Armenian College Old Boys' Union Souvenir 1909-1959

Armenian College & Philanthropic Academy (ACPA) Old Boys' Souvenir 1909-1959. A random selection of pages.

 

Repairs To A Monument: A Stonemason With A Sense Of Humour

A stonemason
with a sense of humour!

Some years ago I was in Dorset and I found this wonderful stone inscribed with a lot of jobs the stonemason had completed. One of the inscriptions on this stone says: 

"Revived flames of hell put new tail on the devil mended his left hoof and did several odd jobs for the dammed."

For my Armenian friends there's one that says "decorated Noah's Ark". Presumably before he Sailed for Ararat.

Sir Paul Chater: Remembered and Continually Acknowledged by La Martiniere School Kolkata

This is the commemoration stone of one of the new school blocks at La Martiniere school Kolkata in perpetual recognition of Sir Paul Chater's financial contribution which allowed the school to stay open in the 1920's and continues to flourish today. A second school block of the same type was also named after Claude Martin the founder of La Martiniere.

It is indeed a testament to La Martiniere School and each successive head master that they never allow the names of their founder and their benefactor to get lost in the annals of time. They appear PROUD to carry the Martin and Chater names on a daily basis in the school prayer. It is nice they have named one of their new school constructions after Sir Paul. It is here in the 1850's he attended and gained the education required to carry him through his pioneering and innovative career as a leading business figure in Hong Kong and South East Asia.

Apcar Line Vessel Built in Glasgow in 1861

The Apcar Line ship,  'Arratoon Apcar' was built in Glasgow. Here is a newspaper snippet reporting that it was conducting sea trials after launch in 1861.  Later in 1863 it is commandeered by the military for use in New Zealand.

Armenian From Madras: 1808 Sarquis Agavelly, An Indian Armenian Lost In the Passage of Time.

The small church at St. Thomas's Mount Chennai
(Madras) has been well cared for over the years.
The influence of the Armenians and the legacy
of Sarquis Agavelly can be clearly
seen in both the altar and the pulpit.

He may have passed but his legacy lives on in the 21st Century in a small quiet church in Chennai.

It would appear that it is a rather overlooked fact that a Madras Armenian built the pulpit at the church at St. Thomas's Mount, Chennai which is a national shrine.

Extracted from Sarquis Satur Agavelly’s Will dated Madras 1808:

“…….It is my will and desire that on my decease and after the performance of all the ceremonies rites ordained by the Armenian church my body to be taken to the church at St. Thomas’s Mount and there buried under the pulpit which was made by my Uncle the late Sarquis Agavelly and a tomb stone be put on my grave with proper inscription in the Armenian and Latin languages……….”

The will
The statement 
The church
The pulpit 
The grave

 Perfect genealogical provenance

The more well known and popular fact is that the Madras Armenian Petrus Woskan (aka Uscan) built the steps at St. Thomas Mount but who knew its pulpit was made by the hand of another Armenian?

The Once Flourishing Armenian Community of Madras is Now No More - 1927

Extract from: The Times of India December 17, 1927

MADRAS LETTER
VESTIGES OF A GREAT PAST

Madras, December 14.

The celebration of a Requiem Mass at St. Mary’s Armenian Church on Sunday the 11th  [December 1927] instant in honour of the General Andranik, who died in America on August 31, serves to remind us, of the existence to this day the city of a small but rapidly disappearing community of Armenians, the descendants of a once flourishing class who possessed vast wealth and made generous public benefactions.

It was a fitting tribute that this small community paid on Sunday to a great Armenian solider who did much to sustain the morale of the small and badly equipped Armenian Army during the great war.  There are many vestiges in Madras City and its suburbs of the commercial enterprise and prosperity of the Armenians and of their glorious past.  Armenian Street, in which the Church is situated, is no longer occupied by Armenians as in days of yore, but there has grown up in it numerous commercial houses and trading establishments and today it is the centre of much business activity.

In Royapuram there is an important road called Arathoon Road, named after a one-time wealthy Armenian gentleman, whose remote descendants can still be traced in Madras.  There is an important bridge on the road to St. Thomas’ Mount, near the Little Mount Church, which owes its existence to the generous benefaction of an Armenian name Petrus Uscan, who constructed it in the year 1726, and which to this day, is a standing example the substantial type of structures guilt in those early days.  The same gentleman, who possessed a markedly religious turn of mind, was responsible also for constructing the long flight of inclined planes and solid stone steps which conduct Roman Catholic pilgrims to the ancient church situated at the summit of St. Thomas’s Mount.

Legal Age for Armenian Marriage in India in 1850

I have come across this interesting snippet.

In “The Procedure of the Civil Courts of the East India Company in the Presidency of Fort William” by William MacPherson , Barrister at Law of the Inner Temple, Published in 1850, comes the following interesting extract.

“Male Armenians would probably be considered as of full age at eighteen.

The Vicar* of the Armenian Church at Calcutta, on being asked by the Sudder Court what was the age of legal majority in females under the Armenian law, and whether a minor wife was considered to be under the tutelage of her husband; replied that: “the age of majority with females is considered to be the age of marriage; and the age of marriage commences from the twelfth year. The wife either a minor or of full age, remains under the tutelage of her husband.” “

*In my calculations the Vicar referred to would be one of three possible Armenian priests at the time.
Rev. Barseigh Galstanian (Archpriest)
Rev. Martyrose Ter Hovakiamian or
Rev. Mackertich Ter C. Gregorian

A Forgotten Legacy for the Armenian Church found in 1873

Extract from: The Friend of India Calcutta, India, Thursday, August 21, 1873; pg. 938; Issue 2006. Empire.

“A legacy of a Lakh and forty thousand rupees was left half a century ago to the Calcutta Armenian Church by an Armenian gentleman. The fact has only just been discovered from the records of the High Court.”

That would have been a LOT of money in 1873, how could it possibly have been forgotten from 1823 I wonder?

Armenian Jute taking off in Dacca - 1875

Extract from The Friend of India, in which the Indian Observer is incorporated Calcutta, India, Saturday, September 18, 1875; pg. 865; Issue 2114. Empire. 

“A remarkable impetus has been given to the jute trade in Dacca.  There are now ten European and Armenian firms who  deal largely in this article of produce.  Three steam presses have already been set up and two others are in the course of erection.” 

Note: Armenians were often referred to as ‘Europeans’ in newspapers and publications.

A Leading Firm Of Hong Kong Accountants: An Armenian Connection To India

After the death of Sir Paul Chater in Hong Kong, his complex estate and accounts were taken care of by a local firm of accountants called Hennessey Seth & Co (previously Percy Smith Seth & Fleming). This is a rare in-tact company wax seal of Hennessey Seth & Co firm from an original document of accounts.

John Hennessey Seth a founding partner with Percy Smith was born to Armenian parents in Singapore in 1884.  His parents Arathoon and Catherine Seth were cousins who married and their families can be traced back to the vibrant and influential Armenians families of Madras of the mid to late 18th century.

The Conundrum That Is Indian Armenian Surnames

The genealogical nightmare that is Armenians.

Ter Carrapiet Ter Abraham Ter Carrapiet (yes, this is ONE person) had 3 brothers and a sister as well as 2 sons and a daughter.

Two of the brothers’ last names were Ter Carrapiet but one brother had the last name of Ter Abraham.

Ter Carrapiet Ter Abraham Ter Carrapiet’s two sons surnames were Ter Abraham.

But the most frustrating of this particular family naming convention has to be one of the brothers of Ter Carrapiet Ter Abraham Ter Carrapiet.  He was called Astwachatoor Ter Abraham Ter Carrapiet but  commonly known as Cason i.e. Astwachatoor Cason. One of his sons was named Cason Ter Abraham but commonly known as S.C. Seth (Where the heck did the name SETH come from?!). The other son was called Arratoon Cason Ter Abraham who was commonly called A.C. Seth.

Just when you think you’re getting your head around the name Carrapiet, they turn into the surname Seth and just when you think you’ve cracked the surname Seth there is double TER-ouble and you will probably have to start again!

This has to be one of the longest and complex naming strings that I have come across in the Armenians in India.

Khojah Petrus, The Armenian Merchant – Diplomat of Calcutta from 1756-1763

An original paper belonging to Mesrovb Seth
with a personal dedication to Jordan Martin.

This is an original paper on “Khojah Petrus, The Armenian Merchant – Diplomat of Calcutta from 1756-1763”. It was read by Mesrovb Seth at the 11th meeting of the "Indian Historical Records Commission" held at Nagpur in December 1928. The contents of this paper were included in his later book "Armenians in India..." published in 1937 minus the photograph. 

What is unique and original about this particular document is the personal dedication written by Mesrovb Seth to Jordan Martin Esq., whose wife, Elizabeth Catchick was the 2xgreat grand-daughter of Rev. Haruthiun Shumavonian of Madras who published in 1794 the first known Armenian newspaper, under the name of the "Azdarar". The dedication reads: “Jordan Martin Esq., with the author’s very best regards. 15.3.29”.

Armenians in Madras Pray for Rain - 'Amen' Was Audible from the Whole Congregation - 1807

Extracted from “The Literary Panorama by Charles Taylor, 1807”

Supplication for Rain by the Armenian Christians.

The uncommon series of dry weather in the district of Madras gave occasion to solemn service in the Armenian Church at Madras on Sunday November-- 1806.  After the customary Mass, prayers were read, and the Rev. Arathoon Simeon, the Vicar, in a short discourse from Kings xvii.1.xviii.1.43.44.45. Isaiah i.5. “ I will command the clouds that they rain non rain etc” stated instances and reasons of similar visitations with which Providence chastised corruption of morals, and neglect of religious duties in the days of the prophets, exemplified the contrition and conduct of pious men of old, and exhorted his audience to penitence and supplication. 

After this, a Hymn, commencing  Turn thy wrath from us they earthly creatures: benevolent Lord, spare and do not let us perish etc was sung, kneeling before the altar, with every mark of humility and devotion.  This was followed by an appropriate prayer, and recital of Psalm vi.xxxiii.li.cii.cxxx.cxliii. the whole concluded with the Lord’s Prayer: in which the sentence  thy will be done in Earth as it is done in Heaven, was emphatically repeated by the Vicar, to which a feeling chorus of Amen was audible from the whole congregation.  In their own country the Armenians perform this service on such occasions, in the fields and arid plains.

Extracted from Oriental Commerce: 1813

Merchants Resident in Calcutta.

The British merchants resident in Calcutta are a respectable and enterprising class of men, many of whom are possessed of large and independent fortunes, in the acquisition of which they have displayed those merchant talents, and that enterprising spirit, which are the characteristic of the British nation.  The following are the principal houses.



Alexander & Co                            Joseph Barretto & Co                                  Robert Campbell 
Campbell, Hook, & Co                   Mackintosh,Fullon, & Co                            William Hollings
Colvins, Bazett & Co                     Mathew & Co                                              John King 
De Verinne, Pere & Fils                 Palmer & Co                                               Stephen Laprimaudaye 
Downie, Crullenden & Co              Peter Lumsdain & Co                                  Robert Lawson 
Fairlie Fergusson & Co                  Reid Price & Co                                          John Mackenzie 
Francis & Gabriel Vrignon              James Scott & Co                                       James McTaggart 
Hogue Davidson & Co                   Sinclair,Inglis & Co                                      E.A. Roussac 
Johannes Sarkies & Co                
Charles Blaney


The Armenians are considered the most numerous body of foreign merchants in Calcutta; they carry on an extensive commerce with all parts of India and China, and are extremely diligent and attentive in business.  They are considered to have the most accurate information from other parts, of any body of merchants.  The principal houses are

Moses C. Arackel                            Simon Phanoos Bagram                             Narcis Johannes
Sarkies Johannes                            Abraham Avitmall                                       Aratoon Joseph Camell
Carrapit Chatoor                             Z.J. Shircore                                                 S & Petruse Carapiets
Car. Muckertich Morat                   Stephen Aratoon                                          J.M.Simeon.