Singapore: A cyclist rides past the statue of Sir Stamford Raffles at Raffles' Landing Site, Boat Quay. Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, FRS (6 July 1781 - 5 July 1826) was a British statesman, best known for his founding of the city of Singapore (now the city-state of the Republic of Singapore). He is often described as the 'Father of Singapore'. He was also heavily involved in the conquest of the Indonesian island of Java from Dutch and French military forces during the Napoleonic Wars and contributed to the expansion of the British Empire. He was also a writer and a historian who wrote the book ' History of Java' (1817).