Of Rajahs and Hornbills: A timeline of Brooke Sarawak
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Perkahwinan of the Rajah: Part 1
Cempaka Murang, The Hidden Trials of the Brookes (Kenyalang Publishing: 1999)
...The issue of marriage was always a matter of uneasiness. Then Charles Brooke and his presumptive heir died.
And with that, a large hole was blasted through the carefully planned succession of the Brooke family. When the children of Rajah Charles and Ranee Margaret grew up, it was decided that each son would be educated in the art of ruling and traditional warmaking so that Sarawak would enter into capable hands once the parents passed. But for that to happen, the children would trade their teenage and young adult years that would usually have included a search for a wife (or in Dayang Lily's case, a husband), a paradigm that characterised their princely peers in Europe.
Back then, the subject of marriage was one that few dared touch. Rajah's Charles' own marriage to Ranee Margaret was a quick and rather dry affair (and one that hid a secret that would explode in his son Clayton's face) (A). Afterwards, the pair kept a somewhat strained yet respectful relationship; Ranee Margaret grew to love her new home, but she also carried a strong and inquisitive personality of her own that sometimes clashed with her husband's. The fights they had over their children's education were perhaps the most famous, though many books tried to downplay Charles and Margaret’s preferences for tutors as ‘scuffles’ [1]. Regardless, there was enough respect for each other that both husband and wife agreed to postpone their sons' marriages, "...until they are old enough to know how to govern Sarawak." as Margaret wrote in her memoirs. (B)
But the arrangement did not extend to their daughter Lily, and plans to find her a husband were set afoot as soon as she reached adulthood. But as the eldest and only daughter of the family grew into an eligible princess royal, Lily began to throw off her parents’ expectations; to Charles and Margaret’s dismay, Lily carried both her mother and father's self-willed personalities. After returning home from boarding school in England – a rite of passage for all the children once they reached adolescence – she moved out of the Astana into her own bungalow on Kuching’s outskirts, using her new freedom to entertain her own circle of friends and foreign figures. She also embarked on personal tours of Sarawak and Southeast Asia throughout the 1890’s, raising eyebrows for a Sarawakian society that was still conservative on women’s issues.
However, not even headstrong Lily could withstand the prospect of parental arrangements. But both the Rajah and Ranee had different ideas of what marriage meant. Charles preferred a match with a local or regional notable that would anchor his daughter and family to Sarawak – in fact, this idea for European-local mixing was espoused several times throughout his reign – while Margaret sought a man picked from European nobility or aristocracy to further the kingdom’s connections to high places. At times, the two would get into arguments over the issue, with many Malay nobles and Dayak chieftains commenting on how their voices could be heard from the Astana’s private rooms. A few even tried to nudge the couple towards their own candidates, but they were all rebuffed. The search for a groom would be a family matter.
Witnessing the commotion, Lily decided to act.
It was on one of her regional tours in the mid-1890s that a chance encounter was had with a certain Conrad Alexander Leadley, a son of British Penang. Born from transplanted British parents and employed as the manager of a shipping firm, he was actually connected to British high society as a distant relative of the Earls of Mansfield – albeit through an illegitimate line. First encountering each other in Singapore, the pair began a secret correspondence and met periodically across the Malay archipelago, growing close with every encounter. There was much for Lily to find him favourable: Conrad knew Malay, had a good knack for local culture, could handle the tropical environment well, and (most of all) had a cool head when faced with dangerous situations. When the subject of marriage reared up, the choice was easy for the Ranee Muda. On May 1899, Conrad visited Kuching.
To say that Charles and Margaret were shocked was putting it mildly; they intended their daughter to be married to their preferred choice(s), not to pick a spouse on her own. Charles was particularly suspicious of the man’s knack for business and economics, fearing that he could influence Sarawak to be opened to mass-exploitation along the lines of Malaya or the Spanish Philippines. Nevertheless, Conrad’s noble links were highly-sought for a kingdom that depended on powerful connections, and Sarawak’s riverine nature meant that a figure that could aid in local shipping was sorely welcomed. After much deliberation and a further round of arguments, both parents gave their assent, Charles begrudgingly.
And his fears were half-right. Following a private ceremony in Singapore in 1900, the new addition did not exactly settle down as the Rajah and Ranee hoped. Conrad relinquished his managerial position in Penang but continued to be involved in the shipping business, raising official eyebrows at such a conflict of interest. He was also a persistent critic of Rajah Charles’ economic policies, claiming that Sarawak’s reluctance to enact large-scale economic policies, particularly in forestry, and the kingdom’s hesitance in allowing international corporations for exploitation hindered local Malays and Dayaks from development. “While I do recognize the traditional customs and cherished nature of the inhabitants of Sarawak, it is only through the introduction of favourable laws towards the lands and forests can they be brought to a developed world”, he wrote in a journal entry in 1903.
Photograph of Conrad Alexander Leadley, while in London, circa 1898.
Still, there was no question that he cared for Lily, and this was quickly shown by the birth of a son, Walter Leadley Brooke in 1901, followed by Elizabeth Margaret Brooke in 1902 – their surnames alone a large break from traditional British convention. The couple’s bungalow in Kuching became a favourite haunt for Ranee Margaret and the Astana’s entourage of noblewomen, and the toys gifted and poems written in the childrens’ honour spoke clearly how much they were adored. Conrad also put his weight into Sarawak’s modernization by helping out in the mushrooming of dockyards, piers, and warehouses along the kingdom’s coasts and river basins, partially mollifying the rift between him and his father-in-law.
So when Conrad died in a shipping accident in 1904, it wasn’t surprising that Charles himself wrote a personal eulogy in the Sarawak Gazette.
If the death of Lily’s husband was a shock to the family, the deaths of Rajah Charles and Rajah Muda Clarke Brooke the following year were a catastrophe. In a single stroke, the kingdom’s succession now rested on a 32-year old twin son and his 4-year old nephew. From the moment the family’s glorious dead were interred in Kuching’s St. Thomas’ Cemetery, a new consensus was forged among the Supreme Council, the local notables, and the now-Dowager Ranee Margaret: the Rajah needs to marry.
But with the Great War tearing apart oceanic sea routes for the foreseeable future, it would be difficult to find a prospective wife from Britain or the European mainland, much less one that would be comfortable with Sarawakian life. And as the months went on, it was clear that the new Rajah Clayton and widowed Lily Brooke had little interest in marrying spouses (or in one case, a new spouse) to continue the family, despite the urging of fellow nobles and their mother in particular. When those months turned into years, Dowager Margaret decided it was enough, and began to assemble a group of her own gossipers and informants, sifting through local, regional, and international notables to find a good match. In effect, her indifferent children forced the Dowager Ranee to play matchmaker.
And the options were notable options. With Rajah Charles’ wish for a localised Brooke dynasty now as dead as himself, Dowager Margaret’s own wish for a spouse coming from blue-blooded aristocracy and nobility took centre stage. Though there were hurdles, Margaret de Windt and Conrad Leadley had themselves shown that British aristocrats and illegitimate nobles can adapt to a Sarawak environment. Still, there was also an understanding that any future spouse into the Brooke family must carry certain crucial traits. One list, hastily scribbled by Fatin Aminah, a daughter of a Kuching notable, listed the conditions as follows:
- An understanding of Malay- or easily teachable.
- No political problems.
- Willingness to eat the local food and live “rough.”
- Know how to understand and talk to the Orang Sarawak (the Sarawak people).
And so, the search began. Letters and telegrams were sent out to Margaret’s relatives in Great Britain and Europe in a bizarre kind of spousal networking, calling out here and there for: “any hot leads?”
Meanwhile, transplanted British, Dutch, and other European immigrants to Southeast Asia were assessed and debated by the Astana on their suitability as spouses. One early candidate family were the Michałowskis of Dutch Medan; transplanted Polish barons that had fled Europe after the failed January Uprising of 1863 [2]. They had since become the first family of Medan, but the Astana quickly noted how their steadfast Catholic faith could make the Michałowskis very unpalatable to northern Sabahans, who were still stung after 25 years of Italian Catholic proselytization. Another potential lead was the daughter of Emma Eliza Coe, a Samoan-American born from mixed-race parents to a branch of the Samoan Malietoa dynasty [3]. Settling in the Papuan colony of Kaiser-Wilhelmsland, she had used commerce and coercion to become the largest landowner in the colony with 100,000 hectares to her name. However, her eye for native exploitation and the unsafe conditions of New Guinea’s seas dimmed her prospects significantly.
But as 1906 went forward into 1907, word of the Astana’s search began to leak out from the palace’s walls. Newspapers in Johor and beyond began noting Rajah Clayton’s celibacy and Ranee Muda Lily’s widowhood, leading to an ever-growing flood of letters and missives from transplanted European, American, and even Australian families clamouring on their sons and daughters’ pedigrees and eligibility for the Brookes. A few suitors even attempted to woo the Brooke siblings personally by travelling to Kuching in the hopes of encountering them…
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The Astana, Kuching, Kingdom of Sarawak, 13 April 1907
The Astana, Kuching, Kingdom of Sarawak, 13 April 1907
“…And don’t you come back!!”
Margaret had never been so scared, or enraged.
Watching the portly Anglo-Indian stalker being carried away by the garden-guards, his tailored suit now crimped from heavy handling, she let out a frustrated breath. Good riddance. It was already a headache trying to sift through the endless stream of letters and proposals, but the recent presence of suitors and bachelors now streaming into Kuching was something else. To think he’d be this scarily persistent…
“Rajah Ranee, are you alright?”
Margaret turned around. Despite her age, it was nice that she could still move almost as good as in her youth. The servant girl’s features relaxed at her slight smile. “I’m fine. Are the others?”
“They’re alright.” And with that, Margaret allowed the servant to lead her back to the drawing room… and to the chaos that lied within it. The pile of letters on the floor seemed to barely diminish since she and the fellow noblewomen of Kuching set themselves to clear it earlier in the day. As it is, the other women looked just as affronted at what happened.
“What a vulgar person!” Dayang Lehut snapped out loud. “I hope the guards gave him a piece of our minds!”
“Have you called the police, Rajah Ranee? I don’t think that Indian man should be anywhere around other women or in public, especially since he may try to break in again to court you.” Lady Kamariah was similarly displeased.
“Don’t worry, everyone. I have already called the police to let them handle the intruder, and to place more guards around here to catch anymore trespassers.” Margaret suppressed a shiver. Having young men and women ask the Astana for an audience with Lily and Clayton was bad enough, but to have people be obsessed with her… “Anyways, have you found anything good?”
“Well, there is this one letter from… I think a prince of Siam?” Dayang Lehut took out an envelope from the pile and unfurled it at Margaret. “It’s written in fancy English, and I can barely understand half the words.”
Oh no, not this one again. Margaret already knew as took out the paper which particular prince Lehut meant. Some of the Siamese royal household have intermarried with foreigners and westerners, hoping to emulate the colourful courts of Johor and Aceh. However, this has also meant coming under the wrath of the monarchical establishment, which has since began to strip them of all their fineries, royal allowances, titles, and even the succession. Prince Vajiravudh [4], how we meet again. And how I will not arrange a match between your newborn babies with our future ones.
“Excuse me, Rajah Ranee and Dayang-Dayang.” The chief household executioner Aminul Fakhri announced himself by the doorway. “The postman has just arrived with another set of letters.”
“Already!?” Lady Kamariah was shocked. “But we aren’t done finishing this pile!”
“Let me take care of it.” As Margaret began to stand up, something on a nearby chair caught her eye. It was a Singaporean newspaper, one of the periodicals that she placed here and there in the room, unread, as she was too busy to read earlier that morning. But one article on the front page looked somewhat peculiar…
Margaret reached out and unfurled the paper. As she skimmed, she barely noticed how everyone in the room went quiet, or how her eyes seemed to widen with every passing paragraph.
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Cocos-Keeling Islands, One Week Earlier
Cocos-Keeling Islands, One Week Earlier
Roger Alton secured the machine gun. It was time for lunch.
A light wind blew as he checked his materials before handing the position over to his replacement. Overhead, the leaves of the coconut palms swayed and rustled, annoying the local birds and casting dappled shadows upon the sandy ground. Elsewhere up the beach, Roger could see several others similarly exchanging their spots and heading up for a bite.
What a place.
Despite the goings-on, Roger found himself wondering time and time again on the place he was now deployed in. It was one thing to fight in a war, but another to fight in a place like this; a string of green pearls floating in the middle of the Indian Ocean. With no hills whatsoever and colourful reefs surrounding the entire chain, it seemed as if the Cocos Islands belonged to another state of existence altogether; somewhere where time stood still and the pace of life slowed to a leisurely amble. The local Cocos Malays were just as unhurried, taking their time in the coconut fields and carousing with each other as easily as if they were all one family. It was as if the Great War never reached here at all.
Well, not quite.
Even from here, Roger could see the broken hulk of the Marmont in the distance, stuck aground on the outlying reef and pounded continuously by the sea and surf. Hardly anyone expected French Madagascar to hold out into this year, and barely anyone even conceived of the remaining French and Italian warships churning their way to the Cocos and shut down the islands’ telegraph station, not to mention cutting off the undersea cables. [5] To think West Australia’s connection with India and South Africa rests on this place.
Still, he sometimes wondered. Growing up in the outback, Roger was more familiar with the wild than anything else. When this whole war is over and I return back to Perth… I wonder if I could come back here and stay a while longer…
As he thought, his feet took him on the dirt path that winded through the trees, leading back to the Navy grounds. But there was already two older men walking along the path up ahead, and now they turned around to see who is coming up behind.
Immediately, Roger could see that one of them was his commanding officer, and he saluted accordingly. But the other…
“Sir Clunies-Ross, I presume?”
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Notes:
Firstly, thanks to @fustrated progressive for helping me in editing this piece.
By Jove, it's a wall of text! Top tip: be careful if you want to skim over important characters to write something else, or you'll have to fill in their existence later and be trapped by what you have already written.
(A.) Anyone who knows Brooke history (or saw the comments two pages back) knows well what this is.
(B.) Marrying late was a hallmark of the Brooke family in OTL. Bertram Brooke married when he was 28 years old while his brother, Charles Vyner Brooke, married at the age of 37!
1. An example of these ‘scuffles’ can be found in post #783.
2. For more background information on the Michałowski family, see post #1445.
3. For a backgrounder on Emma Coe, see post #1034.
4. Prince Vajiravudh of TTL is partially based on Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, the 40th child of king Chulalongkorn who married the Russian Ekaterina Desnitskaya IOTL. Here, it is Vajiravudh who marries a European spouse, but is still facing the wrath of the court for doing so.
5. Those that know of the German navy in WWI can probably see parallels with the S.M.S Emden.
2. For more background information on the Michałowski family, see post #1445.
3. For a backgrounder on Emma Coe, see post #1034.
4. Prince Vajiravudh of TTL is partially based on Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, the 40th child of king Chulalongkorn who married the Russian Ekaterina Desnitskaya IOTL. Here, it is Vajiravudh who marries a European spouse, but is still facing the wrath of the court for doing so.
5. Those that know of the German navy in WWI can probably see parallels with the S.M.S Emden.
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More of a complete ATL character I made as a result of not paying attention to family matters and a complete dunce in European nobility and aristocracy. His illegitimacy (ancestor born from an affair) and far distance from British high society was the reason Conrad ended up in Penang.
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True. Also, the number of British blue-bloods that a) has proficiency in Malay, and b) has adapted to long-term life by the equator, and c) religiously and culturally open, is a paltry few. Hence, an entriely new character.
And with that, I think it goes without saying that from here on out, OTL characters are going to be phased out as alternate marriages, births, and deaths begin to take hold. Of course, we shall see recognizable figures well into the 1930's, but by then they will be mostly eclipsed by an entirely new generation.
You'd think there'd at least be one gold digger frantically leafing through "Malay for Dummies" at least though.
Had he have married earlier he might have actually had a son
.This was a nice chapter. I kind of wish the Brooke's had taken the opportunity to marry a distant relative of the Thai monarchy, but understand why you chose the route you did. Given that we the reader know why Clayton is celibate, it will take something of a miracle for him to sire a son, but here's hoping.
Nah, given the time period, most empire-loving gold diggers would have read this.
(I wasted half an hour to make that with no regrets)
Honestly, that will be most people's reaction on being asked about the Clunies-Ross.
To be fair, some of the Thai princes and princesses are piqued indeed at what's going on in Sarawak. But standards aside, the Thai establishment's reaction to marrying foreigners makes the suitors look a little bit too desperate to save their own skin and privileges for the Astana's taste.Had he have married earlier he might have actually had a son
This was a nice chapter. I kind of wish the Brooke's had taken the opportunity to marry a distant relative of the Thai monarchy, but understand why you chose the route you did. Given that we the reader know why Clayton is celibate, it will take something of a miracle for him to sire a son, but here's hoping.
And what you said is definitely going to be... a bit of a problem. Whatever happens next, it's going to be really awkward for Clayton.
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Given the number of gay men even today, who are married and have children, it seems likely to me that he could 'lie back and think of Sarawak', to mangle a phrase.
Would the marriage be a happy one? Not likely. But he can probably sire an heir if he has to.
In 21th c. romantic terms, his best bet would be to marry a woman who wasn't interested in sex (with men), either Ace or Lesbian. Then once an heir is secured, they both proceed discreetly with their own preferences.
Realistically, in the time period, his best bet is someone realizes that powerful men have affairs, and ignores it. (Mostly)
Nope. Even today most noble titles can only be passed to 'heirs of my body', I believe.
Back then? Nope. No way. No how.
Or passing the buck to his nephew. I'm half thinking it's the Brooke's tradition already.
So the rude customer was just a stalker? Hope the police put "Mr. My Daddy's a Big Deal In Rangoon" in the roughest cell. If he would take such liberty with royalty I shudder to think how he treats women in general.
Well the hunt is on and the poor Ranee having children so uncooperative in marriage even as they excel in so much else to make you proud; this too is a duty after all. And he has suffered as well in all of this. Charles may not have been her love but I doubt he meant nothing to her. And Clarke was her son too.
Poor Clayton, I hope his bride will end up being someone that can be his friend and supporter, dude has had it rough. He deserves better than some awkward arrangement or being hassled for all his life for not getting hitched. As for siring children, my understanding is that varies; I'd just put a question mark on his ability there until given more evidence one way or the other.
I admit I am saddened at the shift toward a Eurocentric spouse pool. A Siamese or Japanese match would make me cheer in particular. Not that I am worried this; TL makes my short list, and as such I am certain whatever you decide on this you will do so with the excellence I have come to expect from this work.
Well the hunt is on and the poor Ranee having children so uncooperative in marriage even as they excel in so much else to make you proud; this too is a duty after all. And he has suffered as well in all of this. Charles may not have been her love but I doubt he meant nothing to her. And Clarke was her son too.
Poor Clayton, I hope his bride will end up being someone that can be his friend and supporter, dude has had it rough. He deserves better than some awkward arrangement or being hassled for all his life for not getting hitched. As for siring children, my understanding is that varies; I'd just put a question mark on his ability there until given more evidence one way or the other.
I admit I am saddened at the shift toward a Eurocentric spouse pool. A Siamese or Japanese match would make me cheer in particular. Not that I am worried this; TL makes my short list, and as such I am certain whatever you decide on this you will do so with the excellence I have come to expect from this work.
Apologies for the late replies! My laptop got misplaced and
That is a complete horrific butchering of the phrase and yet somehow I love it.
That is... if an heir can be sired.
@NickBana got it closer than most. The Brooke family did not follow the standard father-to-son succession order in the early generations. James Brooke was childless and originally wanted his nephew, John Brooke Johnson, to inherit Sarawak. By all accounts, the lad was active in governing Kuching in the Rajah's absence, but he got knocked-off the succession later on due to 'treason', though the specifics are unclear. James then turned to another nephew, Charles, to be his heir and the rest was history.
Having another nephew wouldn't be out of place for Clayton Brooke in TTL, but doing so would entail networking through the family branch and have that nephew come to Sarawak to be trained in governing an actual country, which is... a tad difficult, given the unsafe seas. And because of that - and because it's just simpler - his sister Lily's son, Walter Leadley Brooke, is now the presumptive heir.
I think (and this is coming from someone who knows little of early 20th century European royal/colonial sexuality) it's one thing to have an affair, but quite another to have one of the same-sex. Ignoring it as 'out-of-sight, out of mind' is something most of high society practiced then (and even now), and Clayton may follow in that path. Then again, most royal houses don't travel deep in the jungle heading auxiliary forces of indigenous peoples, and their lips are far more loose and their sexual matters far more flexible.
In any case, whomsoever marries Clayton would have to deal with that fact. As for whether they will try to keep it quiet....
That is a complete horrific butchering of the phrase and yet somehow I love it.
That is... if an heir can be sired.
@NickBana got it closer than most. The Brooke family did not follow the standard father-to-son succession order in the early generations. James Brooke was childless and originally wanted his nephew, John Brooke Johnson, to inherit Sarawak. By all accounts, the lad was active in governing Kuching in the Rajah's absence, but he got knocked-off the succession later on due to 'treason', though the specifics are unclear. James then turned to another nephew, Charles, to be his heir and the rest was history.
Having another nephew wouldn't be out of place for Clayton Brooke in TTL, but doing so would entail networking through the family branch and have that nephew come to Sarawak to be trained in governing an actual country, which is... a tad difficult, given the unsafe seas. And because of that - and because it's just simpler - his sister Lily's son, Walter Leadley Brooke, is now the presumptive heir.
I think (and this is coming from someone who knows little of early 20th century European royal/colonial sexuality) it's one thing to have an affair, but quite another to have one of the same-sex. Ignoring it as 'out-of-sight, out of mind' is something most of high society practiced then (and even now), and Clayton may follow in that path. Then again, most royal houses don't travel deep in the jungle heading auxiliary forces of indigenous peoples, and their lips are far more loose and their sexual matters far more flexible.
In any case, whomsoever marries Clayton would have to deal with that fact. As for whether they will try to keep it quiet....
Hehehe... will you believe me when I say I have planned for them to appear here since 2 years ago?
I confess: I originally wanted our 'My Daddy's a Special Someone' man to be a suitor for Lily Brooke, but the idea of a pompous and over-righteous clout-chaser going for Ranee Margaret was both hilarious and deeply terrifying. After one too many tries of wooing the Dowager via. intruding on the Astana, he is headed for the dankest cell in the Kuching jail.
Their love was an odd one. IOTL, Charles married her primarily for the money of her family dowry (Margaret's aristocratic family was fairly well-off) and there were times when he terrified her during their years in Sarawak. But there were other times when they clicked and the royal couple found themselves in agreement over certain issues, and Margaret herself did grew to admire her new life and children, although she only stayed in Kuching for a decade or so. In TTL, she has been residing in Sarawak for far far longer, and her children are truly brought up the country as royal Sarawakians as well as her pride and joy - despite the self-willed nature of Lily and the bickering of the twins.
I have so many things to say, but I don't know if I can say it.
I'll just note that we haven't even seen what kind of person Clayton is marrying into.In terms of Eurocentricity, can I at least say that the family Clayton is marrying does have some Malay blood? though in what quantities are a matter of dispute.
A match with a royal, noble or aristocratic household of Asia is - while really plausible - sadly one too early for Sarawak under Margaret's matchmaking. Since the next generation of royals are being brought up locally, though, we might see the new generation taking things more differently than their open-but-still-Victorian grandmother. Margaret Brooke won't live forever, and Lily may find some of her headstrong personality coming back to wallop her once Walter and Elizabeth grows up.
And thank you for thinking so greatly of this TL! It really means a lot to me.
Now the question remains, is he gonna be on a ride back to Rangoon with a very interesting note sent ahead to all the local papers, to humiliate him, or will they be inviting his father to come pick up his wayward charge?
Given the man is now charged with breaking and entering, not to mention accosting a person of royalty and harassing the local nobility, it's going to be goddamn hard to keep his actions a secret. Given that Clayton's away in north-central Sarawak to deliver a verdict as chief of the High Court (he's goddamn lucky the Rajah's not home), Daddy's Boy will be shipped-off to Rangoon with a laundry list of his crimes for his father and the local papers to see.
Let's hope Rangoon is much kinder to him than Sarawak. The worst cells in the Kuching Jail are those that lay by the river, damp all year round.
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