DAVID FENN- Co-worker of Ragland

DAVID FENN was a son of the Rev. Joseph Fenn; he was born at Cottayam in 1826. He graduated B.A. from Trinity College, Cambridge, in double honours Senior Optime and second class Classics in 1849. He was ordained deacon in 1849, and priest in 1850, by the Bishop of London. He was Curate of St. Paul's, Covent Garden, from 1849 till 1852, when he went to Madras. With Ragland and Meadows he founded the North Tinnevelly mission. When on leave to Mauritius, in 1854, he founded the C.M.S. mission in that island. In 1867 he was in charge for a year of the Tamil Cooly mission in Ceylon. On his return to India he did evangelistic work in Madras till 1873, when he became joint secretary of the Corresponding Committee. He did good service on the committee for the revision of the Tamil Prayer Book, and was nominated a Fellow of Madras University whilst this work was going on. He died at Madras in 1878; his remains rest by the side of those of Henry Baker, Junior, in the Cathedral burial ground; Mr. Fenn was a first-rate Tamil Scholar 

One Seed- David and Svea Flood

In 1921, a missionary couple named David and Svea Flood went with their two-year-old son David, from Sweden to the heart of Africa—to what was then called the Belgian Congo. They met up with another young Scandinavian couple, the Ericksons, and the four of them sought God for direction. In those days of much tenderness and devotion and sacrifice, they felt led of the Lord to go out from the main mission station and take the gospel to a remote area. This was a huge step of faith. At the remote village of N’dolera they were rebuffed by the chief, who would not let them enter his village for fear of alienating the local gods. The two couples opted to go half a mile up the slope and build their own mud huts. 

They prayed for a spiritual breakthrough, but there was none. Their only contact with the villagers was a young boy, who was allowed to sell them chickens and eggs twice a week. Svea Flood — a tiny woman missionary only four feet, eight inches tall, decided that if this was the only African she could talk to, she would try to lead the boy to Jesus. And in fact, after many weeks of loving and witnessing to him, he trusted Christ as his Savior. But there were no other encouragements.

 Meanwhile, malaria continued to strike one member of the little band after another. In time the Ericksons decided they had had enough suffering and left to return to the central mission station. David and Svea Flood remained near N’dolera to go on alone. Then, of all things, Svea found herself pregnant in the middle of the primitive wilderness. When the time came for her to give birth (1923), the village chief softened enough to allow a midwife to help her. A little girl was born, whom they named Aina (A-ee-nah). The delivery, however, was exhausting, and Svea Flood was already weak from bouts of malaria. The birth process was a heavy blow to her stamina. After seventeen desperate days of prayer and struggle, she died. 

Inside David Flood, something snapped in that moment. His heart full of bitterness, he dug a crude grave, buried his twenty-seven-year-old wife and took his children back down the mountain to the mission station. Giving his newborn daughter to the Ericksons, he said, “I’m going back to Sweden. I’ve lost my wife, and I can’t take care of this baby. God has ruined my life.” With two year old David, he headed for the coast, rejecting not only his calling, but God himself. 

Within eight months both the Ericksons were stricken with a mysterious illness (some believe they were poisoned by a local chief who hated the missionaries) and died within days of each other. The nine month old baby Aina was given to an American missionary couple named Berg, who adjusted her Swedish name to “Aggie” and eventually brought her back to the United States at age three. The Bergs loved little Aggie but were afraid that if they tried to return to Africa, some legal obstacle might separate her from them since they had at that time, been unable to legally adopt her. So they decided to stay in the United States and switch from missionary work to pastoral ministry. And that is how Aggie grew up in South Dakota. As a young woman, she attended North Central Bible college in Minneapolis. There she met and married a young preacher named Dewey Hurst. Years passed. The Hursts enjoyed a fruitful ministry. Aggie gave birth first to a daughter, then a son. In time her husband became president of a Christian college in the Seattle area, and Aggie was intrigued to find so much Scandinavian heritage there. One day around 1963, a Swedish religious magazine appeared in her mailbox. She had no idea who sent it, and of course she couldn’t read the words. But as she turned the pages, all of a sudden a photo stopped her cold. There in a primitive setting in the heart of Africa was a grave with a white cross and on the cross was her mother’s name, SVEA FLOOD.

 Aggie jumped in her car and drove straight to a college faculty member who, she knew, could translate the article. “What does this say?” she asked. The instructor translated the story: It tells about missionaries who went to N’dolera in the heart of the Belgian Congo in 1921… the birth of a white baby girl… the death of the young missionary mother… the one little African boy who had been led to Christ… and how, after the all whites had left, the little African boy grew up and persuaded the chief to let him build a school in the village. The article told how that gradually the now grown up boy won all his students to Christ… the children led their parents to Christ… even the chief had become a Christian. Today (1963) there were six hundred Christian believers in that one village. Because of the willingness of David and Svea Flood to answer God’s call to Africa, because they endured so much but were still faithful to witness and lead one little boy to trust Jesus, God had saved six hundred people. And the little boy, as a grown man, became head of the Pentacostal Church and leader of 110,000 Christians in Zaire (formerly the Belgian Congo). At the time Svea Flood died, it appeared, to human reason, that God had led the young couple to Africa, only to desert them in their time of deepest need. It would be forty years before God’s amazing grace and His real plan for the village of N’dolera would be known. 

For Rev. Dewey and Aggie Hurst’s twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, the college presented them with the gift of a vacation to Sweden. There Aggie met her biological father. An old man now, David Flood had remarried, fathered four more children, and generally dissipated his life with alcohol. He had recently suffered a stroke. Still bitter, he had one rule in his family: “Never mention the name of God because God took everything from me.” After an emotional reunion with her half brothers and half sister, Aggie brought up the subject of seeing her father. The others hesitated. “You can talk to him,” they replied, “even though he’s very ill now. But you need to know that whenever he hears the name of God, he flies into a rage.” Aggie could not be deterred. She walked into the squalid apartment, with liquor bottles everywhere, and approached the seventy-three-year-old man lying in a rumpled bed. “Papa?” she said tentatively. He turned and began to cry. “Aina,” he said, “I never meant to give you away.” “It’s all right Papa,” she replied, taking him gently in her arms. “God took care of me.” The man instantly stiffened. The tears stopped. “God forgot all of us. Our lives have been like this because of Him.” He turned his face back to the wall. Aggie stroked his face and then continued, undaunted. “Papa, I’ve got a little story to tell you, and it’s a true one. You didn’t go to Africa in vain. Mama didn’t die in vain. The little boy you both won to the Lord grew up to win that whole village to Jesus Christ. The one seed you planted just kept growing and growing. Today (about 1964) there are six hundred African people serving the Lord because you and Momma were faithful to the call of God on your life.” “Papa, Jesus loves you. He has never hated you.” The old man turned back to look into his daughter’s eyes. His body relaxed. He began to talk. And by the end of the afternoon, he had come back to the God he had resented for so many decades. Over the next few days, father and daughter enjoyed warm moments together. Aggie and her husband soon had to return to America—and within a few weeks, David Flood had gone into eternity. 

A few years later, the Hursts were attending a high-level evangelism conference in London, England, where a report was given from the nation of Zaire (the former Belgian Congo). The superintendent of the national church, representing some 110,000 baptized believers, spoke eloquently of the gospel’s spread in his nation. Aggie could not help going up afterward to ask him if he had ever heard of David and Svea Flood. “I am their daughter.” The man began to weep. “Yes, madam,” the man replied in French, his words then being translated into English. “It was Svea Flood who led me to Jesus Christ. I was the boy who brought food to your parents before you were born. In fact, to this day your mother’s grave and her memory are honored by all of us.” He embraced her in a long, sobbing hug. Then he continued, “You must come to Africa to see, because your mother is the most famous person in our history.” In time that is exactly what Aggie Hurst and her husband did. They were welcomed by cheering throngs of villagers. She even met the man who so many years before, when she was less than a month old, had been hired by her father to carry her down the mountain in a soft bark hammock. The most dramatic moment, of course, was when the pastor escorted Aggie to see her mother’s grave, marked with a white cross, for herself. She knelt in the soil of Africa, the place of her birth, to pray and give thanks. Later that day, in the church service, the pastor read from John 12:24: “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” He then followed with Psalm 126:5: “They who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” 

(An excerpt from Aggie Hurst, Aggie: The Inspiring Story of A Girl Without A Country [Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1986].)

Rev.Charles Mead- Father of the South Travancore Mission

Rev.Charles Mead was the Father of the South Travancore Mission, born on 1st October 1792 at Bristol, Gloucester, England. He was brought up by his uncle Rev.John Hunt at Wakefield, Yorkshire, attended Gosport Missionary School and ordained at Chichester on 6th March 1816.According to the London Mission Society’s report, Rev.Charles Mead was nominated for Travancore as Rev.Ringeltaube’s successor. He married Rev.Hunt’s daughter, Anne Hunt. He left from England on 20th April, 1816 for Travancore and arrived at Madras on 28th August 1816 along with Rev.Richard Knill, who known as the pastor of the church at St Petersburg. He was received by Rev.Loveless, who was the first England missionary of Madras. Rev.Mead was detained a considerable time at Rev.Loveless’s house at Madras by his wife's ill-health and he studied Tamil. Thereafter he gave early intimation of his arrival to Col.Munro and consulted him on various subjects related to the mission affairs and solicited help. After one year, he left for Travancore from Madras on 9 September 1817 along with his wife and arrived at Colachel on 17 January 1818. During his journey, the ship was stabled at Prince of Wales Island where his wife  died  due to her prolonged ill-health.

Rev.Charles Mead, the successor of the first missionary was heartily welcomed at Colachel by Vedamanickam who was holding charge of the mission work in Ringeltaube's absence. Rev.Mead was quite pleased at seeing them than he had expected. The extreme pleasure which this first meeting gave him a lasting impression on his mind that he often referred to it during his life. On reaching Mylaudy he found that though the mission had been left vacant by foreign missionary about two years, Vedamanickam had carried on the work with diligence and success, and that the people had remained faithful to their vacation. Here he lived in the hut of Rev.Ringeltaube’s for a short time and after getting all information about the Christians and the mission property from Vedamanickam, he lost no time in reporting his arrival to the British Resident Col.Munro and shortly afterwards went personally to pay his respects to him. Col.Munro  was a great promoter of missions in Travancore. Before the departure of Rev.Mead from Madras, Col.Munro issued instruction to the Sircar officers of the South to repair the small mission house at Mylaudy in consultation with Vedamanickam and suggested certain alterations. The Mylaudy Mission house was got ready for Rev.Mead’s occupation before the time he set out from Madras. Col.Munro was not aware of the sad calamity which had striked Rev.Mead during the voyage. 

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When Colonel Munro offered him for his occupation his own circuit bungalow at Nagercoil, Rev.Mead gratefully accepted, made his headquarters there and received as a grant also from the Queen of that time the pieces of land around the mission bungalow .Munro procured from the Queen a bungalow for the missionaries, and a sum of 5,000 rupees, with which rice-fields were purchased, as an endowment for education. From this source, ever since 1819, the income of the English seminary has been derived. Munro, also probably in the effort to aid the funds of the mission, secured the appointment of Mr. Mead at Nagercoil as civil judge. Though,  Mr. Mead held the appointment for a year, and discharged the duties so as to win the gratitude of the natives on the one hand, and to secure the external success of the mission on the other, the Board constrained him to resign the post.

For further development of the mission, the entire mission area was divided into six mission stations of Nagercoil, Neyyoor, Parassala, Trivandrum, Attingal and Quilon. He received donation from Maharaja of Cochin, who was heathen and other members of the royal family offered for construction of a church at Nagercoil. In 1818, enormous sum had been spent to Travancore from the generous contributors of the people in England. In 1818 itself, about 3000 people embraced the Christian religion. On 29 September, 1818, he was joined by Rev.Richard Knill, another missionary of the LMS who came to Travancore to recover his health, which had failed in Madras. During Knill’s short stay, he seems to have entered heartily into Rev.Mead's plans of work and to have greatly cheered and helped him. The foundation stone of the Home Church at Nagercoil was laid on the New Year Day of 1819 by Rev.Richard Knill and suggested, assisted at the building of the church at Tittuvilai.

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Mr. Mead tirelessly  continued his  varied missionary  work , but he was in need of a life -partner to share his joy and sorrows ; so he married Miss. Johanna Coelestina  ,the third daughter of a German missionary,  the Revd. Christopher Henry Horst of Tanjore and sister -in-law of the Revd. J.C. kohlkoff on the 13th of January , 1819.   This marriage helped Mead in many meaningful ways. It resulted in the transfer to Nagercoil of a number of trained catechists from the Danish mission. At the same time and from the same place also, Mr.George Harvey Ashton joined Rev.Mead as his assistant. Rev.John Smith and Rev.Charles Mault, the LMS missionaries were joined in later 1819.

In October 1819 Rev.Mead commenced the mission seminary at Nagercoil,  which later produced great Tamil poets and  writer like  Mr. Devavaram, Moses, John Palmer, C, Masillamani  and others.His plans for this seminary were of the same ambitious order as characterized his church building ideas. English and Sanskrit as well as the two vernaculars were taught, and several European youths, sons of factors in the neighborhood, were among the first students. Rev.Mead had for his assistant Mr.M'Ally as well as Mr.Ashton, and a number of native teachers from Tanjore. Of this, the first English educational institution in Travancore, Rev.Mead spoke these prophetic words "This will give rise, we hope, in time to a mission college for the south of India, on the liberal principles of the London Missionary Society."

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He opened an English Medium School at Nagercoil (1820) and also first Girls school with Boarding facility of Travancore at Nagercoil was established in 1819 by Mrs.Johanna, wife of Rev.Charles Mead. In the following year, 1820, Rev.Mead, on a visit to Tanjore, obtained a printing press, which he set up in his own house at Nagercoil, securing at the same time a trained native printer from Tranquebar. This was the first printing press ever introduced into Travancore, preceding the Kottayam press by about a year. It is interesting to notice that the paper sent from England for this press, being presented by charitable persons, was admitted to the country by the Travancore Government free of duty.

Rev.Charles Mead also continued his effort the school at Mylaudy shifted to Nagercoil as he believed the English Medium School at Nagercoil could one day become a college, which materialized in 1893. In 1820 the first public school for Hindus was opened for the Hindus, especially Nadars at Nagercoil. The Neyyoor Girls Boarding school was established in 1828 under the Neyyoor Mission which was situated in an ancient Nadar area. Rev.Mead started the first School of Industry (technical) in 1820 at Nagercoil. This school provided technical education and trades such as printing, bookbinding, tanning, curing of leather etc. In 1820, the mission has planned to start a branch of the mission at Quilon under John Smith. During his tenure numerous schools and Churches were established and by 1827 there were forty four schools in Travancore.

For some  administrative reasons  the LMS  Mission field in kanyakumari district was divided into two parts as Eastern division and Western division  in 1828, and for the eastern division,  Nagercoil was the Head quarters and for the western  division  Neyoor was the Head quarters. Leaving the eastern division to the care  of  Mr. Charles Mault ;  Revd Charles Mead moved  to  Neyoor in 1828   with his family along with   his native Assistant Devavaram's family. At that time the area in which the present Neyyoor town is situated was called “Kattuvilai” and was the place where the gallows stood and the criminals were executed. Rev. Mead with the help of Mr. Raman Thambi, a Nair landlord, gradually bought the area from the Nair owners and named the place Neyyoor and started his mission endeavors.

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From 1828, while Rev.Mead built and developed the beautiful Dartmouth Chapel, the printing press, the dispensary, the mission bungalow etc, Mrs. Mead concentrated on the Boarding House where she taught the children and women of the area to read, to write, to weave, to do needle work and to make lace.In 1830, this Boarding House was transformed into a regular Elementary School with boarding facility. The children were given food, shelter, books and clothes without cost. In 1844 separate schools for boys and girls were established and the school for girls was named Carlton School. Later Mrs. Baylis, wife of Rev. Baylis joined Mrs. Mead in developing this school.  Charles Mead  established many  churches and schools and also accomplished  many   remarkable  things in the social and educational  map  of the Western division . Mead championed the cause of social justice in Kayakumari district  with the help of his fellow mission workers and Mrs. Mead.   Mrs. Mead   laboured for about 29 long years  with her husband tirelessly and she died at Neyoor on the 6th February 1848 aged 45 years.  The Christians  of  Kanyakumari district and  South India  are  indebted to her very much for her charity, liberality and motherly affection .

In 1836, he took his first leave to England and returned back in 1838 with five more missionaries.  In 1839, his daughter, Ann Mead married Rev.Augustus Caemmerer, the SPG missionary at Nazareth.

 Following the death of his  wife Johanna , Mead  continued his missionary work as a widower for about five years,  and  due some reasons he decided to marry Miss Lois Biddulph , the daughter of Mr. Devavaram Biddulph the learned Christian Poet and the nephew of Mylaudy Maharasan Vedamanickam.  This marriage proposal was opposed by the local christians ,  fellow  pastors , and by the Directors of the LMS, London.  However sidelining and sidetracking all hurdles and opposition Charles Mead boldly married   Miss Lois Biddulph  in   September 1852 and resinged from the  Travancore Mission and went to Trivandrum and settled there.

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Charles Mead and his wife Lois Mead were blessed with four children.  Mrs Lois Mead led a happy life with Mead and consoled and comforted  him  in his old age as compassionate wife.  The great Church  historian C.M. Agur married Ms. Joanna Carolata Mead, a daughter of Mr.Charles Mead. This marriage helped C.M. Agur in so many ways to write the epoch making historical book , "The Church History  of Travancore". ; this book has  IV parts and  deals with the history of  Syrian Christian Church,  Roman Catholic Church, The London Missionary Church and The Christian Literature . C.M. Agur. B.A.,  worked as the  Office Manager of  The British Residents' office, at Trivandrum,   for nearly 20 years.

In 1855, in recognition of his contributions to the cause of education, the Travancore Government appointed him Superintendent of Schools, and while in this office he encouraged women's education in Nagercoil and in the state of Travancore. He died on 19 January 1873 at the age of 80 years at Tiruvanandapuram.

CHRISTIAN SAMUEL KOHLHOFF- One of the twin stars of Christianagaram

CHRISTIAN SAMUEL KOHLHOFF was born in 1815 at Tanjore, being the son of the Rev. J. C. Kohlhoff, of the S.P.C.K. Mission, and the grandson of the Rev. J. B. Kohlhoff, of the Royal Danish Mission. He was educated at Bishop's College, Calcutta; ordained deacon in 1839, and priest in 1840, by the Bishop of Madras. After forty-two years work he died at Tranquebar in 1881. His principal work was at Erungalore, where his father founded a mission and built a Church. Here he worked from 1858 till his death. He was appointed  at Mudalur in 1839 as a S.P.G. missionary. A beautiful church was constructed in the same year. He preached the gospel of Christ in and around Mudalur. He often visited Udangudi which is about 8 km from Mudalur. The people of that area requested him to enrol them as members of Mudalur church. Before they were received into the church, he was transferred to Dindigul. He carried on his missionary service in different places such as Tiruchy(1841-42) irungalur(1842-46), (1847-53), (1858-81), Chennai (1846-47) (1856-58).Christianagaram was established by Rev. Christian Samuel Kohloff in 1839. He is considered as one of the twin stars of Christianagaram. The village was formerly known as Athiyakuruchi which was later named after him.

Arthur Margoschis-Father of Nazareth of India

Arthur Margoschis was born as the eighth son of the Margoshises of the village Lamington in England on 24th December 1852. The seeds sown in his tender heart by his parents were “Love thy God. Love thy neighbor as thyself”. The good teachings of his God fearing parents were a great blessing to him. Margoschis had great love for God and thirst for lost souls even as a boy.

After Margoschis completed his graduation, he took up theological studies also. Then he joined the Government Surgery and Medical College of London and came out successfully. When he was preparing to write the examination for his post graduation, the event he eagerly awaited took place. Bishop Caldwell who was ministering in Idaiyankudi of Tirunelveli District in Tamil Nadu went on furlough to England and shared the needs of the people of Tirunelveli there. When he asked if there was any young man willing to over to India, Margoschis committed himself. His friends and relatives asked him not to be in a hurry and to complete his final year studies and get the degree of MRCS, LRCP. He answered, “This is not a job that I can do according to my own convenience.” He started immediately for India when he was 22 years old then.

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Margoschis reached India in October 1875 and stayed with Caldwell for some time. The village Nazareth, then known as Saann Pathu was given to his charge. He met many challenges even in the beginning of his ministry during 1876. The continuous rain in the erstwhile state of Madras (now known as Tamil Nadu) resulted in the breaches of the ponds there. The river Tamparaparani flooded and there was great destruction. Houses were drowned. Margoschis extended necessary help to those who lost their houses and their belongings. He treated 5964 people who were victims of Cholera and fever.

The problems of the people of Tirunelveli did not stop there. The following year, there was a severe famine. 25% of the people died of starvation. When Margoschis, a man of short stature with a small beard, went round the village on his horseback doing relief work, the people praised God saying, “Jesus is good God and He is God.”

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He made a hatched roof shed for the children who lost their parents in floods and famine. Due to financial constraints, it was difficult for Margoschis to feed these children. Government also sent 80 children to his hostel to be cared by him. While thinking of closing the hostel, it was a big challenge thrown to him. Realizing that God spoke to his heart, “Bring up these children for My sake”, he continued to provide for them.

Canon Margoschis, built a small hut hundred yards away from his bungalow for the orphans in 1877. As the number of orphans increased, he took efforts to put up a building for them and the same was built in 1878 in the place where the Art Industrial School is now. He was made aware of his responsibilities and obligations towards the less-privileged and was very anxious to introduce teaching for them on industrial courses. Hence he founded the Art Industrial School in the orphanage itself on 14-11-1878. Carpentry, Black-smithy and sewing courses were started and then weaving section was introduced. In 1884, the first sewing machine was bought and the art of tailoring was introduced. The lower Secondary Training was provided and in 1900, Upper Secondary Training was transferred from Tuticorin to Nazareth. He was the manager of the school till his death. In those days the Art Industrial School, the brain-child of Canon Margoschis, was praised as the only one of its kind in the district . Margoschis sent the handicrafts of these children to an exhibition in London. With the help of these children, Margoschis planted neem and banyan trees on the roadsides. He conducted weddings of the girls of marriageable age himself in a grand manner, finding suitable bridegrooms for them. This man of God thus became a father and a grandfather even when he was 30 years old.

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There are events that encouraged Margoschis as well. A small boy, namely Enamuthu, ran away from the hostel run by him. Margoschis searched for him for many days and found him. Later, he was ordained and his name was Rev. E. Joseph. Pitchai. A shepherd boy accepted Jesus Christ. When he went home from the hostel on vacation, his parents did not like his Christian songs and his new faith. They asked him to deny his faith. One day, while playing, he fell down from a tree and died. On the deathbed, he said in a feeble voice, “Give me baptism.” Margoschis gave him baptism. The villagers were sad that they had harassed this boy. On that day, nine persons from the shepherd community accepted Jesus Christ. The hostels and the schools run by him helped his evangelical work.

Often, sad events took place in the hostels. Often boys used to run away. Margoschis had also shed tears over disobedient children. Many children died of diseases.

Margoschis loved the children very much. When he went out on the horseback, they used to go with him sitting behind him. He formed the Nazareth Children’s Mission in 1903.

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Margoschis preached in and round Nazareth on horseback. Churches were established in Pillaiyanmanai, Manalkuni, Muthalai Mozhi, Gurukkaattur, Thailapura, Udaiyarkulam, etc. In 1901, there were 1482 believers in Nazareth alone. In many places, the new believers pulled down the temples, took away the golden articles from these temples and gave the same towards expenses for church construction work. The Brahmin community opposed Margoschis tooth and nail. False charges were made against the new believers.

Margoschis started schools in many places. St. John's Girl’s Hr. Sec. School is the first school in south India and a third one in India which was started for girls. It was started by Rev. Hough in 1820.  Canon Margoschis was made superintendent of the school 1876.  He  stressed the need for good education to women and started kindergarten school. In 1886, he made a historic achievement of upgrading the Normal school to a High School. The school became a full-fledged high school in 1888.  The first set of women in the Presidency of Madras to pass the Matriculation Examination was from this school. The Standard of the school was very much appreciated by the Director of Public Instruction in 1890. This school is the first high school for women in south India.He founded Teachers Training School in 1877.

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Canon Margoschis founded a Middle school for boys in 1882 in the name “Anglo – Vernacular School”. In 1885.  This school was awarded “ The Best School” title in the Presidency of Madras. He made a successful venture of upgrading it as “High School “ in 1889 in spite of the stiff opposition from the then Bishop Rt. Rev. Caldwell. But in 1890, the high school classes were taken away from thisschool and attached to the Caldwell High School, Thoothukudi. So the school at Nazareth was reverted into a Higher Grade Middle School. From 1890 to 1912, it served as a model school for the Higher Grade Teacher Trainees.

Another brain – child of Canon Margoschis was the Theological Seminary. It was founded by him in 1890 with eight students. It had grown from strength to strength in the following years

Margoschis was himself an Asthma patient. He started a 30-bed hospital at Nazareth in 1892. Though it was founded in the year 1870 by Dr. J.M. Strachan, the monumental growth was under the able stewardship of Canon A. Margoschis. As he had the knowledge of medicine, he could do marvelous medical service, helping thousands of sick flocking even from 20 to 30 miles away. This service was rendered freely to all irrespective of caste and creed. There was a dire need to provide more facilities to the swelling number of sick in the hospital with wards, compounding room etc., To meet the requirements, the main building of the hospital was built by him in 1892 and the hospital was Christened “St. Luke’s Hospital” by him on the day of St. Luke’s (18 October) in 1892. Today it is a very big hospital with all modern equipments.

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As the believers were afraid of death, because of the frequent deaths due to famine and Cholera, in order to edify their faith, he asked them to observe All Souls Day and All Saints day so that they could remember and honor the dead saints.

Canon Margoschis adopted Nazareth as his “Child”, and with the help of the orphans and hired laborers, he laid the metal road  from Nazareth to Valaiyadi and planted trees on both sides.Telegraphic office was opened on 25-12-1894, as a result of the initiative taken by him. He showed interest in town planning also and the 5th street was formed by him. As a result of his efforts, the original plan to lay the railway line from Tirunelveli to Tiruchendur via. Thenthiruperai was changed and it was decided to lay it via. Nazareth. This work, was put into operation a few years after his death.

 He started a Thrift Fund society for disbursing loans on credit for the benefit of the poor people and if any one of its members died, help was given from that fund. For those who did not know about Life Insurance, this system was a great blessing.

In appreciation of the services rendered by Margoschis, Madras University conferred on him the title, “Fellow of the University of Madras.” People also praised him wholeheartedly as the “Father of Nazareth”.In 1903 the government honored him with a medal “Saviour Hindu” for his services. The Bishop of Madras made him one of the honor canons of Madras Diocese praising his devotion and knowledge.

The 32 years of selfless service of Canon A. Margoschis has left an indelible mark on the History of this area. His dedicated service to this people will remain a memorable historical fact for people of all religions and cultural traditions. He excelled all other missionaries who came before and after him to Nazareth by virtue of being not only a missionary but also being a doctor an educationist, a philanthropist, a philosopher, a guide, a friend, a father and what not. When Canon A. Margoschis left this world on 1908, he left behind the memory of a great and good life, lived usefully a memory that has become a legacy, one that deserves to be passed on to generations unborn.His tomb is in the Nazareth church premises.

THOMAS GAJETAN RAGLAND

THOMAS GAJETAN RAGLAND (1815-1858) was born at Gibraltar in 1815.He had studied Maths in Cambridge University. He later worked in Corpus Christi College as a tutor. After working as a tutor he was drawn to missionary work by God.

In 1845, Ragland offered himself to the CMS for service in India and was accepted. He reached Madras in January 1846. He accepted the position of secretary of the Corresponding Committee of the Society in Madras, and he retained that appointment for nine years.  During his missionary exploits he noted that in Southern Tamil Nadu which was then called as Madras Presidency there were lots of people involved in Missionary work, but there were virtually no people involved in missionary work in Central Tamil Nadu. He then sought to start his work in areas around Sivakasi .It was not till 1854 that he commenced direct evangelistic work. In that year, assisted by two younger Cambridge men, David Fenn and E. R. Meadows, he founded the North Tinnevelly mission. In 1858 he died at Sivagasi, the indirect cause of death being exhaustion from over-exertion.

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The effects of the missionary work of Thomas Gajetan grew steadily after his death. The women living in the area were especially involved in spreading the word. About 40 years after his death the need for a big church to worship was deemed necessary and work towards this was started. A church was then built and dedicated to the memory of Ragland. The four silver cups, engraved with the pelican (the symbol of Corpus Christi College), which he had won while a young man as mathematical prizes at Cambridge, are still in use as chalices in the churches of that northern Tirunelveli which he loved and for which he gave his life.

William Tobias Ringeltaube -The first Protestant missionary in the far south of India

William Tobias Ringeltaube(1770- ?) was the first Protestant missionary in the far south of India. He spent much of his time in Travancore. He was the first child of Gottlieb Ringeltaube, Vicar of Scheidelwitz (today Szydlowice), near Brzeg, in Silesia. He was born on 8 August 1770. The cause and date of his death are uncertain, but it is widely believed that he died of liver failure whilst on a voyage to Africa. Others believe that he was killed by the natives whilst on a mission to Jakarta (then called Batavia).

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Five days after his birth he was baptized and given the name William Tobias Ringeltaube. For seven years Ringeltaube grew up in the quietness of a country home; after this his father went to Warsaw in Poland, and spent nine years in the city. During this time, William was educated by his father before attending the University of Halle.

When he was 16, his father became a Court Preacher and General Superintendent at Oels, in Silesia. There, the young boy attended the Gymnaesium, but the boy was naturally shy and shunned all interaction with fellow students. In his 18th year he went on a walking tour, on which he made many friends. During this time, he made the decision to become a Christian missionary. Ordained according to the Lutheran rite at Wernigerode 1796; recommended to and accepted by the S.P.C.K. in 1797, in which year he and Holtzberg were charged by the Rev. John Owen at the S.P.C.K. office before their departure for India. Ringeltaube went to Calcutta and was welcomed by David Brown the Chaplain. There he remained less than two years, and returned to Europe in 1799 to the great disappointment of the S.P.C.K. He then associated himself with the Moravians, and in 1803 offered his services to the L.M.S. and was accepted. 

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He along with two other missionaries Cran and Des Granges sailed from England in Feb 1804 with intention to commence a mission among the heathen on the coast of Coramandel. They had been students in the missionary seminary of Gosport. They arrived in Tranquebar by ship. While Cran and Des Granges fixed them selves to Visakapatinam, Ringletaube determined to direct his labours to the southern part of the penissula. He arrived at Tranquebar in July 1804 and remained there till January 1806. His stay was not a happy one, for he had as great a difficulty in living at peace with the Tranquebar missionaries as he had had at Calcutta with David Brown. He was then persuaded by Kohlhoff, the head of the S.P.C.K. Mission at Tanjore, to take charge of the Palamcottah Mission in Tinnevelly, where a European missionary was urgently required. This move placed him again on the staff of the S.P.C.K. He tried to fulfil his duties, but his position was difficult if not impossible. He was a Moravian, subject nominally to the L.M.S., at that time an interdenominational society, and actually subject to Kohlhoff of Tanjore, a Lutheran in the service of the S.P.C.K. At the same time Ringeltaube was a man of great independence of mind and character. At Palamcottah he did his work well, and made no attempt to puzzle the native Christians by founding a new society. In 1807 he left Palamcottah and went to Travancore, where he was free of the S.P.C.K. and its limitations. There he laid the foundation of a strong L.M.S. Mission, with the assistance of Maharasan Vedamanickam.

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He remained in Travancore, principally at Mayiladi, till 1815, when he returned to Madras with liver complaint in an advanced stage. There he met William Taylor and Marmaduke Thompson the Chaplain, who were impressed with his wild unconventionality and eccentricity as well as by his missionary zeal and Christian conversation. He then sailed to Colombo with a view to embark on a sea voyage to the Cape. As there was no ship going in that direction, he sailed for Malacca and was not again heard of. Probably he died and that the ocean was his grave.

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In 1809, Ringel Taube built a church in Miladi, the first protestant church in Travancore. An ascetic at heart, he continued to live in a small hut nearby. His missionary zeal made him build churches in Athikkadu, Thamarakkulam, Puthalam, Kovilvilai, Ethampuli and James town. His work did not get limited to the building of churches alone. Along with the churches he built some schools too to educate the natives. It was in 1811 that Ringel Taube established near Valiyathura in Trivandrum the church that is now known after him as the Ringel Taube memorial CSI church.

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Rev. J.M. Lechler -Apostle of Salem

In May 1840 Rev. J.M. Lechler (Rev. John Michael Lechler - 1804 - 1861) called as the Apostle of Salem , a German Missionary of the London Missionary society came to salem from Coimbatore to take charge of the Salem Mission work. He had already been 5 Years in India of which 4 years were spent working with Rev.C. T. E. Rhenius(1790 - 1838) called as the Apostle of Tirunelveli.

 In the same year Rev . J.M. Lechler Started in Salem a School of Industries - First of its kind in the whole of the British India - The school was called as the first school of Industrial education in India and Rev . J.M. Lechler who was also called (because of the chequered history) as the father of Industrial education in India. He started the training institute with 6 students on Bungalow Street, between Shevapet and Kottai in the town, which is at present near the CSI Boys Higher Secondary School premises.

 

In those days, technical education was not part of regular education. But, Lechler started the school and provided training in carpentry and tailoring to the students

 To Develop the Industrial school Rev. J.M. Lechler needed more skilled workers and Artisans. So he called skilled workers from Tirunelveli under the Leadership of Catechist E. David of Palayamkottah (a well-trained man under Rev. C.T.E. Rhenius of Tirunelveli ) under the Leadership of Catechist E. David 30 families of skilled workers from Tirunelveli came to Salem. They were given work according to their trades in the industrial school and accommodated in the Salem mission compound at Shevapet, Salem.

In his 21 years of stay in Salem, he mastered Tamil language as he was able to read and write the language fluently. In 1841, Lechler along with Assistant Collector of Salem H.A. Brett trekked to Yercaud and built the first cottage named ‘Melrose’ with sub-burnt bricks. Thus, Lechler became the first European settler on the hilltop and several Europeans purchased land and built their houses later.

He along with other officers of Madras Civil Services built the CSI Holy Trinity Church atop Yercaud which is currently 164 years old. In 1853, Lechler built the CSI Church in Kottai area with all the construction materials made locally.

The church was renovated in 2009 and was named as CSI Lechler Memorial Church.

Every year death anniversary of Lecher is observed on June 17 at his tomb located on the CSI Boys Higher Secondary School premises.