page_title: Joseph William Torrey
section_title: Foundation of the Ellena Colony
hierarchical_section_title: Joseph William Torrey / Further career / Foundation of the Ellena Colony
caption_attribution_description: English: Thomas Bradley Harris and Joseph William Torrey, founders of the US colony "Ellena" on the Island of Borneo
context_page_description: Col. Joseph William Torrey, Rajah of Ambong and Marudu, was an American merchant, president of the American Trading Company of Borneo and co-founder of the American colony "Ellena" together with Thomas Bradley Harris on the island of Borneo. He was known as "Yankee Rajah" and served as a U.S. vice-consul to Siam.
context_section_description: In August 1865, the American consul in Brunei, Charles Lee Moses 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. Looking for a quick profit, the consul immediately sought buyers for his concessions following the signing of the lease. Moses bid raised the interest among his countrymen including Torrey himself and Thomas Bradley Harris. 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.
  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. Taking note of the fact that the acquisition of the concession of Moses was also recognized by the Sultan of Brunei, Torrey made a new concession letter drawn up on November 24, 1865 at the Brunei Palace provided with the seals of the Sultan and three of his ministers. 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".
  In December 1865, Torrey with 12 Americans and 60 Chinese founded the colony of "Ellena" and appointed himself as the governor, and Harris as vice-governor. His plans to make Ellena attractive to further settlers by cultivating sugarcane, tobacco and rice failed soon after. This was mainly caused by the unfortunate choice of the position of Ellenas; in the mouth of the sluggish Kimanis River which favored the outbreak of malaria and other diseases. The colony also lacked a solid financial base which meant that Torrey was forced to temporarily leave his own colony to his deputy, Harris to look for investors in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
  While Torrey desperately tried to raise additional funds in Hong Kong for his colony in Borneo, his friend Harris died of malaria on May 22, 1866. Torrey buried his business partner on the top of a nearby hill in his colony area in Borneo, now known as Governor's Hill. Torrey made the following inscription to his tombstone:
  As early as 1866, the American colony was abandoned because of a lack of capital, a lack of labor, riots among the workers and serious diseases. The end of Ellena left Torrey penniless. 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. The purchase price of $15,000 was linked to the condition that within nine months it was necessary to obtain an extension of the concessions from the ruler of Brunei.
caption: Thomas Bradley Harris (standing left) and Torrey (sitting right).
exif: {}