Biography of Hoo Ah Kay (Whampoa)

Hoo Ah Kay (Whampoa) (b. approx 1816, Whampoa, Guangdong - d. 27 March 1880, Singapore) was a noted Chinese businessman who ran Whampoa & Co., and, with an uncommon mastery over English, to be the first Chinese and Asian member of the Legislative and later Executive Council of the Straits Settlements in the 1860s and 1870s. He was also noted for entertaining dinners at his Whampoa home, renamed Bendemeer House and his fascinating Whampoa Gardens. At the same time, Hoo Ah Kay (Whampoa) was a shopkeeper who supplied ships with bread and vegetables. He also owned a bakery and an accessories shop. He owned a large gambier plantation and he was the first businessman who produced cash crops in large amount.

Hoo Ah Kay was born in Huangpo (Whampoa), Canton (Guangdong). He arrived in Singapore in 1830, a 15-year old eager to work for his father.