This is a court summon issued on 17 November 1845 by the Court of Commissioners for the Recovery of Small Debts over the sum of 2 Spanish dollars meant to be paid as quit rent. It is part of a collection of legal documents from the 19th and early 20th centuries which provides a glimpse into the work of the notable personalities who left their mark on Singapore’s legal history, and the economic and other transactions undertaken by ordinary immigrants in 19th century Singapore that tell stories of misfortune and indebtedness which would otherwise have disappeared from history.
