THE FIRST PRINCIPALS AND OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

THE FIRST PRINCIPALS AND OTHER CONTRIBUTORS 

An institution with a history of over 160 years owes a lot to thousands of people who have contributed towards its growth over the years. Some names are remembered to this day but many are forgotten.

Today's blog post is about some of those who managed the affairs - and contributed towards the progress- of The Lawrence Asylum, Ootacamund/Lovedale for the first 50 years from its inception on September 6, 1858.

The Lawrence Asylum, Ootacamund in 1873: Picture courtesy: Wikipedia

In our story, the proverbial  "Early Bird" has to be the first Secretary of the Asylum Managing Committee, Mr E W Bird, who managed the affairs of the infant institution from 1858 even before a full time Principal was appointed. 

The Rev T Whitehouse, MA Cantab,  was appointed Principal in 1862 and held office till 1868. Much of the construction of the new buildings at Lovedale and the shifting of the asylum from Ootacamund took place under his watch. His assistant, the Headmaster, was Mr G W Armstrong who came from the Missionary Training School at Kottayam. 

In 1868, the Rev Whitehouse retired and sailed back to England being succeeded by the Rev Bliss. Mr Armstrong continued to serve as Headmaster till 1889. Of him,  it is said, " he exercised a remarkable and very beneficial influence over the boys committed to his charge, and his memory is still held in much esteem and reverence by many of his old pupils. After his death, a sum sufficient to found a medal bearing his name was subscribed and this was annually awarded to the best conducted boy of the year." 

George Webster, the student at the Asylum whom we have met in previous blog posts, wrote, " The even tenor of our lives was, within a few months of our taking possession of the new buildings (in Lovedale) rudely broken in upon by the untimely and greatly lamented death of Mrs. Annie Burrows in 1869, and in her, we nursery boys, lost our best and kindest friend. How shall I ever forget her many little nameless acts of kindness and of love?" 

Despite all efforts to trace the history of an institution over the last one and half centuries, I am afraid, there still could be gaps. We are not sure, for example, who was in charge from 1871 to 1874 when the Rev O Dene BA (Cantab), I Eccles, arrived.

The Rev Dene settled in for a long period of 17 years to bring a sense of greater stability to the Lawrence Asylum. In 1879, he was deputed elsewhere for Church duties but the Committee must have missed his presence. They somehow got him back -for we find that he was “re-elected” as Principal in 1880.

 Chief Instructor Ambrose Perkins was a key member of the Rev Dene’s personnel. He must have supervised the planting of six oak trees, equally divided between the Male and Female Branches of the Asylum, in 1883 and the erection of lightning rods on the school towers the next year. One gets the impression that Ambrose Perkins was, in a sense, the forerunner of a much later day Nicholls. It is quite amazing to know that the first eucalyptus oil distilled in the Nilgiris in 1885 was by none other than Mr. Perkins! To cap it off, we are told the oil was distilled using equipment manufactured in the School premises. Presumably the boys had a hand in this exercise supervised by the capable Mr. Perkins. 

Rev Dene's successor was the Rev Augustus W. Atkinson, MA (Dub), the last Principal in the 19th century. He was a former Headmaster of the Bishop Corrie's Grammar School at Madras, and came to Lovedale from Calcutta where he had an impeccable reputation as the Principal of La Maritiniere (founded in 1836). 

The Rev Atkinson remained in office till he passed away in harness, so to speak, in 1907. This paved the way for the Padfield era starting from 1908. 

To what extent did the Lawrence Asylum at Ootacamund/Lovedale meet Sir Henry Lawrence's vision in the first 50 years (1858-1908)? A report from the Asylum says, "It is heartening to know that as many as 2149 boys and 458 girls had got the benefit of an education here."

 Most of the boys had become soldiers or telegraphists. Had the boys and girls been provided with the skills and the spirit to carve out a better, more secure future for themselves? Had they imbibed the Christian values that Sir Henry sought to propagate? 

By all accounts, the first Principals of The Lawrence Asylum and their dedicated staff provided a solid foundation for the institution.

 We like to think Sir Henry, grave faced as usual, would have nodded his approval.

 

THE CHINESE CONVICTS AT LOVEDALE

 THE CHINESE CONVICTS AT LOVEDALE    

For most Lawrencians,  the only connection between Lovedale and the Chinese has to be with Shinkows the Chinese restaurant which has become a permanent feature in Ooty catering to generations of OLs.

However, today's blog post has nothing to do with Shinkows but is about the Chinese Convicts who were involved in building our school in the 1860s.  

In previous posts we have seen how Lovedale was selected as the best location for the expanded Lawrence Asylum in Ootacamund. A student of those times, George Webster has written about the move to Lovedale from Ooty in 1869. You will remember he wrote that over 500 Chinese convicts were busy at work building the new premises for The Lawrence Asylum at Lovedale. 

As we saw in a the last post, the buildings- which still stand majestically today- were designed by Robert Chisolm.  The construction was carried out by the Chinese convicts with technical and administrative direction from the British officers including those of the Madras Sappers. Now called the Madras Engineer Group, the Madras Sappers date back to 1780 when they were first formed as the Madras Pioneers. 

Many of you may know that Lovedale still has the Sappers Line which were probably occupied by these troops many, many years ago. 

In case you are wondering how these Chinese convicts reached Lovedale, here's what happened. 

The Strait Settlements came under the British East India Company following the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. Over time they came to be used as penal settlements for civilian and military prisoners from India and other  territories in this part of the world governed by the British East India Company. After 1858, the governing of India was taken up directly by the British Government.

In the second half of the 19th century, the prisons in the Strait Settlements were over crowded, so batches of convicts -including Prisoners of War from the Opium Wars- were shipped to the Madras Presidency. Here they were packed off to Naduvattam in the Nilgiris where they worked on construction projects taken up by the British and in the newly established tea plantations. 

This is what brought them to Lovedale where they worked from 1862 to 1869 building our school. During this time they were housed in temporary sheds made for them. 

Legend has it that the Chinese tokens used as pocket money in School right up till the early 1960s originated from these Chinese convicts.

From reports of those times, it appears that on several occasions, they attempted to escape from Lovedale. Some escapers apparently managed to vanish into the thick forests and were not traced, but others were caught by the pursuing police with the help of forest guards and presumably sent back to the main prison at Naduvattam where they could be watched more closely.  

The Old Jail at Naduvattam: Picture reproduced with permission from a post by Mr Venugopal Dharmalingam in  www.badaga.co".

 In 1867 seven of these Chinese convicts got away and it was several days before they were apprehended by the Tahsildar, aided by local Badagas sent to search for them. 

On the 28th July in the following year twelve others broke out during a very stormy night. Parties of armed police were sent out to scour the hills for them. They were at last arrested in Malabar a fortnight later. Some police weapons were found in their possession. The story does not end here! On September 15, the bodies of four police personnel were found in the jungle at Walaghat, half way down the Sispara Ghat path. They were neatly laid out in a row with their severed heads carefully placed on their shoulders. 

Subsequent investigations revealed that the wily Chinamen, on being overtaken, had at first pretended to surrender and had then suddenly attacked the police and killed them with their own weapons !! 

We have no specific information on what happened to these Chinese but I wonder if they ended up being hanged. 

The Hangman's Room: Picture reproduced with permission from a post by Mr Venugopal Dharmalingam in  www.badaga.co".

Thank you, Wg Cdr B Jayaprakash for permitting me to use these pictures. 

For those interested , I would urge you to read these delightful pieces written about the Chinese at Naduvattam.

1. Joseph and the Chinese in Naduvattam in the Tea and Tarry Blog by Nina Varghese.

2. The Chinese, Tea, and the Nilgiris by Maddy in Maddy's Ramblings

3. Chinese Connection and Nilgiris Tourism by Venugopal Dharmalingam in Badaga.Com run by Wg Cdr Jayaprakash

Please also see the March 2021 episode of The Glimpses of a Glorious Past in the OL Assembly  in which we have spoken of the Chinese convicts at Lovedale. 

Dr Joe Thomas Karackattu, Associate Professor in the Dept of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras has done considerable research into the Chinese in the Nilgiris. I am eagerly awaiting the official release of his film, "Those Four Years" which covers the Chinese in Naduvattam and their descendants. In the teaser to the film, I was interested to see our Denzil Prince speak of the Chinese tokens used in School many years ago! Nina Varghese also seems to feature in this film. 

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!