Joseph William Torrey
At first, he also learned the printing business and worked for several years in the company of his father, which brought him into contact with the satirical magazine, The Carpet-Bag, created and edited by Benjamin Penhallow Shillaber.
[3] In August 1865, the American consul in Brunei, Charles Lee Moses[note 2] concluded a 10-year lease with the Sultan Abdul Momin and his successor, Pengiran Temenggung who guaranteed land rights in various areas in the north of Borneo.
Blessed with exuberant reports of a land rich in gold, diamonds, precious stones, spices and treasures waiting to be delivered to the markets of Hong Kong and China, they bought the concessions of Moses in September 1865.
[9] In October 1865, Torrey and Harris, together with Chinese lenders Lee Assing and Pong Ampong under the American Trading Company of Borneo decided to build a colony in the area of today's Kimanis.
[10] The document confirms his concession acquisition which is not only guaranteed for Torrey to be the ruler of life and death, but the Sultan even gave him the title of "Rajah of Ambong and Marudu".
[1][note 3] In December 1865, Torrey with 12 Americans and 60 Chinese founded the colony of "Ellena" and appointed himself as the governor, then bestowed by His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei as the Rajah of Ambong and Marudu, and Harris as vice-governor.
Driven on the one hand by the predominantly Chinese investors, unlike Charles Lee Moses who was still waiting for the payment of the purchase price, he tried to continue selling his rights profitably.
However, only nine years later, just before the ten-year term expired, Torrey succeeded in selling all rights to Baron von Overbeck from Germany in January 1876 in Hong Kong.
[2][13] In his capacity as a vice-consul, he also belonged to the American delegation who accompanied ex-President Ulysses S. Grant during his visit to meet Chulalongkorn, the king of Siam.
Although he already died, he still recognized by the government for representing his lost kingdom as his body was dressed in the uniform of a high oriental dignitary for three days before his black walnut coffin was taken to the St. James Episcopal Church.
