The Editor

Widowed and in debt in 1826, Lady Sophia Raffles sets out to restore her husband Sir Stamford Raffles' reputation after scandal. Defying convention, she publishes his memoir in 1830, shaping his legacy as the founder of Singapore. She confronts hidden truths about her marriage and becomes a powerful voice in history.

London, July 1826: Lady Sophia Raffles is left widowed and in debt after the sudden death of her husband, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, later remembered as the ‘founder of Singapore’. Determined to restore his name after he is cleared of the East India Company’s charges, Sophia takes on the formidable challenge of compiling an account of his life. Her Memoir of the Life and Public Service of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles is published to critical acclaim in 1830. Accomplished at enormous personal and financial cost, at a time when women did not write memoirs, it is a remarkable feat. It becomes the single most important source for all later accounts of her husband, saving him from obscurity and shaping his legacy. But Sophia must also confront shadowy truths behind the glory she feels bound to uphold, and face doubts about the marriage she thought she knew. Set against vivid impressions of Sumatra, Java, Penang and Singapore, her journey spans the transformation from grief-stricken widow to powerful arbiter of history.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK as soon as stock is available.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-7 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 30 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.