These stamps from the William Stirling Collection were used by the Chinese secret societies in Singapore to validate their membership certificates, which members had to carry around at all times for identification purposes. Chinese secret societies in Singapore originated from the Tiandihui (Heaven and Earth Society) in China, a sworn fraternity formed by Chinese men with the common aim of overthrowing the Qing dynasty and restoring the Ming. With increased Chinese migration to Singapore and Malaya under British colonial rule, these local societies evolved to establish mutual aid and support for the Chinese migrants.
