The arrival of Scots in Java is intertwined with the advent
of Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1811. Among those who made their mark was
Alexander Loudon, an English soldier of Scottish origin. Despite the end of
Raffles’ administration, Loudon and his descendants remained in Java. His son,
James Loudon, formed a close friendship with Johannes van den Bosch, the
architect of the cultuurstelsel system in the Dutch East Indies. This bond led
to James securing management rights over indigo plantations in Pekalongan in
1830 and near Semarang in 1832.
Another notable figure in this Scottish influx was Gillian
Maclaine, who arrived in Batavia in 1817 as part of the British East India
Company (EIC) and East India Houses (EIH). According to Ulbe Bosma in “The
Cultivation System (1830–1870) and Its Private Entrepreneurs on Colonial Java,”
by 1823, 28 Scottish men over the age of 16 were residing in Java. Despite
being part of Great Britain, these Scots were counted separately from the 65
English men present at the time.
Gillian Maclaine, only 22 when he first set foot in Batavia,
hailed from a family of sheep farmers on the Movern Peninsula in the Scottish
Highlands. His background facilitated connections with other Highland Scots,
strengthening his foothold in Java. Among his key contacts was Colin McLean, a
ship captain trading in the Indian and Southeast Asian regions, who became his
principal business partner in exporting plantation commodities from Java and
the Dutch East Indies.
Maclaine also collaborated with Edward Watson, a senior
figure at EIH. In 1827, they founded Maclaine Watson, a trading firm that
became a significant player in the commodity trade, headquartered in Batavia
with branches in Semarang and Surabaya. They traded coffee from plantations in
Surakarta and sugar from plantations in Semarang and Surabaya, employing
workers from various groups, including Germans, Chinese, and local natives.
The success of Maclaine Watson in 1902 aroused envy in the
Dutch East Indies Government, which viewed the firm as a threat due to its
monopolistic tendencies. This rivalry was understandable, given that the
government’s Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij (NHM) felt threatened by
Maclaine Watson’s dominance.
Gillian Maclaine opened doors for other Scottish diasporas,
especially in Java, his domain. The MacNeill brothers, John and Alexander, who
were from the same area in Scotland, joined him in Java. They were mentioned by
G. Roger Knight in his work “Trade and Empire in Early Nineteenth-Century
Southeast Asia: Gillian Maclaine and his Business Network” as founders of
MacNeill and Co., a firm that supported Maclaine Watson’s operations in
Semarang. MacNeill and Co., often seen as the juniors to Maclaine Watson,
contributed to a sense of a Highland Scottish business dynasty in Java.
Although less renowned than Gillian Maclaine, McLachlan also
made his mark. If Maclaine was the Scottish ruler of sugar and coffee,
McLachlan ruled over tea plantations, bolstered by his marriage to Wilhelmina
Francois (Meinje) van der Hucht, from a family of tea plantation owners in West
Java.
The Scots in Java were not only adept at business but also
skilled at leveraging their networks, reading trends, seizing opportunities,
and even strengthening their positions through marriage. Their influence
extended beyond plantations into other business and economic spheres. For
instance, within Gillian Maclaine’s network, William Menzies owned a villa in
the mountains south of Jakarta, which Gillian described as higher than Ben
Nevis, Scotland’s highest peak.
Alexander Fraser, a committee member of De Javasche Bank in
the 1870s, and his older brother, Arthur Fraser, who played a significant role
in developing Java’s railway, further exemplified Scottish influence. Their
presence in Java, though a minority, was significant and impactful.
To explore this Scottish legacy, one can visit the Museum
Taman Prasasti Jakarta, where tombstones with Scottish names, such as John
Lorimer and James Macnair, provide a historical record. Lorimer, a doctor born
in Edinburgh, and Macnair, a trader from St. Ninians, Stirling District,
highlight the enduring presence of Scots in Java.
These Scottish names, though few, demonstrate their
considerable contributions to Java, deserving a place in Indonesian
historiography. Their legacy of commerce, influence, and integration into local
society is a testament to their adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit.
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