To-gather in Singapore

Mowe Gathering in Singapore

The Boy With a Secret

Together with a wall of mist
A ship appeared by Borneo’s shore
Unloading from itself a secret
Hidden in young Shaliong’s heart

Did he from a Water Dragon,
Or Winged Horse or Clay Warrior run?
Did he a kingly father shamed,
or made proud a common man?

In this land of horned birds,
And saurian infested rivers,
The boy grew to a man,
Like a foreign plant tended.

13 children he fathered,
Then from his side they traveled,
Sailing from shore to shore,
Yet his secret he kept from them.

A daughter rode the dragon boat,
Up Norway’s northern fjord,
To Australia south a son had gone,
where marsupials hissed like devil spawned,
But nothing, nothing they found.

Sons and daughters danced and loved,
To the beat of tropical gongs,
The sea, the sky were peppered with stars,
But held none of his secret.

They know him not among Maori warriors,
Nor among the merchants of Singapore,
Neither in Boonville nor in Kansas,
Were walls found that carved his past.

Nobody could see the mist beyond,
From whence the boy had come,
For his secret he kept hidden,
Till the day he returned,
To Valhalla, Nirvana or Heaven
Only he knew the way home.

The Mystery Continues

Hand drawn portraits of Shaliong Mowe and his second wife, Gandang

Is Shaliong Mowe his original name? Where was he born? How did he end up in Sarawak? Why is it so difficult to learn more about him?

That being said, we do know a few things.

1. He was born in 1838 and died 30 Dec 1902 aged 61.
2. He is now buried in Sibu, in the compound of the St. John’s Anglican Church.
3. He came to Sarawak with two brothers, Mowe En Kui and Mowe Leong Kui.
4. He lived comfortably in Sibu, for the current location of the St. John’s Anglican Church in Sibu is sitting on a piece of land that was his.
5. He had 13 children from two wives (as per last confirmation).
6. He was involved in the early years of Anglican mission work in Sarawak because a book on the Propagation of the Gospel mentioned that William Chalmers, began the Land Dyak Mission in July, 1858 and ‘took with him Mow Sha Lioong, one of the older schoolboys as his interpreter’.
7. Bob Reece’s book ‘Datu Bandar’ mentioned that Shaliong Mowe was the chief clerk in the Sibu Resident’s Office at the time of his daughter Lucy’s marriage. The book also mentioned that he had been adopted by the Anglican mission in Kuching in the 1850′s.

As you can see, everything we do know about him, which is not much, is only after his arrival in Sarawak. Nothing else is known about his origin.

So I would like to appeal to all my cousins. Please talk with your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents. Find out as much as you can about him and about them. Dig through old papers, letters, certificates, photographs and scan them or take a digital picture. Write to me at gmowe@yahoo.com or leave a comment below and I will get back to you. A family book cannot be a personal endeavor. Everyone must be involved, else we will never get all the facts we need.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

The Sunday morning of 3^rd April 2011 came bright and clear. By the time I arrived, a group had already congregated outside the church. Subdued, quiet and a little more formal than the night before.

Slowly but surely they came, the descendants of Shaliong Mowe, milling around two buckets filled with tall chrysanthemum flowers. Like him, many have embraced different cultures and different faiths. But that morning they came with only one thought, visit the grave of their ancestor.

Standing there, in the newly renovated church compound, we all got a sense of being home. It is strange that feeling, that sense of belonging in an alien environment. Maybe it was because of the gravestone that bears the name S. Mowe, or maybe it was because of the preparations made by Patricia Mowe or even because of the open and friendly welcome we received from Reverend Father Canon Jamal Senada, regardless of the reason the atmosphere was homey.

Group posed for the reporters

After posing for a few reporters outside, the group of sixty, that included generations of grandchildren to great-great-great grandchildren went into the main church building to listen to a few words from the Reverend. The first song we sang was ‘Amazing Grace’ which was the perfect song to sing in memory of an orphan boy who came to Sarawak in the late 1850′s. For truly his life in Sarawak was amazing.

Then we went out to the graveyard and placed flowers and candles and reminisced about those who have gone.

Candles and Flowers for Shaliong

After more photos and more trips down memory lane, we all went inside the hall and were glad to find a long table laden with a rich buffet of mouth watering food.

The so-called 'Light Lunch'

A little after noontime the group next went to the Muslim cemetery nearby to visit the grave of Nek Gandang. This habit of marrying outside race, culture and religion must be in our genetics because even now, the tradition continues. So much so, that I would not be wrong to brag that my extended family is the most ‘accepting’ body of people in the world.

Nek Gandang's grave

The ‘light lunch’ that Patricia Mowe promised us was a little too much to be light, and that was how the whole convention felt. We came together expecting to shake hands or at most share a kiss with cousins we have never met. Yet soon we began to weep and loath the day we have to part and return to our separate lives. So we all made a promise to each other and to ourselves, that we will one day meet again, and what a day that will be.

Mowe Convention 2011

Finally, after five years of chasing birth, death and marriage certificates, and rummaging through attics and under beds looking for our grandparents’ secret letters, as well as pounding up the steps of churches and libraries in search of registries, we came together again in April 2011, in Sibu. It was a long five-year wait, yet for those of us who had been to the 2006 Mowe Convention in Kuching, it felt as though we had never left.

Cecil insisted that (from left:) Shirley, Eva Mary and Sabrina are just cousins

Although Feona Sim attended the workshop on 2^nd April, her absence, was sorely felt the following day. We also missed Gunnar and Phyllis Mowe who, like Feona, were part of the pioneers who brought the family together. However, all was not lost, for in this 2011 Convention the Ghita clan came out in droves, and we also met with members from the Francis Percy clan. Patrick and Stuart, I could tell, were ecstatic. More data for them.

Opening by Patrick and Stuart Mowe, with Cecil Adenan standing behind them

Everything that could happen, happened, and anything that shouldn’t, did. But being family did have one advantage, for one thing nobody was shy. Hence even when presenters got mixed up, or didn’t present on cue, or when presentation formats were snitched, or dragged on too long, nobody got impatient. Some attendees hadn’t met each other in years, so there was a lot of catching up to do. In fact, our workshop program felt like an intrusion into their fun at times.

The Ghita Clan giggling over a private joke

Of course, what is a convention without food. Dinner at RH Hotel on Saturday night hosted by the children of Datin Seri Annie of the Ghita Clan began a little formal and subdued. Everyone, even the kids, were at their best behaviour. But then the food came out. Lots of good food. Believe me, there is nothing in the world that will loosen a Mowe the way that food does.

Wahida and Hashimawatty doing a duet

Wahida, the MC of the night, seized the opportunity and had no qualms about making fun of her elders. Our Uncles and Aunts responded positively, making the atmosphere relaxed and open. But not too long, for soon we turned into a rowdy bunch on the dance floor.

Stilletos or not, we're dancing

Even Great-Uncle Stanley wouldn’t let himself be left out of the boogie crowd.

Good grief, I thought to myself, how in the world am I to beat the dinner arranged by the children of Great-Aunt Annie. For you see, I promised two uncles, David Mowe and Cecil Adenan, that I would help them prepare an activity or two for their dinner on the second night. Yet I should not have worried because after their fun on the first night, everyone wanted more.

We started off with food and speeches where Stuart and Patrick chronicled the work that had been done on the family tree and Kjellan told us that he missed an opportunity to pinch Oprah’s buttocks.

Jimah and Gloria trying to drum in a little grace and elegance into the men

Then Jimah Celine, the wife of Ah Lek (Mowe Sha Leong), and her granddaughter Gloria, offered to do an Orang Ulu dance. They also taught the steps to first the men then the women. It was simple and elegant, and everyone who participated got to feel like professional dancers.

However, we were not done. Six groups came up to do impromptu performances for the night. Some were funny, some well sung and one was even groovy.

Blue Bayou dance by Cousins Fatimah, Fauziah, Sabrina and Dyg. Madiyah

The best things in life are the ones that always end sooner than we want. We did the last song together in candlelight, and meant every word of it with all our heart. During that two-day convention, we met new people, renewed old ties and remembered those we have lost.

The Mowe Convention is a special gift from the great grandchildren of Shaliong Mowe to the rest of his descendants. Hopefully more cousins will come forward to attend the 2013 Mowe Convention and keep this flame of love alive.

A Singaporean Experience

Our cousins in Singapore, who couldn’t make it down for the party in Kuching, would not be outdone. They held their own get together, and these are the people that turned up.

Shaliong Mowe's great-grandchildren in Singapore

L to R: Alice Woodford (James Mowe’s grand daughter) Datok Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (Honorary Mowe) Catherine Olive Moss (Mervyn’s wife) Leonard de Souza, Virginia de Souza (James Mowe’s grand daughter) standing behind Virginia is Mervyn Vyner Moss ( James Mowe’s grand son) Datin Feona Wan Junaidi (grand daughter of Alma Mowe) Rosalind Mowe (Patrick Mowe’s wife) Patrick Mowe ( Charles Mowe’s grand son )

His great-great-grandchildren

Back row:Rosemary Ann Moss ( Mowe Shaliong’s great great grand dughterr), Allan Reginald Moss (Rosemary’s brother) Shanton Mowe (Mowe Shaliong’s great great grand son) Peter Herman Mowe (Mowe Shaliong‘s great great grand son) Marcus Auralius Delaney Mowe and Nicholas George Delaney Mowe (Mowe Shaliong’s great great grand sons).

Middle row: Joan Miles (Mowe Shaliong’s great great grand daughter), Walter Hendricks (Mowe Shaliong’s great great grand son ) Pamela Woodford (Mowe Shaliong’s great great grand daughter), Jean Veronica Yeow (Mowe Shaliong’s great great grand daughter), Rose Mowe (Shanton Mowe’s wife), June Mowe ( Peter Herman Mowe’s wife) Christine Linda Moss ( Mowe Shaliong;s great great grand daughter) Donna De Hamel (Mowe Shaliong;s great great grand daughter)

Sharifah Nuril Barieyah, Sharifah Nong Jasima and Sharifah Fariah Wan Junaudi (Mowe Shaliong’s great great grand daughters) Maxine Allayne Darlene Mowe (Mowe Shaliong’s great great grand daughter) Caroline Mowe (Nicholas Mowe’s wife)

His great-great-great-grandchildren

Front row: Alex Mowe (Peter Herman Mowe’s son) Simone Chua ( Pamela Woodford’s daughter) Zanderlee & Zandra Mowe (Shanton Mowe’s daughters) Macrina De Hemel (Donna Hendricks daughter), Megan & Luke Fernandez

Back row: Christopher Yeow (Mowe Shaliong’s great great grand son) Zachary Elijah Mowe ( Nicholas Mowe’s son) Jason De Hamel (Mowe Shaliong’s great great great grand son) Caroline Baptista De Hamel (Jason’s wife)

A few sneaked out during the mini convention to go to the cricket club. Those guilty people are,

L to R: Sharifah Nuril Wan Junaidi, Marcus Mowe, Mervyn Vyner Moss, Sharifah Nong Jasima, Sharifah Fariah with mother and father, Feona and Wan Junaidi, Alan Reginald Steven Moss, Virginia & Leonard de Souza.

Bragging Rights

Apparently not all the decendents of each of Shaliong Mowe’s 13 children turned up. However, we did manage to get nine. And from them, word started to spread around about how we are trying to get more information on the Family Tree.

Our tree is still thriving. We have found long lost relatives, I’ve also met people I would never in my life have realized were cousins and, my favorites, are the new babies I get to add to the list every now and them.

So if you feel that we are in some way familiar to you, dig through your parents or grandparents old letters and greeting cards, maybe you might find the name ‘MOWE’. If you do, please leave a comment here, or write to me at gmowe@yahoo.com.

Clan Representatives: Here I am

Left to Right: Dr. Gunnar (Alice), Stuart (Charles), Iago (Alma), Barbara (Allen), Norani (Ghita), Hajah Taibah (Hilda), Dr. Phyllis (Augustus), Shirley (Harry), Cecil (Lucy)

Followed by: Sheila (Lucy), Golda (Augustus), Zalina (Ghita), Datin Feona (Alma)