Born in Baghdad and educated in Calcutta, Manasseh Meyer came to Singapore in 1861 aged 15 and continued his English education in St Joseph's Institution.[1] His maternal uncle Joseph Raphael Joshua had established himself in Singapore and was instrumental in bringing Manasseh and his brothers Rubin and Elias to Singapore.[2] In 1864, he returned to Calcutta to work with his uncle in business as well as to learn literary Hebrew and Arabic.[3] There he became a book keepers apprentice assisting his maternal uncle’s business.[4]