Sophia Hull

Sophia Hull

Sophia, Lady Raffles (born Hull; 5 May 1786 – 12 December 1858) was the second wife of Sir Stamford Raffles. Sir Stamford Raffles was a botanist and is well-known as the founder of modern Singapore.

Her life was closely tied to the history of Singapore during its early development. As the wife of such an important figure, Sophia played a part in the social and cultural life of the time. Her marriage to Raffles connected her to the major changes happening in Southeast Asia in the early 19th century.

Early life

Sophia Hull was born in Millman Street, London, England. Her parents were James Watson Hull and his wife Sophia (née Hollamby). She met Stamford Raffles in Cheltenham and they married on 22 February. At that time, Sophia was thirty years old and her husband was thirty-five.

Sophia, Lady Raffles

Sir Stamford Raffles was married before to Olivia Mariamne Devenish. Olivia was older than him and she passed away in 1814 in West Java, which is now part of Indonesia. Raffles was very sad about her death and built a memorial for her that is still there today. They did not have any children together.

Married life

Sophia had five children with Sir Stamford Raffles: two sons and three daughters. Their first child, Charlotte, was born during a trip to Sumatra shortly after they married. Sadly, their children faced health problems because of diseases in tropical areas, and most of them passed away while overseas. Only their daughter Ella was sent back to Britain for better care.

After Sir Stamford passed away in 1826, Sophia decided to write his biography. She completed it and it was published in 1830. Her daughter Ella became engaged to John Sumner, but sadly, Ella fell ill and passed away in 1840 before their wedding could take place. This loss was very hard for Sophia.

Death

Sophia, Lady Raffles, lived at Highwood House in Highwood Hill, Middlesex. She passed away there when she was 72 years old. She was buried in the graveyard of St Paul's Church in Mill Hill. After her death, her husband's nephew, Rev William Charles Raffles Flint, wanted to sell Sir Stamford Raffles' collection of items, called the 'Raffles Collection', to the British Museum in London, but they did not buy it. Later, Raffles Flint donated the collection to the British Museum.