Andre Filipe Desker

Andre Filipe Desker (1826 – 9 March 1898), also known as Henry Filipe Desker, was one of the earliest butchers in Singapore and a prominent philanthropist.

Early life Desker was born in Malacca to Filipe Desker and Miguelina Sekelches in 1826. He was of Eurasian descent. The surname Desker may be an anglicised form of Desquer or De Sequeira, chosen as Portuguese Eurasians were not allowed business opportunities in early 19th century Malacca. A correspondent with The Daily Advertiser wrote in December 1890 that his products were popular amongst those who preferred "quality to cheapness and inferiority."

Desker also owned five shophouses on Lembu Road, as well as the Desker's Plantation along Changi Road, which later became the Wing Loong Estate. He built six houses each on Queen Street and Waterloo Street in the 1880s.

Personal life and death Desker married Esmerelda Bruyns in 1853 in Singapore. Together, they had 13 children, including Hermogenes, the chief clerk of the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company. He lived in the area surrounding present-day Desker Road, which was named for him. His estate stretched from Cuff Road to Sungei Road,