Hutton Lane(惹蘭亞丁), Penang

Hutton Lane(惹蘭亞丁) Gia-lân-a-teng)

Hutton Lane(Jalan Hutton) is a road from Penang Road to junction of Larut Road, Jalan Bawasah; just directly opposite the Kentuky Fried Chicken. The road is intersected by Transfer Road and Amoy Lane, the off roads are Swatow Lane and Nagore Road.

The road is named after Dr James Hutton, one of the first doctors in Penang, who arrived in 1805. He is the first civilian medical practitioner in British Malaya. He also render his part time service to convict labour force in Penang. In 1805, Dr Hutton was the only registered doctor practicing in George Town. The part of Hutton Lane from Penang Road to Transfer Road is within the Buffer Heritage Zone of Georgetown, a heritage city by UNESCO.

The Chinese called it Gia-lan-a-teng((惹蘭亞丁), which is directly from the Malay word Jalan "Hatin". Gia-lan is corrupted pronunciation of Malay word Jalan(Road), and a-teng is hatin. Jalan Hatin is Malay word for Hutton Lane.

Hutton Lane is not really a lane, but rather a major road that runs from Larut Road to Penang Road. As a result, it has always been known as Jalan Hutton, and not Lorong Hutton in Malay, where the mosque along it is called Masjid Jamek Jalan Hatin.

The end of Hutton Lane near Larut Road was the "Muslim Millionaire's Row". The Savoy Hotel was the former residence of Mohd Ariff bin Mohamed Tajoodin; Teh Bunga Mansion of M.Z. Merican are located here, and the heritage buildings are still around.

Hutton Lane is also the location of the revived New World Park, entrance to the open-air food hub is from Hutton Lane.


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Teh Bunga Mansion

Teh Bunga Mansion - No.138,  Hutton Lane, is a double-storey Anglo-Malay Bungalow in George Town.

The building was the fusion of architectural styles known as "Straits Eclectic" which can be found in Penang, Malacca and Singapore and throughout the Malay Peninsula. It was built by a prominent Malay trader, M.Z. Merican or Teh Bunga, who is the son-in-law of Mohamed Ariff Mohamed Tajoodin, one of the richest Jawi Peranakan in the late 19th century. Jawi  Peranakan was the community of  English speaking Strait Settlement born Muslims of mixed Indian (mainly Tamil)and Malay parentatge."Jawi" is an Arabic word to denote area around Southeast Asia, while Peranakan is a Malay word meaning "born of", literally it means person born in "Jawi", most probably refer to Strait Settlement. There are community of Jawi Peranakan in Penang and Singapore, sometime refers to "Jawi Pekan" in Penang.
The mansion was name the Teh Bunga Mansion, named after the nickname of M.Z. Merican . The building was built around 1890s, as per Kelly's Map between 1891-1893, it was already appeared in the map.
The Teh Bunga Mansion was later occupied by several generations of a Chinese family, and then took over by Amanah Raya Berhad. It was later bought over by the Jabatan Warisan Negara (National Heritage Department). The front and back buildings, measuring 23,000sq ft (2,136sq m), in total, would have cost RM3.2 million then at market price. The bungalow was purchased at a cost of RM2.5 million. The lot behind was purchased under Syarikat Pemenang, which won it in an auction for RM1.4 million.
Pemenang, with the help of a Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) lecturer and a Tuanku Fauziah Museum and Gallery curator, a committee was formed to work on the project. Conservation work on the mansion began in 2007, over 8 months, with cost of around RM2 million. It was initially suggested to be Penang Malay Heritage Gallery and will  be managed by the Penang Malay Association (Pemenang). But later it was changed to Penang Malay Civilisation Centre,  to give it a more significant role. The back portion of the house will serve as an office for the Jabatan Warisan Negara(National Heritage Department).

Hutton Road food

1.Kedai Kopi Kong Thai Lai , located at No 6 Hutton Lane,Penang. The Kedai Kopi Kong Thai Lai became known as it was the favorite coffee shop for the late Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew, The Founder of Honda Malaysia. He used to have his cup of drink in this coffee shop which is located on the left hand side of the road. According to the coffee shop owner, his favorite table was the first one leading into the shop.

2.Koay Teow Th'ng @ Evergreen Café, is at No. 11, Hutton Lane, opposite Hutton Car Park. The shop is a specialty shop for Koay Teow Th'ng, only the noodle is sold here in the coffee shop. The owner is the daughter in law of the popular Koay Teow Th'ng stall at the corner bungalow coffee shop beside Cathay Cinema. If you missed the food at Dickens Street/Penang Road corner, this is the place to recapture your memory taste.

3.Eden @ No. 15, Hutton Lane, formerly known as Adam’s Terrace and Eve’s Gardenia, heralded the beginning of EDEN group of restaurants when it opened its doors in 1964. Its earliest patrons included the “Green Jackets” (the Gurkha jungle fighters of the British army), and American general infantrymen (GIs) on rest and recreation stints away from the Vietnam war. Its pleasant ambiance is able to create an atmosphere of contentment and cosiness for EDEN’s patrons, not just for the older generation but also for the younger ones. It is an ideal dining place for families, friends and business associates. Going strong for more than four decades, Eden @ Hutton Lane strives to provide its customers a memorable dining experience where one will always get excellent food and great service!

4. Fook Cheow café which is at the cross-junction of Lebuh Amoy ( Amoy Lane ) and Lebuh Hutton ( Hutton Lane). Its famous Koay Teow Th'ng always make me think of having one bowl. This fresh flat rice noodles are cooked in clear soup broth and topped with duck meat,sliced pork and fish balls. You may ask for intestine if you like to.

Fook Choeow Cafe
Address: 122-I, Hutton Lane,Penang.
Opening hours: 7a.m-1p.m
Closed On Sundays

5. Nam Seng @ Hutton Lane, Penang, 388 chicken rice stall

6. Loong Nam , located at 213, Hutton Lane, selling Tau Sar Pneah, a famous biscuit in Penang.

7. The New World Park, a food court for Penang street food, was located at Swatow Lane.

Kadayanallur Muslim, Malabaris community

When they first settled in Penang, the Kadayanallur Muslims moved into the neighbourhoods of Transfer Road and Hutton Lane and attended Friday prayers at the Hutton Lane Mosque, the Bengali Mosque on Leith Street as well as Masjid Tarik Ayer and the Masjid Titi Papan on Burmah Road. They also gathered around the Datuk Koya shrine at Transfer Road.

The close relationship between the Malabaris and the Kadayanallurs in India was transferred to Penang. Some Kadayanallur migrants first apprenticed with Malabari petty traders at the Chowrasta market (which in Urdu means “four-point junction”) and then took over as butchers, poulterers, fishmongers and vegetable sellers. They became such a conspicuous group that the Chinese called the market “klinga bansan” (Hokkien for Indian market), while the adjacent street was named Tamil Street. The Kadayanallurs also started hawking food and making teh tarik, which was pioneered by the Malabaris.

Ahmad Shah, a librarian at the Penang Library and a descendant of A.S. Osman, a founder of the United Muslim Association, used to live in the big house at No. 20-22, Hutton Lane. It had 16 rooms partitioned to accommodate 40 Indian Muslim families.

By the 1920s, the Kadayanallur and Tengkasi women had become well known for their curry paste and they started the trade of giling rempah (grinding spices). They would carry the spices in baskets on their heads and sell them door to door. They also sold freshly made curry paste along Tamil Street near the Chowrasta Market, which they ground with a granite rolling pin and slab.

Kadayanallur curry pastes were made famous through one of Penang’s most popular foods, nasi kandar. The nasi kandar vendors, usually Tamil males from Ramnad, would carry a basket of rice and another of curry, slung on a bakau (mangrove) wood yoke.

Accomodation

1. Hutton Lodge, 17,Hutton Lane. This hotel built on the colonial bungalow was with their back portion of the hotel located at Dickens Street. It is a Indo- Malay Bungalow from 1890s. The house originally belonged to an Indian Muslim Family. It was sold a couple of times until the current owners acquired the house in 1948. It was rented out and operated as the Pin Kung Hotel & Chinese Restaurant until the early sixties.

The house was later tenanted to many subtenants subjected to the Rent Control Act. Due to rapid dilapidation of the property, it caught fire in February 2003 and most of house was destroyed. Although the brick masonry columns and walls remain intact. In 2006 the house was restored to its original splendor, with the exception of the first floor, where the timber flooring had to be replaced with concrete, due to new ruling by the fire department. An annex was attached to the back of the building to house extra rooms and facilities.

(extract from  Hutton Lodge official website, http://www.huttonlodge.com)

2. Savoy Hotel, 156,Hutton Lane. New Savoy Hotel is a small hotel housed in a heritage building in Hutton Lane. It was built around the late 19th century, and used to be the residence of Mohd Ariff bin Mohamed Tajoodin, a wealthy Malay entrepreneur who is a patron of Boria. Mohamed Ariffin bin M.Tajoodin, was the son of Bapu Alauddin who came to Penang under the instruction of Sultan of Kedah to accompany Capt Francis Light. Bapu Alauddin was a cattle dealer in Kedah, Perak and Siam and continued to branch out to Penang. Upon his demise his son, Mohamed Ariffin inherited the trade. Mohd Ariff  Tajoodin is also credited as being one of the founding fathers of the Penang Malay Association( or Pemenang), when the first founding meeting was held at his home on 27-3-1927. Before it became the New Savoy Hotel, 156 Hutton Lane also once served as the club house for the Old Frees' Association between 1932 to 1939. His son Wan Chik Ariffin became more successful than his father or grandfather as a rice merchant. He also built the Wan Chik Ariffin Mosque at Perak Road. It was reported that Ariffin Road and Halaman Ariffin, off Burmah Road , Penang , were named after him.



Hutton Lane Police station(built in 1880)

The historic Hutton Lane Police Station was built in 1880 . This Police Station is among the earliest police stations built in Penang after the Charter of Justice was introduced in 1807.  The establishment of the modern Police Force in Penang started with the enforcement of the ‘Charter of Justice’ which separated the power of the Judiciary from the Legal. The Charter was introduced by King George III on 25 March 1807.  It was also the duty of the Police Force to put out fires at that time.
Any old Penang know where is the exact location of the said police station?

The clan house and associations

1. It Ban Kok Club (以文阁俱乐部),
90 Hutton Lane, 10050 Penang

2. 槟榔屿万宁同县乡会
Bang Jing Toung Yeor Wei
136,Jalan Hutton
10050 Pulau Pinang
2265535

3. 联合福建公冢
United Hokkien Cemeteries
227,Lorong Hutton
10050 Pulau Pinang
2281779

4. 东安会馆
Toong Onn Association
119-a,Hutton Lane,
10050 Pulau Pinang
2264384

5.槟州鞋业公会
Fook Heng Shoe-Makers Association
80 Hutton Lane
10050 Pulau Pinang

6. 郑氏荥阳堂(Teh Kongsi or Teh Si Eng Eong Tong)
Persatuan Keturunan Teh Si Eng Eong Tong Pulau Pinang
No.148, Jalan Hutton,
10050 Pulau Pinang Darul Mutiara,
Malaysia.

Teh Kongsi or Teh Si Eng Eong Tong(郑氏荥阳堂), a clan house for Chinese with the surname of Teh(郑)

Historical

MBS(Methodist Boy School) was once located at a rented house at 93 Hutton Lane

Religion Institution

Masjid Jamek Jalan Hatin, an old mosque at Hutton Lane.

References:

1. THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF SURGERY IN MALAYSIA, by S. M. A. ALHADY, Pantai Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119621997/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0