The star-shaped Fort Cornwallis stands at the place where Francis Light and crew landed on August 11th, 1786 to "take possession" of the island of Penang. Before that the island belonged to the Sultan of Kedah.
Do You Know That
- The largest intact historical fortress in Malaysia.
- The site where the fort was built is actually the first place where Light disembarked from his ship in 1768.
- Even though the main purpose of the Fort was built because of Military purpose, the Fort has never been attack by the Sultan of Kedah, Pirates or the French.
- It was used mainly for administrative function of East India Company.
- When Captain Francis Light landed in Penang in 1786, on the cape which today becomes George Town, he built a simple stockade out of nibong palms.
- The tip of Penang Island where Fort Cornwallis was located was called Fort Point. Fort Cornwallis was named after the Governor-General of Bengal, Charles Marquis Cornwallis.
- Since the late 19th century, a lighthouse stands on the northeast side of Fort Cornwallis, and is today known as the Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse.
Three years later, in 1789, with convict labour imported from India, Francis Light rebuilt Fort Cornwallis in bricks in the same star-shaped size and layout. The total cost of the reconstruction, completed in 1793, was 67,000 Spanish Dollars. Cannons were mounted along the perimeter.
Do You Know That
- Forn Cornwallis was originally encircled by a 27-feet wide, 6-feet deep moat. It was filled up in the 1920s to prevent malaria (there was an epidemic which hit Penang then).
- The fort is one of the first European structures in Penang. Fort Cornwallis is probably the only remaining fort built by the British in this part of the world.
Do You Know That
Chapel
- The first chapel built in Penang located at the south west of the Fort.
- The first recorded service was the marriage of Francis Light's widow, Martina Rozens to John Timmers in 1799.
Cell
- First was used as a barracks to house a company of European artillery, then converted to cell rooms.
Gunpowder Magazine
- Built in 1814, it's thick wall can contain any major explosion in it.
Seri Rambai Cannon
- One the jewel of the Fort. Located at the North West of the Fort, it has more than 400 years of history. It's has a unique design.
- Cast in 1603, given by the Dutch to Sultan of Johor in 1606.
- Kidnapped by the Portuguese and taken to Java, then they donated to Acheh and installed at Kuala Selangor.
- Finally the British seized it and installed it at the Fort.
- Some locals believe that this particular canon can have a positive effect on a woman's fertility.
The East India Company traded in spices such as cloves, nutmeg and peppercorns. In the later half of the 18th century, the East India Company managed to obtain a monopoly on the trade in silk, with Canton (Guangzhou), China. However, there was no refueling station between China and the British base in India. Hence there was a need to find a suitable port for the British vessels to stop over.
The East India Company first took steps to find a base in Southeast Asia in 1763, but the missions were unsuccessful. The Director of the East India Company sent a message to the Madras Council to try once again to secure a settlement in or near the Straits of Malacca. While the message was still in passage, something else happened to helped the British secure the settlement they were seeking.
Captain Francis Light, a seaman who has established a trading station in Kedah for the Madras firm of Jourdain, Sullivan and De Souza put together a plan that practically solved the problem. Light suggested that the island of Penang would be a suitable station for the East India Company. At the same time, Light reported to his superiors at the Madras firm that the King of Kedah had granted him Kuala Kedah as well as the entire coast including Penang Island, in return for protection against Selangor. However, after a few letters to his superiors and having been ignored in these negotiations, a bitter Francis Light withdrew to Phuket. He continued his trading activities and maintained his relationship with the ruler of Kedah. On 15 February 1786, he wrote to the acting Governor-General of India, on the success of his mission in getting Penang, and on 11 August 1786, Francis Light took formal possession of Penang Island.
Do You Know That
- The Penang island was selected by the East India Company as it located near to Strait Of Malacca, known as the most important port in East Asia as well the whole world and in the world history.
- The original name for Georgetown was Tanjung Penaigre. Captain Francis Light named the settlement area as Georgetown after King George III from Britain.
- In 1790, Sultan of Kedah tried to take back Penang from the East India Company since the agreement made between Sultan of Kedah and Francis Light (as representative of the East India Company) to give military protection against the attacks from Siam and Burma did not happened. Under
- In 1790, when Sultan Abdullah of Kedah heard that the British would not give protection, he formed an army to get rid of the Dutch and the English. He assembled his men at Prai to retake the island of Penang but was defeated. Captain Francis Light had carried out night raids on the enemy's fortress. In 1791, Sultan Abdullah signed a treaty with the British handing over Penang Island to the British. Light promised to pay the Sultan 6,000 Spanish dollars annually. Today, almost two centuries later, the Penang State Government still pays RM 18,800.00 to the Sultan of Kedah annually.
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