CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY ARCHIVE

Section VI: Missions to India

Part 3: India General, 1811-1815 and South India Mission, 1815-1884

Part 4: South India Mission, 1834-1880

Introduction to Part 4

This part covers the South India Mission Books for the years 1834-1880. The earlier years, 1820-1834 are covered in Part 3. The Original Papers were copied into Mission Books so that a legible copy was available for the use of the committee. Included are letters to and from missionaries and secretaries re mission business, missionary reports on their work and itineration, Annual Letters from the missionaries (only for 1875-1880), minutes of meetings and conferences. The letters and journals from 1834-November 1836 are copied out in full. Journals are not copied after November 1836, nor reports after 1838. Annual Letters for 1875 onwards are copied out in the backs of the volumes. Each volume contains an index of names and subjects. The material includes letters, journals, reports, minutes of meetings and miscellaneous items.

Letters to and from missionaries and Bishops

Letters concerning all manner of mission business from: Rev Henry Baker, Rev John Tucker, Rev J Peet including one to the Rajah of Travancore, Rev J C F Winckler, Rev and Mrs W J Woodcock, Rev John Devasagayam, Rev B Bailey, Rev C T E Rhenius, Rev P P Schaffter, Rev J Cornelius, Rev E Dent, Rev T Norton, Bishop of Madras, Rev G Pettitt, Mr P Batchelor, Rev W T Humphrey, Rev S Ridsdale, Rev S Hobbs, Rev J H Gray, Rev J Chapman, Rev C Blackman, Major Browne, Rev H Cotterill, Rev B Bailey, Rev H W Fox, Rev J Thomas, Rev J Innes, Miss Caroline Gibern, Rev J T G Barenbruck, Rev T G Ragland, Rev H Baker to Rev T G Ragland re the state of the mission at Aleppie, Travancore, Mr W Cruickshank, Rev Stephen Hobbs, Archdeacon Shortland, Miss Stansford, Rev N J Moody, Rev H Venn, Rev J Hawksworth, Rev E Johnson, Rev P S Royston, Rev W Knight, Rev E Sargent , Rev J Pickford, Rev L Cradock, Rev T Y Darling, Rev R H Vickers, the Bishop of Colombo, Rev A Dibb, Rev P S Royston, Rev F W N Alexander, Rev O Mamen, Rev J Nee, the Travancore clergy to Rev P S Royston regarding an increase in salary, Rev J H Bishop to the Committee, Rev John Sharp, Rev J M Speechley, Mrs D Andrews, from the missionaries of the Tinnevelly and Telegu stations regarding the famine in 1877, Rev W J Richards and the Bishop of Travancore and Cochin.

Missionary Journals

Many interesting and detailed journals from the missionaries describing their missionary work and the life and customs of the local people are to be found. Included are journals of Rev C T E Rhenius, Rev P P Schaffter, Rev J Peet, J Cornelius, Rev E Dent, Rev J J Muller, Rev W J Woodcock, Rev B Schmid, Rev John Devasagayam, Rev J M Lechler, Rev G Pettitt, Rev J Tucker, Rev E Dent, E Serjeant, John Ananthan, Rev T Norton, Rev H Baker, Rev J H Gray, Mr J Johnson, Rev C Blackman, Rev F Rogers, Rev J Thomas, Rev F W N Alexander with a description of a visit to the Koi Mission.

Annual Letters from missionaries and native catechists

The Annual Letters are another source for an account by the missionaries of their work and the achievements of the mission for the year. Letters are included from Rev W Johnson, Rev Samuel Paul, (Native Catechist) Rev W P Schaffter, Rev J Cornelius, Rev J E Padfield, Rev D Stephen, Rev A James, Mrs M A Vickers, Rev Henry Baker, Rev T Ephraim (Native Catechist), Rev Alfred Morgan, Rev D Daniel (Native Catechist), Rev W J Richards, Rev V Simeon (Native Catechist), Rev Hugh Horsley, Rev A H Lash, Rev W G Baker, Rev James Stone.

Reports

A wide variety of reports covering education, the mission stations and itineration include: a report of the Mayaveram Station by Rev J Tucker together with a list of the CMS Free Schools; reports on the Tinnevelly Schools by Rev J J Muller and Rev P P Schaffter, on the Cochin and Allepie Stations by Rev J Tucker, and on the Cottayam Mission; reports of Readers and others at Cottayam and on Mrs Baker’s Female School at Cottayam; a report by Rev T H Applegate on the Mayaveram Mission; report on Cottayam by Rev H Baker and a report on the Madras Institution; half yearly report of the Palamcottah station, of the Tinnevelly Mission; reports on the Northern District of the Tinnevelly Mission, the Dohnavur District, the Cottayam District, the Cochin Mission and the schools of the Palamcottah Mission. These reports include news on missionaries, catechists, schools, congregations, seminaries and societies. There is also a report on the Suvisashapuram district of the Tinnevelly Mission by Rev J J Muller regarding female education; Rev J H Gray’s and Rev J Tucker’s reports on the Madras Institution for 1845 and 1846 respectively; Rev E Johnson’s account of a visit to the Hill Arrians; report on the Mavelicara Mission, Travancore by Rev J Peet; report on the Tinnevelly Mission by Rev N J Moody; Rev T G Ragland’s report on an itineration in Tinnevelly; Rev E Sargent’s report on the examination of the Training Institution and his account of the conversion of a Brahmin; report of the Trichoor mission by J G Beuttler; report of 15 candidates for the Tinnevelly Native Pastorate; report on Rev Sholto Douglas’ visit to Madras; report by A Subberoygudu on a visit to Amalpur; description by Rev E Sargent of the Prince of Wales’ visit to Palamcottah in 1875; report on the Telegu country by Rev A H Arden.

Minutes of Meetings and Conferences

Included are: minutes of the Madras Corresponding Committee; of a meeting of the Cottayam missionaries; Rev J Tucker’s minutes on the Tinnevelly Mission together with letters to the Secretary in London and the Bishop of Madras; of a meeting of the residents of Masulipatam and of the Tinnevelly missionaries; minutes of a meeting of the missionaries at Palamcottah and Pannavadili; of the conference of the Tinnevelly missionaries; of the first meeting of the Telegu missionaries; minutes of the Finance Committee; minutes of the Telegu missionaries’ conference and of the Nallur Native Church Council.

Miscellaneous

There are also some very interesting items relating to finance and culture: a petition of the Tinnevelly congregation to the Corresponding Committee; an account of the practice of Hook Swinging by Rev J H Elouis; summary of the estimated receipts and disbursements for the Madras Mission for 1840; a statistical return for the mission stations; papers and correspondence relating to the Caste Question; statement of salaries, allowances, pensions etc granted to the missionaries and catechists; obituary of Peter the Instructing Catechist by J T G Barenbruck; notes on the Catechists’ Widows Fund of Tinnevelly; petition of the British Mission in Travancore to the Rajah; proceedings of the first meeting of the University of Madras held at the College Hall, April 7 1857; list of catechists who visited the missions; information regarding castes in India by Rev J Barton.

EXTRACTS

Reel 70 Journal of Rev W P Schaffter, 1834:

“Aug 16 1834 We proceeded to Karikovil, where we have a small Congregation, which is very much disorganized by persecution. There is a Nadan here who is of much influence in this place, and who seems to make it his study to oppose Christianity and to frighten the people out of it. He has caused several of our Christians to be flogged by wicked men, their goods to be destroyed, and while we were here one of our Christians showed us his cow, which this wicked man has so dreadfully wounded that there is no doubt it will die. As all the men of influence in this place are allied to the Nadan, the Christians can get no redress of their wrongs: on account of which they are so frightened that they meet to hear the Word of God with trembling….”

Reel 74 Account of Hook Swinging in Madras by Mr J H Elouis:

“…. At 10 minutes to 5 PM I set off in a bandy for the scene of action; the ‘Broadway’ leading to the gate of the city, soon presented a very animated appearance from the multitude of natives, many in white dresses with coloured turbans. Following the stream, I passed an idol erected on a stage, in a square space close to the road, & surrounded by a dense crowd of worshippers. I was told that the figure was that of Mahreqummahl, but it was nearly concealed beneath strings of white & red flowers. On passing through the gate the scene, from the scattered palmyra & cocoa nut trees, & the variety of costume, became truly oriental. At a short distance from the pagoda the multitude of natives was so great as to compel me to leave the bandy to the care of the horsekeeper & to proceed on foot. Things now wore very much the semblance of an English fair. At one spot I remarked a Russian swing, at another a group of persons collected round a Hindoo who was chanting to the sound of metal castanets; by the way side were booths for the sale of fruits & sweatmeats; here a native with a hawk on his wrist, there
vendors of betel, of children’s toys etc, all shouting in praise of their several commodities, & at almost every step were mendicants, their visage barred with ashes of the ordure of the cow, & plying their occupation with an audacity that told of a privileged race….

On reaching the other platform I found several Hindoos performing a sort of frantic dance; each had a sabre in his right hand & in his left a small round buckler of brass. The swinging apparatus consisted of an upright post, about fifty feet in height, surmounted by a transverse beam of considerable thickness, & of sufficient length to allow of one extremity touching the platform while the other was elevated in the air….

At the foot of the post were men with trumpets, eight or ten feet long, which gave a mournful sound - a single note at intervals, distinctly heard above the din of tom-toms etc, when a devotee was approaching…. The operation of inserting the hooks, just below the shoulder blades, is performed in the pagoda which no European is permitted to enter - I perceived that the ends of two of the hooks were not pointed but screw like, so that points might have been affixed; those of the others were buried in limes after passing beneath the muscle & again piercing the skin. There was no effusion of blood, but as the back of the patient was bare & might be pressed with the fingers, there could be no doubt as to the hooks actually penetrating the skin of the back….”

Reel 75 Letter from Rev J J Muller, 12 July 1841:

“Female Education. It is a matter of great encouragement that I am enabled to report, that in the above mentioned number of scholars, 1050, are included about 180 Girls, therefore upwards of 60 girls more than at the end of last year. This increase has of course also augmented the expenditure as Mrs Muller has continued to supply those who regularly attended, with a quantity of cotton every month…. Last month Mrs Muller had a general examination of all the Girls in Suvesashapuram, when upwards of 170 Girls were present, who were examined, rewarded and regulated, in the same way as the boys, with the addition that according to custom each Girl received a cloth. It was really a fine, and at the same time a rare sight to see so many girls from different Villages assembled together…. This is encouraging and delightful. But it is with deep sorrow that I cannot report an increase of Scholars in Mrs Muller’s boarding School, which amounted but to 15, and that solely from want of funds…. As it will be seen from the annexed account, but little money remains in hand, and unless the funds for female education come forward without delay to strengthen her hands, she will be under the necessity of closing her boarding School….”

Reel 76 Report by Rev H W Fox, November 1841:

“...Masulipatam consists of two parts 1st The Fort which is situated about two miles from the sea in centre of an open plain; in it about 1 dozen Europeans reside besides 8 or 10 sergeants & some E Indians; most of these are employed in the charge of Government Stores; the number of Natives within the walls I have no means of knowing, but it must be insignificant compared with the other part of Masulipatam which is 2 The Pettah or Native & European town situated a mile further inland. The Native town consists of a number of Pettahs and Villages joined together & extending in length from NE to SW about 2 miles in width one mile or one & a half, this space is not altogether covered with houses like Black Town, but is interspersed with numerous lumps of trees, small enclosures & tanks of waters so as generally to present a very pretty appearance: parts of it is regularly & well built with straight open streets, parts are composed of houses & streets separated by narrow winding alleys….”

Reel 81 Report by Rev E Johnson to Lieut Col Brown Cottayam, 31 January 1852:

“…. On the following Wednesday we went to Arseppian. There the change was even greater that at Mundakiam. When I was there before a small space was covered with recently felled trees and there was no habitation but a hut in a tree. Now the whole side of the Hill is cleared and 4 comfortable houses are standing in the midst of a luxuriant crop of grain and dholl. Mr Baker’s little Tent was pitched for a church and the people began to assemble. One house caught my attention especially. It really appeared as if the people would never cease coming out of it. I was puzzled to imagine where they all found room. At last all were assembled….

Next day we went to Combakuthi - Very few of the people were at home. I reckoned 9 houses in it, and if each contained as many as came out of that at Arseppean the population cannot be small. Next day we walked to Wellani, an Araan village, on the East of the first range of the hills. There are in it 4 houses containing about 13 families. They appeared very poor, yet they maintain a vagabond Nair who professes to teach their children writing & accounts…. Next day we reached the summit of the 1st range. Glorious indeed was the view - range after range of low wooded hills dotted with clearings - the village filled with cocoa and Areka Palms - The Back Water like a silver line - then the dense forest of cocoa Palms and beyond the Ocean. We could clearly distinguish with the naked eye the Pullum river though above 40 miles distant….

On Monday 19th we went to Kuttipalangkad, a prosperous village, with numerous Jack trees, and cocoa, and Areka Palms, many of a great age and size. The story runs that the Pany at Rajah sent his son with some attendants to the great grandfather of the present headman to demand money on some pretext or other. He received them with all honour & feasted them to the extent of his means, but at night set fire to the house in which they were sleeping and destroyed them all.

The present headman had told the Combakuthi people that they had lost caste because they had received Mr Baker into their houses, and that he would have not communication with them. However, he received us with all honour. We were much pained in walking about the village to see so many little temples….”

Reel 85 Journal of Rev F W N Alexander’s visit to the Koi Mission, 1860:

“…. Dowlaishweram is a very bare and barren looking place, no trees, no farms, no houses to enliven the landscape. The Native town too is not important, it certainly is a rising one, but even still the population is comparatively small and is composed almost entirely of people connected with the Public Works Department who are of all others notoriously opposed to the Gospel and being entirely given up to worldly cares are the very worst people to deal with. Not only that, but there are no villages in the immediate neighbourhood. The European residents are numerous and supplies most difficult to be procured and very dear….

I had a conversation with Captain Haig about the Kois… the substance of which is as follows:

Taking the map (Scotts) he showed me where the Koi country lies beginning at a point about 30 miles above Rajahmundry, where the Kois are first found, there runs a narrow tract of land for 190 miles all along the banks of the river with an average breadth of 12 miles which belongs to the Nizam: this country is worthless to him, only producing some 1600 Rupees in the year and owing him a nominal subjection but its possession is of immense importance to the British Government, for it would bring the Nagpur frontier down to the river and give them possession of one bank of the river and command of the waterworks now to be commenced at Durmagudian, and more than that it will open up a large tract of British territory extending upwards of 300 miles from the river towards Nagpur, which is now covered with forest….In this dense forest lie numerous villages of Kois and not of Kois only but it is known that other tribes also speaking quite a different language inhabit the deep recesses of this retreat; it has been crossed in two or three directions by Government servants and the villages met have been marked down but the great body of the country is totally unknown. There is no doubt that those tribes are the remains of the ancient inhabitants of the country and Captain Haig showed me on the map how their country joins on with the Konds in Orissa and the tribes in Chota Nagpur all aboriginal people so that these primitive tribes extend in one unbroken line from the Godaveri to the Ganges.

Along the river are several considerable jemadans and with them the chief authority lies. There is indeed a representative of the Nizam called the Naib but his authority, except it is backed by some or other of the Rajahs, is very inconsiderable. These Rajahs possess and exercise the power of life and death, of making war and peace, and very often they enter one another’s territory & waste all before them with fire and sword. In these quarrels the Kois are very often employed and the general insecurity occasioned by these disorders deter the people from settling down to cultivation regularly or from building any permanent places of abode, since in a moment they may be deprived of all….”

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