Our founding fathers did more than just lead the nation, they were great fathers and husbands too
By Nicole-Marie Ng; Cover Image: Shutterstock
4. Sir Stamford Raffles and Sophia Hull
Not long after the death of Olivia did Sir Stamford Raffles meet Sophia Hull, his second wife. The pair got married in 1917 in a secret ceremony that was kept a secret even from Raffles’ close friends.
During their brief marriage, Sophia bore Raffles five children before he eventually passed on nine years later. All her children had also tragically passed away from illness, leaving her alone in the world.
However, though she was heartbroken, she still kept her spirits up. Within several weeks of his death, Sophia wrote an entire biography of her husband’s life. She made up for information she did not have by using personal letters and notations. Till today, her biography, Memoir of the Life and Public Services of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, is still the go to source for biographical information about Raffles purely based on the number of primary sources used.
See Sophia’s original handwritten letter on display at From the Stacks exhibition, National Library Gallery Level 10 Central Public Library.
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