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The Holy Church of Nazareth, Calcutta.
Easter Day 1915.
Photograph: Reproduced courtesy of the Armenian
Church, Kolkata, Very Rev. Father Oshagan Gulgulian, copyright: The
Armenian Church, Kolkata
Jump
to statistical snapshot of the Armenian community in Calcutta between
1811-1835
Jump to Armenian
population count in Calcutta for 1814, 1815 and 1836
Jump to Armenian advocates of the
Calcutta High Court 1855-1893
The
first Armenian Church, a wooden structure was built by public contribution
on 22nd June 1688 and was named St. John. The East India Company for 7
years contributed £40/- per year towards the maintenance of a priest, this
Church was destroyed by fire in 1707. Three hundred years later in
January 2008, a huge fire raged out of control for 5 days in Bura Bazaar
very close to the current church and for many long hours the current
priest, Father Oshagan Gulgulian along with the dedicated guardians of the
church; the committee and wardens, worried intently about the fire
spreading to this, the Holy Church of Nazareth. On the 5th day after the
fire began, his prayers were answered and the fire was eventually put out
and the church and the surrounding area was blessed and left unscathed.
It stood on the periphery of a fire ravaged scene standing tall and bright
like a phoenix from a flame Had the fire spread just a few hundred yards
further, this church, due to celebrate it's 300th anniversary this year
(2008), would also have been lost in the same fashion as the first church
in 1707. Thankfully, that tragedy was averted.
St. John's Church
having been razed to the ground, The Holy Church of Nazareth was built
seventeen years later in 1724 on the old burial ground of the Armenian
community, by Agha Nazar and the architect was an Armenian from Iran named
Mr. Levon Ghevond. The belfry and steeple were added just 10 years later
by Mr. Manual Hazarmalian in 1734. Repaired and renovated in 1763 by
Khojah Petrus Arratoon who also embellished the church and built two
additional altars, one on the right hand side of the main altar, in memory
of his brother Gorgin Khan, who was assassinated near Monghyr, and the
other on the left side to commemorate his memory. In 1789 Agha Catchick
Arakiel presented an English clock to the Church which he had ordered from
the firm of Alexander Hare of London. The clock arrived in Calcutta in
1792 and was fixed in the clock tower. Also in 1789, he had the church
compound enclosed by a substantial wall, which today is still standing as
is the parsonage within the grounds. Unfortunately, he did not see the
installation of the clock as it was 2 years after Mr. Arakiel's death
which occurred on the 25th July 1790.
On the south side of the
Church can be seen the oldest Christian grave in Calcutta. The
inscription reads "This is the tomb of Reza Beebeh, wife of Charitable
Sookias who died on 31st July 1630". A little further from the south
side of the church was Sookias Lane where the Sookias family lived. And
today, the name Sookias is still very much associated with the Church by
way of Mr. Haik Sookias Jr., who is a past Chairman of the Church
Committee. A large number of prominent
Armenians are buried in the churchyard. Amongst them is a Mr.
Shircore (in Persian the name means lion-eater). It is recorded that he
fought and killed a lion bare handed; but died of his wounds later.
Within the compound of the church grounds was a well stocked library. It
was made over to the wardens and commissionaires of the Holy church of
Nazareth for the perusal of the Reverend Priests in Calcutta in May 1896.
Over the years, the Church has been fortunate to have received
many gifts and bequests, particularly in the 18th century. Many others by
their wills have left large sums, amongst whom was the late Sir Catchick
Paul Chater of Hongkong. He was born in Calcutta in September 1846, and
died in Hongkong in May 1926. By his will he left a very substantial sum
of his enormous wealth to the Armenian Church. One of the many ways in
which his legacy has been utilised is by the building of an old peoples
home for the Armenian community which was named the "Sir Paul Chater
Home". The foundation stone was laid by Mr. S.K. Sen, the Official
Trustee of West Bengal on 21st November 1952.
More
about Sir Catchick Paul Chater can be read here.
List of names of benefactors who left large bequests to the Armenian Church, Calcutta |
||
Sir Catchick Paul Chater | Mr. T.M. Thaddeus | Mrs Sarah Chater |
Mr. Z.T. Manuk | John Michael and Wife Mary |
Miss Maryn and Miss Mary Gregory Apcar |
Mr. Nicholas Mackertich Carapiet | Mrs. Helen Moses | Miss L.M. Christian |
Mr. Arratoon Galoost | Mrs. C. Lumbrugen | Mr. Joseph Ephraim |
Mr. Thomas Seth Apcar | Col. S.T. Avetoom | Dr. S.J. Manuk [Manook] |
Joseph Paul | Miss Amy Apcar | Arratoon Petrus |
Petrus Stephen | Arratoon Apcar Senior and Gregory Apcar Senior |
Seth Arratoon Apcar |
A.S. Mackertich | A.G. Apcar | Massey Babjab |
Gevork Manuk | Anna Iscar Zorab |
Below is a register of names of
officiating Pastors and Priests of the Armenian Holy Church of Nazareth, Calcutta,
from 1793 - 1957
[official
Church records/registers prior to 1793 were destroyed - see 'Strange
But True Facts III' here]
Date |
Name |
Date |
Name |
1814 | 1815 | 1836 | ||
Male | 269 | 272 |
290 |
For 1836 the adults of all ages were 313 and children 192. The number of houses in which the 505 people resided were 101 |
Female | 195 | 208 | 215 | |
Total | 464 | 480 | 505 |
Year | Births | Marriages | Deaths |
1811 | 10 | 7 | 12 |
1812 | 8 | 2 | 12 |
1813 | 8 | 4 | 14 |
1814 | 13 | 5 | 21 |
1815 | 9 | 4 | 21 |
1816 | 11 | 7 | 15 |
1817 | 11 | 3 | 20 |
1819 | 5 | 1 | 23 |
1820 | 11 | 5 | 17 |
1821 | 16 | 4 | 16 |
1822 | 12 | 5 | 16 |
1823 | 8 | 2 | 10 |
1824 | 7 | 6 | 21 |
1825 | 15 | 5 | 19 |
1826 | 8 | 3 | 19 |
1827 | 18 | 5 | 15 |
1829 | 12 | 4 | 15 |
1830 | 9 | 4 | 14 |
1831 | 19 | 3 | 17 |
1832 | 13 | 2 | 17 |
1833 | 13 | 3 | 23 |
1834 | 9 | 7 | 16 |
1835 | 19 | 4 | 7 |
Total | 280 | 99 | 395 |
An early statistical snapshot of the Armenian community in Calcutta gives you an idea of the thriving community. The Births, Marriages and Deaths of the Armenian population of Calcutta for a 25year period from 1811 to 1835 inclusive.*
Armenian population count in Calcutta for the years*
*Taken from "Statistics of the Colonies of the British Empire 1839,
From the Official Records of the Colonial Office"
By Robert
Montgomery Martin
Armenian Advocates of the Calcutta High Court from 1855-1893
Inn | Names | Year of Admission | Appointment or Chambers |
L | Honorable Sir Gregory Charles Paul B.A., K.C.I.E. | 1855 | Advocate-General |
I | J.H.W. Arratoon,B.A. | 1864 | England |
I | Gasper Gregory | 1868 | Durbhungah |
I | G.J. Pogose | 1869 | Dacca |
I | Aviet Agabeg | 1869 | England |
I | Thomas Alexander Apcar | 1870 | 11 Old Post Office Street |
L | Malcolm Peter Gasper* | 1872 | England |
L | Arrakiel Peter Gasper | 1872 | 9 Old Post Office Street |
L | J.G. Apcar | 1874 | Clerk of the Crown |
I | John A. Apcar | 1875 | High Court |
I | A. Arathoon | 1875 | England |
I | A.A. Shircore | 1875 | Chittagong |
I | St. John Stephen, B.A., LL.B. | 1880 | 9 Hastings Street |
I | J.N. Pogose | 1882 | Allahabad |
I | A.E. Gasper | 1882 | High Court |
I | A.T. Apcar, M.A., LL.B. | 1883 | 11 Old Post Office Street |
M | A.A. Avetoom | 1885 | 11 Old Post Office Street |
I | Osmond J. Bagram | 1887 | Rangoon |
M | M. Zorab | 1889 | 6 Hastings Street |
I | Walter Gasper Gregory | 1889 | 5 Old Post Office Street |
M | John George Bagram | 1890 | Bar Library |
I | G.I.M. Gregory | 1890 | Mozufferpore |
I | C.A.O.T. Gregory | 1891 | High Court |
G.I. | J. Ernest Bagram | 1893 | Bar Library |
M | John Chater Jordan | 1893 | N.W.P. |
* Malcolm Peter Gasper was one of the leaders of the Calcutta bar. He was a respected member of the Armenian community of Calcutta, and they paid a tribute to his memory, by erecting a marble mural tablet in the Armenian Church of St. Nazareth. Follow this link to see it
Inn | Names | Year of Admission | Appointment or Chambers |
L | Honorable Sir Gregory Charles Paul B.A., K.C.I.E. | 1855 | Advocate-General |
I | J.H.W. Arratoon,B.A. | 1864 | England |
I | Gasper Gregory | 1868 | Durbhungah |
I | G.J. Pogose | 1869 | Dacca |
I | Aviet Agabeg | 1869 | England |
I | Thomas Alexander Apcar | 1870 | 11 Old Post Office Street |
L | Malcolm Peter Gasper* | 1872 | England |
L | Arrakiel Peter Gasper | 1872 | 9 Old Post Office Street |
L | J.G. Apcar | 1874 | Clerk of the Crown |
I | John A. Apcar | 1875 | High Court |
I | A. Arathoon | 1875 | England |
I | A.A. Shircore | 1875 | Chittagong |
I | St. John Stephen, B.A., LL.B. | 1880 | 9 Hastings Street |
I | J.N. Pogose | 1882 | Allahabad |
I | A.E. Gasper | 1882 | High Court |
I | A.T. Apcar, M.A., LL.B. | 1883 | 11 Old Post Office Street |
M | A.A. Avetoom | 1885 | 11 Old Post Office Street |
I | Osmond J. Bagram | 1887 | Rangoon |
M | M. Zorab | 1889 | 6 Hastings Street |
I | Walter Gasper Gregory | 1889 | 5 Old Post Office Street |
M | John George Bagram | 1890 | Bar Library |
I | G.I.M. Gregory | 1890 | Mozufferpore |
I | C.A.O.T. Gregory | 1891 | High Court |
G.I. | J. Ernest Bagram | 1893 | Bar Library |
M | John Chater Jordan | 1893 | N.W.P. |
* Malcolm Peter Gasper was one of the leaders of the Calcutta bar. He was a respected member of the Armenian community of Calcutta, and they paid a tribute to his memory, by erecting a marble mural tablet in the Armenian Church of St. Nazareth. Follow this link to see it