The History of Fort Cornwallis

In 1786, soon after took possession of the island, Francis Light erected a fort of nibong palms at the tip of the cape which called Fort Point and named it after the Governor-General in Bengal- Charles Cornwallis. This fort was after later reconstructed in the same size, shape and layout. Convict labour which was first imported in 1789 was immediately put to work on the fort by Francis Light to rebuilt the fort in brick for 67,000 Spanish dollars in 1793.

Fort Cornwallis was the first military and administrative base of the East India Company. The star-shaped fort mounted with cannons along the perimeter and the most famous of these cannons is the Seri Rambai which still located at the northwest bastion of the fort.