Martina Rozells – Penang’s first First Lady
By Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng
April 2012 WINDOW INTO HISTORY
The text below was taken from pp. 27-28 of H.P. Clodd’s 1948 book, Malaya’s First British Pioneer. The Life of Francis Light (London: Luzac & Co) – quite thoroughly discusses Martina Rozells whom the founder of Penang “co-habited” with for at least 22 years before his death in 1794. With little known about her, a shroud of mystery had grown around her over time. We do know that she bore him two sons and three daughters, the most famous of...
Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng
is the Executive Director of Penang Institute. His latest book is Signals in the Noise: Notes on Penang, Malaysia and the World (Singapore: Faction Press) Homepage: wikibeng.com.
