Lost In The Passage Of Time: The Origins Of One Of The Other St. John's Church of Rangoon

                                                                                                     

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 *NOTE: The hyperlinks in square brackets [ ] do not work in this blog, please scroll to the bottom to read the links.

Generally speaking, when one thinks of St. John’s Church Rangoon one normally thinks of the Armenian Church. Currently enjoying a renaissance in popularity, the Yangon St. John the Baptist Armenian church is breathing easier these days, thanks to the recent intervention of the Armenian Holy See to reclaim and revive it from years of stifled possession of an unauthorised non Armenian incumbent.  Rescued in the nick of time, its beginnings, roots and history are once again proudly and rightly lauded by Armenians around the world. Its precious fabric now rests securely for future generations and visitors to worship in.

But what of the other St. John’s Church of Yangon? No, it is not Armenian, but it does have a significant Armenian association, and one that is sadly forgotten today.   Even the St. John's Catholic Church website cannot fully recite its own early years. 

Time has diluted the importance of the Armenian connection.  Let me try to revive it.

St. John’s Catholic Church Yangon. Built in extraordinarily quick time, within a 20 month period. It was made possible by the generosity of a Catholic Armenian of Rangoon, Gregory Avanis.
Image courtesy of http://yangonarchitecture.tumblr.com/page/10

The basic foundations were dug after the end of the second Burmese-Anglo war in 1853.  Bishop Balma had decided to make the city his permanent place of residence, and it was at this time that he “laid down in the military cantonments, the foundations of the church of St. John the Baptist.” This early development was “left in an unfinished state until the year 1857.[1]” Questionable as to whether it would ever be built, it remained like this until a Catholic Armenian, Gregory Avanis came to the rescue.

In his Will[2] he donated the entire cost of the structure, bequeathing the sum of Companys Rupees 20,000 and ensuring its completion.

Gregory Avanis stated in his Will that he had a number of valuable Bengal Promissory notes, these totalled Companys Rupees 54,000. Declaring his bequests, he went on to say: “I further leave and bequeath one Bond for the sum of Company’s Rupees twenty thousand for the purpose of building a Chaple (sic) at Rangoon in the name of Saint John.”

Over the last few years, I have read hundreds, probably even a few thousand pages of old Armenian Wills and Inventories in an attempt to piece together many fragments of lost Armenian family history in India. The Will of Gregory Avanis is written in the same vein as scores of others in Asia. He could not have realised how his act of generosity would help build a church that continues to stand today. He died in Madras in April 1858, having declared his final wishes less than a month before in Madras. 

It seems his heart was in Rangoon.

Leaving a legacy such as this in a Will does not necessarily mean the wishes of the testator would be fulfilled. It is fortunate that in the book “An Outline of the History of the Catholic Burmese Mission” by Reverend Bigandet he gave crucial details of the re-commencement of the building process of the church. 

“In February 1858, the corner stone of the church of Rangoon was laid down amidst a great concourse of people. The ceremony was presided by the Bishop, assisted by the Rev. P. Barbe, C. Paruza, C. Pacchiotti and V. Gabutti. The band of the European Regiment enlivened the ceremony. M. Th. Chrestian laid down the corner stone. During the rainy season, the work was interrupted, to give time to the foundations to sit well in the ground.

The work resumed in the month of October, and carried on without interruption. The church was blessed and, for the first time, opened for divine service on the 3^rd Sunday of Advent, of the year 1859. It was erected solely at the expense of Mr. Gregory Avanis an Armenian, native of Rangoon, who since the war of 1824 had migrated to Madras, where he died on the 2^nd of April 1858 having just received the information that the work of laying the foundation of the church had been begun.

He bequeathed the sum of 20,000 Rupees, for building the church, and a similar sum in Company’s papers, with the injunction that the interest should be used for repairing the church, and praying for the repose of his soul.”

Rev. Bigandet’s recollections are the perfect independent proof and provenance that St. John’s Catholic Church, Rangoon was started by a Bishop, completed by an Armenian and enjoyed by all who worship there.

After Gregory’s death a tablet was placed in his memory at the St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, Madras by his brother Stephen whose own family continued to reside in Rangoon. The memorial inscription reads: “Sacred to the memory of Gregory Avanis, Esq., aged 75 years. This tablet was erected by his affectionate brother Stephen Avanis.[3]”

With a little digging, some patience and a lot of time this is another small piece of forgotten Armenian family history brought back to life.

For my earlier story on another Armenian who built a Catholic  church you can find it here “Catholic Armenians: Let’s Build a Church”.

Acknowledgements:

Image of St. John's Catholic Church, Yangon Architecture

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[1] An Outline of the History of the Catholic Burmese Mission From The Year 1720 to 1887.  By Paul Ambroise Bigandet

[2] The Will of Gregory Avanis. British Library L/AG/34/29/258/7 1858.

[3] List of Tombs and Monuments of Europeans in the Madras District. P.55

Petrus Uscan: After I Die Cut Out My Heart and Send It To Julfa

As I slowly transcribe all 179 pages of Petrus Uscan's will,  a couple of items have caught my attention.

The first page states:

"I Petrus Uscan desire my executors to perform the same and followth viz.

In India in the town of Madraspatnam January 19^th 1750 I made this my last will before my Creator Almighty God and my confessor and Reverend Padryes and Armenian gentlemen.

I Petrus Uscan native of Julpha descended from Armenians, at the abovementioned time do declare my faith and find myself by the Grace of God, in good health, sound senses firm memory and apprehension.

But knowing that death is certain to all mankind and having the said certainty, do now prepare myself with those things which may make my conscience easy, and give rest to my soul. I do firmly believe in the Most High Majesty of the Trinity of Father the Son and the Holy Ghost, three persons and one true God, and in all mysteries, which are Mother Catholick and Apostolic Church of Roman believes, professeth and teacheth. In which our Illuminator Saint Gregory believed and teached to his followers, in whose faith we are to believe and die orthodox and faithfull Christians and in the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, Mass High Queen of the angels who conceived without sin, and is an advocate for us in heaven......."

In this detailed and meticulous Will, these points sprang out at me

(1) The European physician who was tasked with cutting out his heart, was paid 100 Pagodas.
(2) The box his heart was put in for the journey to Julfa cost 12 pagodas.
(3) And then.......he was pretty miffed at the Armenian Church for "squandering" its money, so much so, he wrote it in his Will and left them nothing bar a meagre 100 Pagodas to be given to the poor.

Here are a couple of other things that caught my eye.

On how he wanted to be buried:

"......they [his executors]  shall purchase a habit of the Franciscan Order with which habit they shall dress my corps and lay the same in a coffin........." 

Bemoaning how it was difficult sometimes for Petrus Uscan to sell his merchandise:

"......And there were two small chests of opium which lay at Madrass for several years and no one would buy them for 15 or 20 Rupees..........."

On how some men were simply not to be trusted, and he had fallen for one of them:

"....God deliver us from unexperienced and fantastical men....."

This is by far the longest and largest Armenian Will written in India and it makes for fascinating reading.

Oil painting of Petus Uscan circ 1737

Image courtesy of "New Julfa. The Armenian Churches And Other Buildings" by John Carswell.

Catholic Armenians: Let’s Build A Church

As I continue to review the Wills and Inventories of the various Armenian legacies and bequests left in India, a large and complex story is developing on some all-but-forgotten Catholic Armenians. In this short blog post I will refer only to a small branch of a much larger family tree only because I am still working on the larger family tree and have yet to get to the British Library to research first hand. There is nothing quite like getting into original source material and although a nice selection of British Library documentation can be found on-line, there is MUCH more that isn’t available to the internet user and a trip to London is always nice.

This is a delightful little find. Maria Margarita Gonsalves nee Eyoob [apologies: originally I posted she was nee Simeon which is incorrect.] from a Catholic Armenian family in Serampore (with connections to the Armenian Catholics of Bombay, Surat and Madras) appears to have purchased a Catholic Church at Chandernagore as can be seen from this extract from the Will of Mary Theresa Simeon, Maria’s niece, dated 1911

".........Item 8. Under certain circumstances the Chundernagore Roman Catholic Church attached to the Roman Catholic Convent of Chandernagore reverts to the heirs of my maternal aunt the late Maria Margarita Gonsalves should it revert to me and should at the time of my death Changernagore be a British Possession, I bequeath that church to the said most Reverend Doctor Brice Menlemain s.j. Roman Catholic Archbishop of Calcutta or to his lawful successor or successors in office should my death take place whilst Chandernagore is still a French Possession I then bequeath that church to my trustees in Europe and give them full power to do as they may think best in consonance with French laws always bearing in mind that the intention of the said Maria Margareita Gonsalves in purchasing that church was to prevent it being used for secular purposes and to have it used for religious purposes............."

The same paragraph is repeated in the Will of John Simeon, Mary’s brother. The siblings died within 3 months of each other, John in March 1918 and Mary in June of that year. They both wanted to ensure the future and continuation of the church at Chandernagore.
 

Further research reveals that the chapel is indeed attached to the Convent. On the heritage website for Chandernagore http://www.chandernagorheritage.com/place.html it states: "THE CHAPEL (INSIDE ST JOSEPH’S CONVENT) :

The Chapel was established in 1720 by the Roman Catholic Clergymen of Tibet mission. In 1869, the Chapel was presented to the Sisters of St Joseph’s Convent by Mrs Gonsalves. The massive entrance door has the date 1720 inscribed on its metal framework."

The doors into the chapel

 

Front view of the chapel

Looking into the chapel

 Acknowledgements and my grateful thanks for the use of their images go to Shrutakirti Dutta, Ian Magedera and their flickr site https://www.flickr.com/photos/26365036@N07/14528407882/. 

The fact that the heritage site mentions Mrs. Gonsalves by name is a good indication I have found the right church. 

In addition, St. Joseph's Convent website http://sjc.net.in/community.php also gives a hint to the purchase of the chapel, although they do not seem to know the name of the donor. They state: "In 1869, an old chapel, which had been built by the Capuchin Fathers, and which touched our establishment, was bought by a generous lady who gifted it to the community....."

Mrs. Gonsalves is a 1st cousin once removed of Rose Nesbitt of Bombay who in 1787 built a private chapel in Mazgaon which is the present day St. Anne’s Church. A wealthy woman at her death her inventory consisted of several properties comprising 11 houses, 3 stables, 13 warehouses and 1 office within the Fort; an extensive house and grounds at Byculla; the estate and village of Mattawady, another house at Byculla and a piece of land with a stable at Mahim. Rose’s husband was the Bombay H.C. Marine Commodore Andrew Nesbitt. Upon her death the chapel and her property were transferred to the Roman Catholic Church. She was buried within her own private chapel but it would appear that in the 1960’s after the Second Vatican Council, which decreed that the celebrant face the congregation her remains were removed from the grave in her Church,  and are said to have been interred at the foot of one of the two side altars of the present Church. Sadly during this process her tombstone was not preserved.

First paragraph of Rose Nesbitt's Will

The foundation stone is the only remaining original piece of her chapel, and can be found in the sacristy of the current St. Anne’s Church, it says “This church was built by Rose Nesbitt in honour of St. Anne 1787”.

It would appear charitable and philanthropic traits run in the family and I have no doubt that Rose Nesbitt’s generous example of giving back to the Catholic Church played a large part in her cousin Mary Gonsalves’s own devotion to the Church.

 A second cousin of Mary Gonsalves, another Catholic Armenian from Madras also built a Roman Catholic Church, but this one was in Surrey, just outside London. Alexander Raphael (1775-1850) built the St. Raphael's Roman Catholic Church in Kingston Surrey as his own personal chapel and it was part of his vast estate in Surrey in the grounds of his home Ditton Lodge at Thames Ditton. 

The Coat of Arms of Alexander Raphael Esq., a Catholic Armenian from Madras. M.P. for St. Albans Hertfordshire, and the first Roman Catholic Sheriff of London. Note that Mount Ararat is included in the crest. This coat of arms is still in use by the family today by the Savile Family.

He is also credited with being the creator and builder of the town of Surbiton. He donated hundreds of thousands of Pounds to the Catholic Church. The family crest (above) is built into the stained glass windows of the church. He is buried in the crypt of St. Raphael's church.

St. Raphael's Church, Kingston, Surrey

The family both near and extended were devoted to the Catholic faith and it is extraordinary to find such evidence of church building by Armenian cousins within a family.

I am in the process of a more detailed blog article on Rose Nesbitt, her family and her Armenian connections which I hope to post here soon.