ஜேம்ஸ் எம்லின்

ஜேம்ஸ் எம்லின் (J. Emlyn) (1838-1917) கிறிஸ்தவ மதபோதகர். கன்யாகுமரி மாவட்டம், மார்த்தாண்டம் பள்ளியாடி பகுதிகளில் மதப்பணியும் கல்விப்பணியும் ஆற்றியவர்

பிறப்பு, கல்வி

எம்லின் 7 ஏப்ரல் 1838ல் இங்கிலாந்தில் வேல்ஸ் பகுதியில் கார்டிகான்ஷயர் (Cardigaanshire) பிறந்தார். வெஸ்டெர்ன் ஹைகேட் (Western College and High Gate) கல்லூரியில் இறையியல் படித்தார். கிராவன் சர்ச்( Craven Church) சில் 9 ஜூன் 1867ல் குரு பட்டம் பெற்றார்

தனிவாழ்க்கை

எம்லின் எமிலி செய்மோர் (Emily Seymeir) ஐ 1867 ல் பிரிஸ்டல் ஹேய்கிராப்ர் பாப்டிஸ்ட் சர்ச்சில் (Bristol Haycraft Baptist Church)ல் மணம்புரிந்துகொண்டார்.

மதப்பணி, கல்விப்பணி

லண்டன் மிஷனரி சொசைட்டி (London Missionary Society -LMS ) மதப்பரப்புநராக 11 செப்டெம்பர் 1867ல் எம்லின் இந்தியாவந்தார். 1t ஜூன் 1868 ல் நாகர்கோயிலை வந்தடைந்தார். அன்றைய திருவிதாங்கூரின் பாறசாலை மிஷன் மாவட்டத்தின் பொறுப்பை ஏற்று 1892 வரை பணியாற்றினார்.

பாறசாலை

எம்லின் அன்று பாறசாலை மிஷன் மாவட்டத்தில் செயல்பட்டுக்கொண்டிருந்த மற்ற திருச்சபைக் கிறிஸ்தவப் பணியாளர்களை ஒருங்கிணைக்க ‘ஒருங்கிணைந்த சுவிசேஷக சங்கம் (United Evangelical Council ) என்னும் அமைப்பை உருவாக்கினார். ஆண்டுக்கு ஒருமுறை அந்த அமைப்பின் பொதுக்குழு கூடியது. அந்த முன்னுதாரணமே பின்னர் நாகர்கோயிலில் அமைந்த எல்.எ,ம்.எஸ் தலைமையகத்தில் தென்திருவிதாங்கூர் சர்ச் மிஷன் கௌன்ஸில் (South Travancore Church Mission Council ) உருவாக வழிவகுத்தது

வள்ளவிளை கொல்லங்கோடு

எம்லின் வள்ளவிளை கடற்கரைப் பகுதியில் ரோமன் கதோலிக்க மீனவர்களை லண்டன் மிஷன் சர்ச்சில் சேர்த்தார். வள்ளவிளை கொல்லங்கோடு பகுதிகளில் பள்ளிகளை தொடங்கினார். அப்பகுதி சத்தியவேத பட்டினம் என அறியப்பட்டது. டேவிட் சைலம் (David Sylem) பாறசாலைக்கும் சாமுவேல் கொல்லங்கோடுக்கும் ஜேக்கப் வல்லவிளைக்கும் பொறுப்பளிக்கப்பட்டனர்.எம்லின் மருதங்கோடு ஆலயம் உட்பட ஐம்பதுக்கும் மேற்பட்ட ஆலயங்களை உருவாக்கினார். 1871 ல் எம்லின் ஆறு பொதுசேகரங்களை உருவாக்கினார். சிறிய ஆலயங்களை ஒருங்கிணைத்து பெரிய அமைப்புகளாக ஆக்கினார்

திருமதி எமிலி செய்மூர் ரெவெ ஜான் அப்ஸ் (Rev. John Abbs ) பாறசாலையின் உருவாக்கிய பெண்களுக்கான தங்கிப்படிக்கும் பள்ளிகளை நிர்வாகம் செய்தார்.இப்பகுதியில் அன்று இருந்த கடுமையான தீண்டாமையை ஒழிக்கவும் அனைவருக்கும் கல்வியளிக்கவும் பாடுபட்டார்.

பள்ளியாடி

பள்ளியாடியில் ரெவெ சார்ல்ஸ் மில்லர் (Rev. Charles Miller) ரெவெரெண்ட் மீட் (Rev. Mead) உதவியுடன் 1835 முதல் 1840 வரை ஐந்து சிறிய ஆலயங்களை உருவாக்கியிருந்தார். எம்லின் இன்றைய பள்ளியாடி கிறிஸ்துகோயில் இருக்கும் இடத்தை வாங்கி பெரிய ஆலயமாக கட்டி அனைத்து சிறிய ஆலயங்களையும் ஒருங்கிணைத்தார். 1881ல் அங்கே 97 மாணவிகளுடன் ஒரு பெண்பள்ளிக்கூடம் அமைந்தது. ஈசாக்கு காடெசிஸ்ட் (Eesachu catechist) அதன் முதல் தலைமை ஆசிரியர். ரெவெரெண்ட் டி.எச்.ஹாரிஸின் அன்னை திருமதி பாக்கியமுத்து, போதகர் காலனின் மகள் ஏழுவடியாள் ஆகியோர் அங்கே உதவியாளரானார்கள்.Ministry At Marthandam

மார்த்தாண்டம்

1850களில் குழித்துறை கோயில் மையமாக்கிய ஓர் ஊராக இருந்தது. அதனருகே இருந்த குன்று தொடுவட்டி என அழைக்கப்பட்டது. அக்குன்றின்மேல் ஒரு சந்தை இருந்தது. திருவட்டார் பகுதியில் இருந்தும் கருங்கல் பகுதியில் இருந்தும் வந்த ஒற்றையடிப்பாதைகள் அங்கே இணைந்தன. (திருவனந்தபுரம் நாகர்கோயில் பாதை கடலோரமாக அமைந்திருந்தது) குன்றின்மேல் ஏற படிகள் வெட்டப்பட்டிருந்தமையால் தொடி (படி) வெட்டி என்னும் பெயரில் அந்த ஊர் அழைக்கப்பட்டது. எம்லின் அந்த இடத்தை மகாராஜாவிடமிருந்து கொடையாக பெற்றார். அருகிருந்த இடங்களை விலைகொடுத்து வாங்கினார். அங்கே மிஷன் ஆஸ்பத்திரி, மிஷன் தலைமையகம், பள்ளிகள் மற்றும் ஒர் ஆலயம் ஆகியவை அமைந்தன. இல்லங்கள் உருவாயின. இன்றைய மார்த்தாண்டம் எம்லின் அவர்களால் உருவாக்கப்பட்டது

கொகிலகிஒம் பிறர்மினகடல்சத்Rev. James Emlyn established a new mission field, Marthandam, a place near Kuzhithurai. An important achievement in Rev. Emlyn period of service was his endeavour to make Marthandam as headquarters of Parachalai district. In early days, Martandam was known by the name „Thoduvetti‟. In ancient days, people gathered at an elevated rocky place for buying and selling commodities. To climb the rock steps were cut to reach the hillock used as a market place. The word “Thodi” in Malayalam refers to steps and this small village acquired its name „Thodivetti‟. Later it was named as “Marthandavarmapuram‟ when the Maharaja of Travancore, Marthandavarma visited this place in 1729. As the postal authorities finding it difficult to accommodate this long name in the postal date seal, cut short into „Martandapuram‟. In course of time, the name became shorter and came to be known as „Marthandam‟. Rev. Emlyn paid special attention in the development of Martandam. He cleared the forests and made three roads, one from Martandam to Unnamalaikadai, another from Martandam to Pacode and third one from Martandam to Viricode. People from various places began to get contact with Martandam and settled in Martandam. Rev. Emlyn wanted to purchase more land for the mission in pursuance of the decision of the Mission Council to develop Martandam into a Mission Centre with a resident missionary. He felt that until enough land was procured for the mission, there could not be any progress. More land could not be purchased as major part of the land at this place was owned by a wealthy Hindu family who did not like to sell the land to missionaries. However, after twelve years of persusation and patient waiting, Rev. Emlyn succeeded in purchasing the land stretching from the present day North Street to YMCA premises, covering an area of more than hundred acres. This vast stretch of land later came to be known as Mission Compound. Rev. Emlyn allotted plots in the newly bought land to outside Christians and encouraged Christian settlements. Major portion of the land was sold out or donated to the first generation Christian settlers. He donated ten acres of land to the Martandam YMCA. Finally, leaving only 38 acres of land in the hands of the Mission. Due to his untiring efforts, the number of Christians increased manifold. The early missionaries established Village Schools along with the Church for the educational development of Martandam region. All the children irrespective of caste, colour and creed were taught to read and write in the vernacular language. The Parachalai Mission Report, 1861 gives the information of the existence of two village schools in Nalloor and Thoduvetti. In these schools, Scripture, History Geography, Tamil, Grammar and Human Physiology were taught. Mr. Patrick Thomson was incharge of these schools. There were no educational avenues at Marthandam when Rev. Emlyn recognised the need for basic education to the people. With this view in mind, he started two schools, Vernacular School and the English school, the first educational institutions in Vilavancode Taluk. He started English School at Kuzhithurai for Brahmin Hindus which was opened to Christian children in 1871. He started Anglo-Vernacular School at Martandam on 15th April, 1882. This school was named as Emlyn School. It was a Middle School for boys. English, Malayalam and Tamil were taught. The already existed Village Schools became the Vernacular Elementary School for the boys. In order to educate female children, Rev. James Emlyn started the Girls Elementary School in 1882. To enable the girls to stay and learn in these schools away from home, he built a Boarding Home at Parachalai. Women from upper caste families also availed this opportunity and enrolled in the girls school and started staying in boarding home. Large number of students from Vilavancode and nearby taluk Eraniel (Present Kalkulam) started attending the schools established by Rev. Emlyn. Mr. Timothy Daniel was in charge of the Middle School. Mr. Paul was in charge of Vernacular School and Rev. Emlyn employed a Nair woman for Girls School. At first in 1895, five girls were sent for Madras Lower Secondary Examination held at Nagercoil. Scholarship was given to the needy students. As it was very difficult to the girls to attend the school regularly due to poverty and other difficulties in their houses, Mrs. Joshua Knowls transferred the Girls Boarding School to Martandam from Parasalai in 1896. Rev. Joshva Knowls succeeded in obtaining Grant-inaid from Travancore Maharaja for both the schools in 1898. The Martandam English Lower Secondary School had 250 students in 1898, and English Girls Lower Secondary School had 80 students. In 1901, twenty-seven teachers worked in these schools and all of them were Christains. In 1919, the mission boys school started by Rev. Emlyn in 1882 at Martandam were handed over to the Travancore government and came to be called as Government English School. In 1964-1965, this school was split into a Government High School for boys and Government High School for Girls by the Tamilnadu Government and upgraded them into Higher secondary Schools in 1978. However, the Girls School started by Rev. Emlyn continued to be in the hand of the mission. In 1905, Rev. H. Hacker improved this school and now it stands as the LMS Girls Higher Secondary School Martandam. Rev. Emlyn bought the land adjacent to the church in Martandam from Roman Pillai of Pandaravilai in Kodumkulam. The mission started a new boys school at the new campus at Martandam church in 1919 during Rev. R. Sinclair‟s period to compensate the loss due to handing over the school to the government. This school stands as the LMS Boys Higher Secondary School, Marthandam Mr. Devasahayam B.A. was the Headmaster of the Mission English School established by Rev. Emlyn at the time of its surrender to Travancore government. Realising that the people ecountered untold suffering due to lack of health care and medical facilities at Martandam, Rev. Emlyn recommended to the Medical Mission at Neyyoor to start a hospital. When the people suffered due to malaria and cholera, he helped a lot. For the malaria patients, the medicine „quinine‟ was distributed by the medical missionaries. In the 17th century, Europeans discovered a medicine for Malaria. They extracted the medicine from the bark of a South American plant, „Circhona‟. It is popularly known as „quinine‟. It came to be known among the natives as „Mission Powder‟. The malaria patients from the hilly areas were treated by Dr. Thomas Smith Thomson. The missionaries went to the affected villages and met the patients in their huts. They supplied rice and clothes to the affected families and the medicine „quinine‟ to the affected persons. Rev. Emlyn strived hard to start a branch hospital at Martandam with the help of Dr. Thomas Smith Thomson, the Medical missionary at Neyyor in 1883. At first it functioned in a small building, near the Marthandam market with the help of Dr. P. Vethamanickam who studied under Dr. Thompson. As the number of in-patients and out-patients increased, Rev. Emlyn constructed a building with thatched roof in the present site and shifted the hospital to the new building in 1892. There was a heavy need for female nurses to treat the women patients. Hence Miss. Margrete Macdonal conducted a four-week nursing training to the women in 1897 at Martandam. The thatched roof of the hospital building was replaced by the tiled roof in 1899. It was the first hospital in Vilavancode Taluk which got the aid of Rs.50/- from the Government of Travancore.

Rev. Emlyn was a very good social worker. When a severe famine broke out in this region, no agency or organisation was there to help the people directly. At this juncture Rev. Emlyn received grant-in-aid from the government and re-distributed it among the poor. He was mainly responsible for the opening of the British Post and Telegraphic Office at Martandam in 1888. Then only the Travancore Government started an “Anchal Office”. Rev. Emlyn also established for the first time a library and a reading room in the mission compound and threw it open to the public. Nesamony Memorial Christian College was established later in 1964 in the thirty acres of land which was bought by Rev. Emlyn. People of Vilavancode taluk, particularly people of Martandam are greatly indebted to Rev. Emlyn for the present day educational institutions, hospitals and CSI Martandam Church.

Before his retirement, the churches located in and around Parachalai, Martandam, Palliyadi and Irenipuram functioning under Parachalai Mission District, registered their maximum growth. Rev. Emlyn recommended to the Mission Council at Nagercoil that these three churches be elevated as District Churches. Rev. I. H. Hacker was assigned the duty of temporarily supervising the Parachalai Mission at the retirement of Rev. Emlyn. In 1891, Rev. Joshua Knowls took charge of the Parachalai Mission District and about this time, Mission Council accepted the recommendation of Rev. Emlyn and upgraded the churches at Parachalai, Martandam, Palliyadi and Irenipuram as District Churches. As a prelude, the Mission Council resolved to ordinate four Indian Church workers as Pastors. The ordination of four Indian Pastors was conducted at Christucoil Church, Palliyadi on 12th December 1893. Rev. S. Mathias, an evangelist at Palliyadi got ordained and appointed as the first Indian Pastor of Martandam. Mr. Samuel got ordained and appointed as the first Indian Pastor of Christucoil. Mr. David Xylem as the first Indian Pastor of Parachalai and Mr. N. Joseph as the first Indian Pastor of Irenirpuam.

At the time of retirement of Rev. Emlyn in May, 1890, Parachalai Mission consisted of the churches of South Travancore comprising the taluks of Vilavancode, Neyyattinkarai and Eraniel (the present Kalkulam). The numbers of Christians were estimated to be twice as many as Nagercoil District. After retirement, he lived at Ainivilai in North Street in small house with thatched roof. His wife Mrs. Emily Seymoor Emlyn already died on the sixth day of the birth of a girl child on 5th November 1882 at Trivandrum and was buried at Parachalai cemetery. The child died of small-pox at the age of five at Kanchiracode in Kanyakumari district. Rev. Emlyn remained in his adopted country India and accepted it as his motherland till he breathed his last. Emlyn died on 26th June, 1917 at the age of 79 in his residence at North Street, Marthandam. The house he lived was given to a person who looked after him in his last days. His body was taken to Parachalai church campus and buried besides his wife‟s grave. Nearby to these graves, there is a small grave marked as “child”. This is the grave of the only daughter of Rev. Emlyn. The Emlyn street in Martandam is named after him. To foster the memory and the ministry of Rev. Emlyn, it was decided to name the newly built library in the Nesamony Memorial Christian College, Martandam with the aid of U.G.C. and the management funds to the tune of 12 lakh rupees, after him as “Rev. James Emlyn Memorial Library”. A plaque detailing his achievements and also a photo were installed in the library so that the young scholars can recall the past history of Martandam. His grave was renovated with marble slabs by the staff of N.M. Christian College, Martandam. No doubt Emlyn deserves to be called as the „Maker of Modern Martandam‟.