Surreal experience receiving message from great grandnephew of Bintulu Resident in 19th century

FIG. 1 - George Gueritz in this photo dated 1879. Courtesy of William Gueritz. 

I never anticipate what I write would be read by anyone, let alone the descendant of the people mentioned. It was due to the sheer pleasure of simply writing it.

But let's me share a story what happened recently. On the other side of the world, a few thousand kilometers away - to be exact some 11,291 km away as crow flies – someone stumbled upon this post. He was researching a family history on the internet and he chanced upon this ‘Tuan Goret and Tuan Kiput’. 

 

Around 2.13 am (local time) he sent a message to my inbox. Yeah, everything is incredibly precise this day and could be tracked! It reads, 

My name is William Gueritz, I have recently been doing some (Google) research into my family's history and I came across the Punan Rights BlogSpot and the post about 'Tuan Goret', George Gueritz. You can imagine that the post intrigued me as George Gueritz is/was a relative of mine - my great-great-granduncle.

William added, “I was hoping that you might be able to tell me more, or else tell me where I might be able to find more information. I should be grateful for any assistance that you can give to me, especially in the current circumstances.

The covid19 pandemic was locking down everyone – including William.

According to William, Tuan Goret was born “Mamerto George Gueritz” in Shepton Beauchamp, Somersetshire in 1850.

“His father was a priest in the Church of England and is the one from whom George got his Spanish first name, Mamerto.

“George's father was brought over from Spain when he was just a child (Mamerto's father was a constitutionalist in monarchical Spain).

“The Gueritz family eventually moved to Colyton in the county of Devon, before George left England for Australia in 1868. He spent a short time in Australia before going onto Sarawak in 1870,” William said.

I promised William since I had read about his great-great-uncle, in the course of researching on Punan history, to share what I found.

George Gueritz history in Sarawak

Based on William account, George Gueritz was leaving for Sarawak in 1870. By the time, Sarawak already had its second White Rajah – Charles Brooke. The whereabouts, or what Gueritz was doing in Sarawak between 1870 to 1883, was unknown to me. The only record of the era I had known is The Sarawak Gazette, which was first published in 1870 – but there was a gap from 1870 to 1882.

There could be records of him elsewhere. Perhaps, William can dig out at the various archives – Oxford University Library and London archive are two obvious places, to begin with.

In 1882 Gueritz was granted a leave of absence for a year by the Rajah.

His Highness the Rajah has been please to grant Mr George Gueritz leave of absence on full pay for twelve months, and additional two months on half pay, dating from June 8th, 1882. (SG July 1, 1882 - front page)

He went straight away to Singapore on the 8th of June (SG July 1, 882. p.52). It seems, he had also visited Singapore a few years before. The above photo (Fig. 1) was noted “To uncle George Gueritz, March 1879” by the photographer, G.R Lambert.

After spending more than a year vacationing, Gueritz returned to Kuching on the “16th” – likely August 16, 1883 (SG Sept. 1, 1883.p.82). And he was writing his first report “Bintulu Monthly Report for October 1883” as its Resident (SG January 1, 1884).

Among other, in the report, Gueritz told s.s. Lorna Doone landed here cargo at Bintulu and later he forwarded the Government rice and other scores to Baram in barongs. He added,

Awang Draman returned from Tatau on the 3rd instant and reported everything quiet in that district. Nipa is at present on a visit to marry the daughter of Dian the Punan Tuah. I have given Nipa a chop appointing him pengulu.

Nipa, is referring to Nyipa Lidom, the chief of Punan Kaku, at the time, Punan communities were still living along the main Tatau channel, clustered at Jatan (Tatau old town), Kelebu and below the confluence of Kakus and Tatau River.

FIG 2 - Ubuong Dian, the daughter of Dian Nyipa whom Nyipa Lidom was married in December 1883. ND photo.

Nyipa was at Pandan for his first wedding, to Ubuong Dian (see Fig. 2), the daughter of Dian Nyipa (Dian Bateang). It seems Nyipa and Gueritz was likely only a few years apart – the former was said to be in his early thirty and George Gueritz was about 34-year old at the time.

Then, on February 15, 1884, Gueritz was reportedly returned from Kuching (SG March 1, 1884), attending some business, likely discussion about his appointment as Baram Resident.

A few months later, Hugh Brooke Low, Rejang Resident wrote to him.

Write to Gueritz to ask him whether the Rajah wrote to him (as he promised to do before leaving) relative to the alleged murder of Ita. Sari Dyak, Aki Nyugu and Senari in Tatau. Not having heard from him upon this subject, one may be forgiven for believing the Rajah forget to write in the hurry of his departure (SG 1st April 1884. p.32).

Ita was murdered by the Punan community near the confluence of Kakus and Tatau Rivers for trespassing. He ignored repeated please to remove from farmland (talun) belonging to Punan near Sangan River. In a scuffled with the landowner, he was injured died a few days later. The Punan were fined, and the Iban were ordered to move downstream near Tatau by the Government.

 

About a couple of months after Low wrote a later to him, Gueritz was appointed as the Resident in Charge of Baram, during the absence of C.C de Crespigny (SG July 1, 1884. p.63).

Sadly, Gueritz career with the Brooke regime was abruptly ended in the Baram region. Shortly after his posting in the Baram, he passed away, on the “23rd December 1884, aged 34” according to William.

However, on the front page of Sarawak Gazette February 2, 1885, under Domestic Occurrence noting Gueritz death reads “On the 18th ultimo, on board the s.s. Bujang Baram, in the Baram river, Mr George Gueritz, Resident in Charge of the Baram District, aged 35”. This record indicates he died in January 1885, aged 35. His tomb was in the Baram, its exact whereabouts are unknown.

The untimely death of George devastated his young brother. Apparently, George was not the only Gueritz family members serving the Brooke Regime. He was accompanied by his brother, E.P.Gueritz. After George died,  E.P. Gueritz left Kuching for Singapore (SG April 1, 1885). "Serving at different parts of the British's territories," said William.

FIG. 3 - Birdnest harvesting license issued during the colonial government.

George Gueritz and the Punan

Before George Gueritz, birdnest harvesting was monopolized by the laja (ruling family). They work for a pittance, thus, birdnest collection was unprofitable for them. But in an effort to meet the increasing demand for the produce, government relax issuance of collection license. 

That took place during George as Resident in Bintulu. Among those given the license by him was a relative of Nyipa Lidom himself Angot (see Fig.3), the writer’s great great grandfather.

George Gueritz also seemingly knew Nyipa Lidom he appointed as Pengulu today Penghulu well. Nyipa was the first Punan appointed Penghulu in the history of the Punan people. On his way back to Tatau after his wedding, George Gueritz invited Nyipa to his office and they talk for hours. 

Penghulu Nyipa was told by Gueritz to maintain his longhouse near Jatan, where Berasap his adopted son and his new wife live until 1898. But Nyipa increasingly worried about the influx of Iban from Rejang coming from Opai Tatau (today Anap River) seeming uncontrollable, insisted the Punan and Tatau people must protect the Kakus watershed from being populated by Iban. Gueritz relented, withdraw his order for them to remove back to Jelai or Jatan.

However, a faction of the Tatau, in particular those who had intermarried with the Iban, moved back downriver to Buan led by Diman - broke away from Penghulu Nyipa and the Punan. A majority of Tatau, however, decided to remain with Nyipa and the Punan. Later, Taji of Tatau and Punan descent succeeded Nyipa when the later, also abruptly died at Punan Ba in 1909.

Gueritz's name was unpronounceable to many Punan. As such, he was given the nickname ‘Goret’ – easier to pronounce and sound similar to the word “genoret” means ‘scratching’ - an odd nickname indeed. Let’s pray, that their souls may rest in peace.