19 Facts About Hugh Low

Sir Hugh Low, was a British colonial administrator and naturalist.

Hugh Low is often considered the first successful British administrator in the region, whose methods became models for subsequent British colonial operation in the entire South East Asia Region.

Hugh Low made the first documented ascent of Mount Kinabalu in 1851.

Hugh Low based himself in Singapore but soon joined James Brooke, the White Rajah, in Sarawak.

Hugh Low made Low his Colonial Secretary and William Napier Esq.

Hugh Low buried her and 14 other fever victims at night in his garden of new Government House which he designed, due to fear of the potential headhunting by the Dayaks ransacking of graves as they had earlier done at the Christian cemetery.

In Labuan, Hugh Low acquired administrative experience, fluency in Malay and an enduring reputation as a naturalist, and while there would set up various gardens, tame many animals and buy a plantation.

Hugh Low's move to Kuala Kangsar meant that he was able to visit him much more frequently than Birch could to Abdullah, who had refused to even live in the same kampong, and the Raja would visit him almost every day, regardless of summons.

Hugh Low thus made visiting and consulting the various chiefs an immediate priority, and found that whilst all were polite, the differing levels of exposure to Europeans led to significant variation in outlook, with more urban areas generally being more favorable to the British.

Hugh Low recognised however that this was a delicate process heavily dependent on his own judgement, and was always conscious of the risk of "being made a tool of".

Hugh Low helped set up the Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.

Hugh Low created a state council that included the principal Malay, Chinese and British leaders and was notably successful in making use of prominent local leaders at most levels of his administration.

Hugh Low worked closely with Raja Yusef and Raja Dris to restore order, pay off the state's debt of 800,000 Straits Dollars, and re-establish confidence in the British Residential system.

Innes attempted to implicate Hugh Low, accusing him of abetting the practice of slavery in Perak when he was actually trying to abolish it.

Apart from his administrative achievements, Hugh Low was involved in the experimental planting and research on commercial tropical crops including rubber, coffee, black pepper and tea.

Hugh Low created a model rubber plantation in Malaya although this is sometimes mis-attributed to Henry Ridley who continued the work after a decade.

Hugh Low collected specimens of plants and butterflies from the region.

On 1 August 1885, Sir Hugh Low married Ann Penelope Harriet Douglas, daughter of General Sir Robert Percy Douglas, 4th Baronet and Anne Duckworth.

Sir Hugh Low retired from his post as Resident of Perak in 1889, leaving a credit balance of 1.5 million Straits dollars.