia and Africa. He was also a smart person who studied the Malay language and wrote about history.

Wilkinson was born in 1867 in Salonika, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire (now Thessaloniki, Greece). His father was a British consul, a government official who helps citizens abroad. Richard went to Felsted School and then to Trinity College, Cambridge. He was very good with languages. He knew French, German, Greek, Italian, and Spanish. Later, he also learned Malay and Hokkien, which helped him a lot in his work. He joined the British government service in the Straits Settlements in 1889. He also wrote many articles for the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. In 1912, he received an award called the CMG for his work.

Working for the British Empire

Starting in the Straits Settlements

Richard Wilkinson arrived in Singapore in 1889. The Straits Settlements were British territories in Southeast Asia. He started as a "Cadet," which was like a trainee position in the government. He quickly became known for his knowledge of local languages.

He held many different jobs. He was a district officer in the Malay States and later worked as a police magistrate in Singapore. He also helped manage schools as an acting inspector. Wilkinson wrote important books, including Malay Beliefs (1907) and An Abridged Malay–English Dictionary (1908). These books helped people understand Malay culture and language better. By 1911, he became the Colonial Secretary for the Straits Settlements, a very senior position.

Leading the Straits Settlements

In June 1914, Wilkinson temporarily took charge of the Straits Settlements government. This happened when the Governor, Sir Arthur Young, went on leave. During this time, a big challenge arose: the finances of the Federated Malay States were in trouble.

The Federated Malay States, which were also under British control, had spent a lot of money. They built railway lines and even helped pay for a battleship called HMS Malaya. They had a lot of valuable things, but not enough cash. This meant they couldn't pay for their projects. It was a difficult situation, especially because World War I had just started in Europe.

Wilkinson was praised for his excellent money skills. He took charge and found a solution. He decided that the Straits Settlements government would buy tin from the Federated Malay States at a set price. This helped stabilize the tin market, which was very important for the region's economy. He also arranged for the government to give loans to companies. These actions prevented a major financial disaster. People said he saved Malaya from "one of the worst disasters in its history."

Even with all these challenges, Wilkinson still found time for his scholarly work. In December 1914, he helped publish a collection of Malay poems called pantun with another scholar, Richard Olaf Winstedt.

Leaving Singapore

When Wilkinson was about to leave Singapore in January 1916, the local Muslim community showed him how much they liked him. They held big parties and dinners to say goodbye. Many important people from the government and businesses attended these events. They gave him special gifts and read speeches praising his work. The sultan of Johore even lent his band for one of the parties! There were performances of traditional dances, music, and storytelling. It showed how much he was respected and loved by the people he served. He was leaving to become the Governor of Sierra Leone.

Governor of Sierra Leone

As the Governor of Sierra Leone, Wilkinson made an important rule change. He insisted that African workers should be paid the same as European workers if they did the same job. The previous governor had suggested this, and Wilkinson made sure it happened. He also improved the postal service in the colony and hired more Africans to work there.

Summary of His Career

Richard Wilkinson had a long and busy career. Here are some of his key roles:

• 1896–1897: Acting Director of Education, Penang
• 1897–1898: Police Magistrate, Singapore
• 1898–1900: Acting Inspector General of Schools, Straits Settlements
• 1903–1906: Acting Inspector of Schools, Federated Malay States
• 1906–1910: Secretary to the British Resident in Perak
• 1910–1911: British Resident at Negeri Sembilan
• 1911–1914: Colonial Secretary, Straits Settlements
• 1914–1914: Officer Administering the Government of the Straits Settlements
• 1914–1916: Colonial Secretary, Straits Settlements
• 1916–1922: Governor, Sierra Leone

His Lasting Impact

Education and Institutions

Wilkinson helped start important educational institutions. In 1900, he began the Malay Training College in Malacca. This college later became the Sultan Idris Training College in 1922, which is now the Sultan Idris Education University.

In 1905, he also founded the Malay Residential School. This school is now known as the Malay College at Kuala Kangsar (MCKK), a famous boarding school in Malaysia.

Malay Language Spelling

One of Wilkinson's most important contributions was to the Malay language. His book, A Malay-English Dictionary (1901), used a Latin spelling system. This system became the basis for how Malay is written today.

Books He Wrote and Edited

Wilkinson was a very active writer and editor. Some of his notable works include:

• The education of Asiatics (1901)
• Malay beliefs (1906)
• An Abridged Malay-English Dictionary (romanised) (1908)
• Papers on Malay Subjects (1908–1911) – a series of many volumes
• Malay grammar (1913), with Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt
• Pantun Melayu (1914), also with Richard Olaf Winstedt
• A history of the peninsular Malays (1920)
• An English-Malay dictionary: roman characters (1932)

See also

• Federated Malay States
• List of colonial governors of Sierra Leone