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The events leading up to the cession of Labuan

Since 1842, James Brooke had tried to get British recognition and protection for his settlement at Sarawak. After failing to attract attention from the British government through James Gardner, he gave Henry Wise permission to act as his political agent in Britain.

1843

Henry Wise arranged a meeting with British Prime Minister Robert Peel at his house in Whitehall Gardens on 13 January 1843 to inform him that James Brooke wanted to turn the settlement at Sarawak into a British colony. Subsequent to this meeting Edward Belcher, Captain of the HMS Samarang received new supplemental orders to investigate Sarawak and make a report. Belcher: "I found fresh orders for an immediate but cursory examination of Borneo where our Countryman Mr. Brookes has located himself and wishes to be King. This will not delay me much."

To help attract British government interest in Borneo, James Brooke wrote a letter to Henry Wise on 3 March 1843 offerring to obtain an analysis of Brunei's coal and assured him that "one of the easiest points to attain would be the monopoly of the Borneo coal, and the cession of the island of Labuan".

Kuching 1844 - looking up river

Sir Edward Belcher and the HMS Samarang arrived in Kuching on 9 July 1843. On the way out of the river 17 July 1843 the HMS Samarang grounded out and the ship was nearly lost. Many British ships arrived at Kuching to help save the ship. The ship was eventually refloated , cleaned of river mud and restocked. Brooke accompanied the HMS Samarang along with his ship the RYS Royalist, the merchant ship Ariel, HMS Harlequin and the steamer HMS Vixen to Brunei on 21 Aug 1843.

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin - Aug 1843

Brooke and Belcher met with the Sultan of Brunei Omar Ali Saifuddin II on 28 Aug 1843 at his palace. Following this meeting Brooke wrote that "The Rajahs of Borneo have addressed a letter to the British Government, expressing their desire to be friendly, to open trade, and to suppress piracy."

1844

James Brooke's influence over Rajah Muda Hassim continued to grow as the British government continued to give support to his government at Sarawak. Henry Keppel's expedition on the Batang Lupar in August 1844 and the capture of Pengiran Indera Makhota off Lingga allowed the Sarawak government to extend its political influence over the rivers of Sadong, Batang Lupar, Lingga, Undop and Skrang.

Map of Brunei Oct1844

To expand Sarawak's area of economic and political reach to the rich Rejang river sago growing districts, Brooke would need the support of the Sultan of Brunei. From Sarawak's new position of strength after Keppel's expedition on the Batang Lupar, it was decided that Rajah Muda Hassim should move back to Brunei and re-establish his position there. The HMS Samarang and the HEIC steamer Phlegethon return to Sarawak in October 1844 and they transport Raja Muda Hassim and his extended family back to Brunei. The reintroduction of Rajah Muda Hassim into the Bruneian court was resisted by Pangeran Usop, who had recently fortified the river of Brunei.

At seven in the evening the party repaired to the audience chamber, leaving their arms behind them, for they felt that any effort from five Europeans to defend themselves against so many hundreds, would be unavailing, and that more would be gained by a show of indifference. They landed at the platform, and the barge, in which were Lieutenant Baugh (since dead) and myself, was ordered to lie on her oars abreast of the audience chamber, and to keep her 6 -pounder, in which there was a fearful dose of grape and canister, pointed at the sultan himself during the whole of the interview.

The forts did not fire on the British ships, but tensions were high during the negotiations that followed.Once Rajah Muda Hassim, was re-established into the Bruneian hierarchy, he promised to suppress piracy and offerred the possibility of ceding Labuan. But he was worried about Pangeran Usop's connection to Sheriff Housman. Brooke writes on 5 Nov 1844: "At the present time Sheriff Housman is at Balabac collecting a Fleet of Pirates to attack some places in Palawan, and of course to do such other mischief as he can on the High Seas. In two or three days Sir Edward Belcher proceeds to Manilla, whilst I return in the Steamer to Sarawak... The only thing to urge now is to support Muda Hassim in Borneo - his Government is the foundation stone of improvement." James arrives back in Sarawak and adds a postcript to the letter on 15 Nov 1844. "I shall be delighted to become Governor of Labuan".

Henry Wise continued to lobby the British government on Brooke's behalf and had managed to convince the Admiralty to appoint James Brooke as 'Agent to Borneo' and send Captain Charles Drinkwater Bethune and geologist Hiram Williams to investigate both Labuan and Balambangan as possible locations for a British naval base in Borneo. By 3 Nov 1844 Bethune, Wiliams and Wise have left England and are on their way to Singapore and Sarawak.

1845

17 February 1845, HMS Driver arrives at Kuching carrying Captain Charles Drinkwater Bethune, Hiram Williams (Geologist) and Henry Wise (James' political agent and soon to become business partner) as well as the official orders that make James Brooke an agent for Britain.

Brunei

On 24 February 1845, James Brooke, Captain Bethune, Hiram Williams and Henry Wise onboard the HMS Driver, commanded by Captain Hayes, arrive in Brunei.

Lord Aberdeen who was the British Foreign Minister at the time sent a letter to the Sultan of Brunei introducing James Brooke as a British Agent to Borneo and requested the Sultan to not enter any treaties with other foreign powers while the island was under consideration as a British Naval base. In reply to this letter the Sultan of Brunei and Pangeran Muda Hassim acknowledged James Brooke's new position and they formally requesting for British aid in suppressing piracy, while specifically mentioning Pangeran Usop and Sheriff Housman.

James Brooke and Captain Bethune meet Rear-Admiral Thomas Cochrane in Singapore on board his flagship HMS Agincourt on 2 April 1845. At this meeting, knowing that an American ship the U.S.S. Constitution was about to visit Brunei, he asked James Brooke and Captain Bethune to return to Brunei to learn if any agreements had been made. They take the HEIC steamer Phlegethon back to Brunei and they are told that the Americans offerred a protection deal sole right to work coal and a monopoly of trade, but Pangeran Muda Hassim informed them that they already had a deal with the British.

HMS Vixen firing on Pangeran Usop's house - 9 Aug 1845

James Brooke and Captain return to Singapore and then to Malacca to meet Rear-Admiral Thomas Cochrane 10 July 1845. Cochrane agreed to give aid to Pangeran Muda Hassim and assembled a fleet of ships to attack Sheriff Housman's stronghold at Marudu. The fleet consisted of the flagship HMS Agincourt, the 3 steamers HMS Vixen, HEICS Nemesis and HMS Pluto, and supported by HMS Vestal, HMS Wolverene, HMS Cruizer.

The expedition arrives at Brunei on 8 Aug 1845. The following day HMS Vixen is ordered to fire on Pangeran Usop's house and battery. Usop flees inland.

The expedition then sails to Marudu and attacks it on 19 Aug 1845.

Thomas Cochrane's squadron attacks Sherif Osman at Marudu Bay 19 Aug 1845

When James Brooke returns to Brunei, he is told that Pangeran Usop mounted a counter-attack on Pangeran Muda Hassim while the expedition was at Marudu. Pangeran Muda Hassim's forces defeated Pangeran Usop, who fled in a boat towards Kimanis. His property was confiscated.

26 Nov 1845 - news arrives at Sarawak that the Sultan had ordered the execution of Pangeran Usop.

1846

In late 1845 or early 1846 the Sultan was convinced to order the execution of Pangeran Muda Hassim and his entire family.

Six weeks had passed by the time the HMS Hazard stopped in at Brunei and learned the news.

James Brooke asks Cochrane to return and set things right.

EIC Steamer Phlegethon returns fire on Haji Saman's fort at Brunei

Thomas Cochrane assembles another fleet and captures Brunei on 8 July 1846. He then attacks the Iranun settlements in Tampassook and Ambong. While Rodney Mundy and James Brooke search for the Sultan who had fled upriver to Damuan.

They were unsuccessful in capturing the Sultan and moved on to hunting down Haji Saman in the Membakut river.

After the capture of Membakut, Brooke returned first to Brunei and negotiated a new deed for Sarawak and a re-confirmation of the coal rights he had gotten back in 1845.

When Mundy on the HMS Iris returned just after Brooke had negotiated his deal, the Sultan fled into the jungle once again.

Captain Rodney Mundy returns to Brunei in September but still doesn't meet with his ship HMS Iris (1840) with the Sultan.

Finally on 18 December Mundy arrives again, and negotiates a simple treaty that cedes Labuan.

He took Pengiran Mumin to witness the island's accession to the British Crown on 24 December 1846.

Foundation and establishment

The hoisting of British flag for the first time on Labuan on 24 December 1846 following its cession from Brunei

The crews found that it was the most suitable for inhabitants than any other island in the coast of Borneo especially with its coal deposits. The British also saw the potential the island could be the next Singapore. Brooke acquired the island for Britain through the Treaty of Labuan with the Sultan of Brunei, Omar Ali Saifuddin II on 18 December 1846.

Brooke supervised the transferring process and by 1848, the island was made a crown colony and free port with him appointed as the first Governor. From 1890, Labuan came to be administered by the North Borneo Chartered Company before been reverted to British government rule in 1904. By 30 October 1906, the British government proposed to extend the boundaries of the Straits Settlements to include Labuan. The proposal took effect from 1 January 1907, with the administration area being taken directly from Singapore, the capital of the Straits Settlements.

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Dynasty

Thomas Brooke

Francis Johnson

Emma Brooke

James Brooke 1st White Rajah

John Brooke Johnson Brooke Rajah Muda

Charles Anthoni Johnson Brooke 2nd White Rajah

George Brooke

Esca Brooke-Daykin

Charles Vyner Brooke 3rd White Rajah

Bertram Brooke Rajah Muda

Anthony Brooke Rajah Muda

James Lionel Brooke

Jason Brooke

Heraldry and emblems

The heraldic arms of the Brooke dynasty used in Sarawak are based on the original assumed arms used by James Brooke up until Nov 1848. They consisted of an engrailed red and black cross on a yellow shield, crested by a badger, known in heraldic parlance as a "brock" and hence alluding to the dynastic surname.

Flag raised on 21 Sept 1848

The first flag designed for Sarawak was first hoisted on 21 September 1848. James Brooke held a ceremony at his house on the grounds of the Astana. During this ceremony "A new flag, which the Rajah had brought from England, was then unfurled for the first time - displaying a black and red cross on a yellow field. This was to be henceforth the national flag of Sarawak."

James Brooke upon discovering his traditional family arms were not properly registered at the College of Arms during his visit in England in 1847, subsequently registered a new coat of arms which were granted 8 Nov 1848. These arms were awarded posthumously to his late father Thomas Brooke of Widcombe Crescent, Bath Somerset. The blazon of the arms is: or a Cross engrailed per Cross indented Azure and Sable in the first quarter an Estoile of the second, and for the crest: On an Eastern Crown Or a Brock proper ducally gorged also Or. The blazon is accompanied by an illustration of the arms and crest with the motto DUM SPIRO SPERO surrounded by the circlet and insignia of the Order of the Bath (Civil Division).

As the oldest surviving son of Thomas Brooke Esq., James Brooke was permitted to inherit, display and use these arms in England. Upon James Brooke's death in 1868, Charles Brooke did not inherit these arms as he was not a direct male descendant of James Brooke, he was James' nephew - Charles Anthoni Johnson. Instead these arms passed to Charles Brooke through the process of Arms of assumption. Once Charles Brooke became the Rajah of Sarawak, he could legally hold these arms, use and display them in England.

Government Flag of Sarawak (~1870–1946)

In the early 1870s Charles added a crown to the Sarawak flag to distinguish the flag used by the Government from the one to be used by Merchant ships. He also made an additional registration with the College of Arms to register his personal flag. The description reads as follows: The arms made use of were those granted to Rajah Sir James Brooke, K.C.B. he died without issue and was succeeded as Rajah by his nephew H.H. Rajah Sir Charles Johnson Brooke, G.C.M.G. (originally Johnson), who adopted the name of Brooke and the arms of his uncle. These arms are:" Or, a cross engrailed per cross indented azure and sable, in the first quarter an estoile of the second. Crest— On an Eastern crown a brock proper ducally gorged or. Motto—"Dum spiro spero."

Rajah's Standard: The personal flag of the Rajah introduced ~1870

The Rajah flies a yellow forked flag, charged with a cross per pale sable and gules charged with a crown and with the red lateral arm of the cross extended saltirewise to each point of the fork."

When the Sarawak Gazette first launched in XX it did not use a coat of arms. Starting with Vol. VII issue No. 127 - Tuesday, 16th January, 1877 it used a simple coat of arms displaying a shield crested with a brock proper and a cross per pale. At first glance it looks like the left side is black, but the left side is intended to represent red. On closer inspection we see there is hatching which is used to indicate colour in heraldry when printed in monochrome - vertical lines on the left indicating gules (red), crossed lines on the right indicating sable (black).

In Vol. XVII. Issue No. 260 - Thursday, September 1, 1887 of the Sarawak Gazette the Sarawak coat of arms is updated again. A wreath has been added, the motto is displayed and the shield has been changed to a french heater style shield and now has hatching to indicate that it is gold. The cross still shows vertical lines on the left and crossed lines on the right.

Once Charles Vyner Brooke succeeded his father Charles on 24 May 1917 he also took on the blue and black cross per cross of the Rajah of Sarawak's as Arms of assumption.

By 1919 the hatchings on the cross printed in the Sarawak Gazette's header have switched sides.

In 1928 Charles Vyner wanted to create an order for Sarawak to be awarded with the Sarawak Star. When checking regulatory requirements with the British College of Arms in giving awards to British subjects it was discovered that since Sarawak was officially an independent country and the Rajah was an independent soverign, he could use any arms he wanted to represent himself.

Bertram noted that just like the North Borneo company's arms, the Brooke coat of arms was entitled to have supporters. The Sarawak coat of arms undergoes another design change and is described in Burke's "Landed Gentry" as:

Arms - Or, a cross per pale sable and gules, Bearing in the first quarter an estoile azure, the shield ensigned with a five-pointed Eastern crown of the first garnished with an onyx of the second and two rubies of the third.

Supporters - On the dexter side a Malay “Datu” garbed as of yore, and on the sinister side a Dyak woman in gala costume, both proper.

Badges - Within an annulet sable, an Eastern crown of five points of the same flubriated or, and ensigned with the legend SARAWAK in Roman capital letters.

Motto: - In Arabic characters the Malay words “Haraplah an-lagi Bernafas”

Upon cession to the crown, the Colony of Sarawak was granted a new coat of arms by the College of Arms on 10 March 1947: Or on a Cross per pale Sable and Gules an antique Crown of the field [Coll. Arms Ms I.81.181]

Anthony Brooke the Rajah Muda fought against the British cession and wanted to keep and use the Sarawak coat of arms in Britain. The case went to court, he was denied the use of the Sarawak coat of arms in Britain, but if he wanted to he could use the coat blue & black cross per cross coat of arms awarded to Sir James Brooke on 8 Nov 1848 as Arms of Assumption. His descendants were not allowed to take on these arms since the Raj of Sarawak ceased to exist.