SIR HENRY LAWRENCE: AN APPRECIATION

 SIR HENRY LAWRENCE: AN APPRECIATION 

I was in Lovedale from 1959 to 1967. During my years in the Prep and Junior Schools, I can't recall hearing anything about Sir Henry Lawrence, in whose memory our School was founded in 1858. It was only when I entered the Senior School that one came across Sir Henry, through his portrait in the Large Hall and through a sculpture on the front lawns made of him by our Sculpture Master, the highly talented Mr P E "Pet" Thomas. 

Photo courtesy: Farrokh Chothia, ARA 1982. 

It was in this time that we read in our History class about the "Indian Mutiny" of 1857. We had a text book the name of which I still remember, more than 50 years after I last read it: " The Advanced History of India" by R C Majumdar, H C Raychaudhary, and K Datta. It described the mutiny in units of the East India Company's Bengal Army, which had far reaching consequences. In modern day India, the uprising of 1857 is referred to as The First War of Independence or The Indian Rebellion. 

Sir Henry Lawrence was then the Chief Commissioner for Oudh, stationed at Lucknow. He died defending the Residency in July 1857 where he exhorted his men to " Never Give In". This became- and continues to be- the motto of The Lawrence Schools. 

 In 1858, the British Government formally took over the governing of the provinces managed by the The East India Company . Two decades later, Queen Victoria was proclaimed the Empress of India in 1877.  Clearly, the British had come a long way since they first made their appearance by starting a trading station at Surat in Gujarat in 1608. Thereafter they continued to rule India till we got Independence in August 1947.  

In Book 1 of " Glimpses of a Glorious Past: An Informal History of The Lawrence School, Lovedale" we have covered Sir Henry and his life in considerable detail. His love for Honoria Marshall who became his wife and their life together featured in the Valentine's Day Special of the OL Assembly in February, 2021. 

Amongst the Old Lawrencian community of today, Wing Commander Joseph Thomas, VM, Indian Air Force (Retd) , Aravalli House, 1957, was, to the best of our knowledge,  the first to show serious interest in Sir Henry.

He wrote two detailed articles about Sir Henry Lawrence and The Lawrence Schools, in the popular website Guftagu in 2014 which you can read using the links given: 

• "Sir Henry Lawrence" by Joseph Thomas
• "The Lawrence Schools" by Joseph Thomas 

Recently, I had the pleasure of conversing with him about Sir Henry in a podcast titled:

• Sir Henry Lawrence, An Appreciation: Conversation with Wg Cdr Joseph Thomas, VM, IAF (Retd). 

As I write this, I recognize that Sir Henry lived, worked and died in a world very different from ours today. His life -and the events that took place in 1857 -have been extensively written about in innumerable books. Needless to say, there  are different points of view while looking at historical events. 

 For those interested in more detailed reading :- 

• "Lawrence of Lucknow, 1808-1857: Being The Life of Sir Henry Lawrence Retold From His Private and Public Papers" by J L Morrison,. G Bell & Sons, London, 1934
• " The Life of Sir Henry Lawrence" by Major General Sir Herbert Benjamin Edwardes & Herman Merivale ( In 2 Volumes), Smith, Elder & Co, London, 1872.
• "History of The Indian Mutiny, 1857-59" John Kaye & G B Malleson, first published 1897

Prem Rao

NIL 1967 

GENERAL SIR JAMES HOPE GRANT & THE CHOICE OF LOVEDALE

 GENERAL SIR JAMES HOPE GRANT & THE CHOICE OF LOVEDALE 

The episode of Glimpses of A Glorious Past in the OL Assembly of  January 9, 2021 tells us how Lovedale came to be chosen to be the site for the expansion of The Lawrence Asylum. You will recall that it had initially been set up in Ootacamund on September 6, 1858.

Do check out this video  in which OLs Prem Rao, NIL 1967 and Naomi Varghese ARA 2005 give you the details. 

Another influential voice supported the move to Lovedale. This was none other than Lt General Sir James Hope Grant (1808-1875) then the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for the Madras Presidency. 

A veteran who had fought in the relief of Lucknow,  Sir James Hope Grant supported the choice of Lovedale as the site for the new Asylum 

The School Archives had this Memorandum signed by him which is reproduced from Book 1 of Glimpses of a Glorious Past: An Informal History of The Lawrence School, Lovedale." 

                                          MEMORANDUM.

    I am of the opinion that it would not be advisable to select Bishop’s Down for the site of the Asylum. It is , no doubt, true that there  are 150 acres in the grounds; but very much of this lies in a valley  where it would not be desirable to erect dwelling houses, and the number of children that are likely to require accommodation must be considered.

     2.    Independent of the present Lawrence Asylum, it is very probable, in course of time, amalgamation will take place with the Madras Military Asylum. Under these circumstances, a large extent of ground should be kept available, and Bishop’s Down is, I conceive, a site quite unsuited for an Institution which may number between 6 and 700 children.

 

      3.    I also think it very unadvisable to place the Asylum in the midst of the station. Though there may not, at present, be many houses, still, in consideration of the easy access to the Hills, Ootacamund will, in all probability, increase greatly in size.

      4.    The expense of Bishop’s down is 40,000 Rupees. This I consider would be thrown away, as the present dwelling cannot be thought to be worth that sum, and it must either be built or undergo great alterations to make it a permanent residence.

      5.     The proposition that this expense would probably be covered by the sale of the house or the houses of the present Male and Female Asylums, is surely not an advantageous one, as it would be decidedly desirable to place whatever sum would be realized to the credit of the Building Fund.

      6.      I have again looked at the site of Lovedale, and, in my opinion, it appears admirably adapted for the Asylum in question. There seems to be not only ample extent for the large buildings that will be required, but also for cricket and play grounds, which are most indispensable for children; and combining the very desirable object of being near, but not in, the station of Ootacamund.

    7.       I would strongly advocate, however, that whatever site may be selected, should be decided  on without loss of time, as it is sad to know of urgent cases of admission being refused from want of accommodation which is now the case, and,. Especially, as the boys are so much overcrowded in the Asylum at present.

                                                             (Signed) J. HOPE GRANT.

                                       Lieut Genl. and Commander –in –Chief. 

OOTACAMUND,

26^TH September 1862

Many years later when the Rev W H G Padfield, the then Principal, brought in the system of Houses, “Hope Grant House "was named after General Sir James Hope Grant. 

Those interested in the military career of General Hope Grant can read, " Life of General Sir Hope Grant" edited by Col. Henry Knollys, published by William Blackwood & Sons, in 1894. 

He was commissioned in the 9th Lancers of the British Army in 1826. He served with distinction in India from the 1840 to 1858 when he was transferred as Lt General to be in command of British Troops in China and Hong Kong.  

We think it was this connection that resulted in Chinese convicts being shipped from the Strait Settlements to Madras Province in India when the jails became full there.

Some of these were confined in the Nilgiris and actually worked in the building of our School- but that story is for another day. 

He returned to India in 1861 as the Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army. In 1865 he went back to England as the Quarter Master General and became General in 1872.  He passed away in London in 1875.

His love for Lovedale is borne out by the fact that though he had left India a decade earlier, in his will he left some money for The Lawrence Asylum!