Charles Mead: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Reverend charles meade large.jpg|thumb|Charles Mead]]
[[File:Reverend charles meade large.jpg|thumb|Charles Mead]]
{{Read Tamil|Name of target page=சார்ல்ஸ்_மீட்|Title of target page=சார்ல்ஸ் மீட்}}
Charles Mead (October 2, 1792 - January 10, 1873) was a religious missionary and educator from London who spread Christianity in South Travancore and built foundations for Western education. He is known as the Sculptor of Nagercoil owing to his missionary works in the city of Nagercoil in south India.
Charles Mead (October 2, 1792 - January 10, 1873) was a religious missionary and educator from London who spread Christianity in South Travancore and built foundations for Western education. He is known as the Sculptor of Nagercoil owing to his missionary works in the city of Nagercoil in south India.


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* [https://www.britishempire.co.uk/article/faithandfamily/charlesmead.htm Faith and Family: Robert Caldwell and his Missionary Dynasty]
* [https://www.britishempire.co.uk/article/faithandfamily/charlesmead.htm Faith and Family: Robert Caldwell and his Missionary Dynasty]
* [http://unnathasirakugal.blogspot.com/2017/06/revcharles-mead-father-of-south.html Sirakugal: Rev.Charles Mead- Father of the South Travancore Mission]
* [http://unnathasirakugal.blogspot.com/2017/06/revcharles-mead-father-of-south.html Sirakugal: Rev.Charles Mead- Father of the South Travancore Mission]
* [https://onewaytheonlyway.com/charles-mead-south-travancore-mission-ministry/ Rev Charles Mead South Travancore Mission, biography, life, ministry,]
* [https://onewaytheonlyway.com/charles-mead-south-travancore-mission-ministry/ Rev Charles Mead South Travancore Mission, biography, life, ministry]
 
[[Category:English Content]]

Revision as of 00:19, 24 April 2022

Charles Mead

இந்தப் பக்கத்தை தமிழில் வாசிக்க: சார்ல்ஸ் மீட்

Charles Mead (October 2, 1792 - January 10, 1873) was a religious missionary and educator from London who spread Christianity in South Travancore and built foundations for Western education. He is known as the Sculptor of Nagercoil owing to his missionary works in the city of Nagercoil in south India.

Birth and Education

Charles Mead was born to Anglican parents in Bristol in the county of Gloucester, England, on October 2, 1792. His maternal uncle, Rev. John Hunt, was a pastor in Wakefield. Mead did his schooling in Gosport Missionary School at Yorkshire. He was ordained on March 6, 1816.

Personal Life

Mead married Anne Hunt, the daughter of his uncle John Hunt. She was already ill when they arrived at Chennai (formerly, Madras), and she died when their ship was harbored at Prince of Wales island after giving birth to their son. Mead went to Colachel with his son, John Hunt.

Mead married his second wife, Johanna Coelestina, who was the first female missionary of South Travancore. Johanna Mead contributed immensely to women's education and to the development of handicraft as a business amongst women in Nagercoil. She was the daughter of Horst who was a missionary at Thanjavur. Johanna died at the age of 45 on February 6, 1848, in Neyyoor due to lung complications.

Charles Mead

In 1852, after five years of Johanna’s death, when he was 60, Mead married Lois Biddulph, the daughter of his servant Devavaram Biddulph. The couple had four children. European missionaries were not happy with him marrying an Indian woman and so were Indian Christians who registered their protest in most societies. Hence, Mead resigned from his missionary job in April, 1852. He then got a government job from Travancore Resident for which he stayed in Thiruvananthapuram (formerly, Trivandrum). He was appointed as a senior officer in the government printing press and as an Inspector for English schools. He served at C.M.S. English Society as well. The place where he stayed in Thiruvananthapuram is now referred to as Mead’s Compound.

Mead was the father to fifteen children from his three wives. Joanna Carlotta, one of his daughters to his third wife, married the famous Christian historian, C.M. Agur, who was the author of the classic book ‘’Church History of Travancore’’.

Anne Hunt
  1. John Hunt Mead
Johanna Mead
  1. Theodore Mead
  2. Joseph Mead
  3. Sophia Stemnett Mead
  4. Florence Mead
  5. Rachel Mead
  6. Ann Cammerer Mead
  7. Christopher Cornelius Mead
  8. Nathaniel Mead
  9. Eusebius Mead
  10. James Mead
Lois Biddulph
  1. Mary Ann Mead
  2. Joanna Carlotta Agur
  3. John James Mead
  4. Celestina Florence Kohlhoff
Nagercoil Homechurch, an old painting.

Religious Work

Mead first joined as a missionary at London Mission Society, and then was recommended to get posted in Nagercoil, India, after the death of Rev. Ringeltaube. He left England on April 20, 1816 and landed in Chennai on August 28, 1816, with his wife.

Mead learnt Tamil in Madras Presidency from the first English missionary Rev. Loveless. His wife was under medical treatment due to illness. He started to Travancore on September 9, 1817 with his wife informing their arrival to Colonel Munro who was the Resident of Travancore at that time. On their way, his wife died of sickness. Finally, he reached Colachel on January 17, 1818.

Nagercoil Seminary founded by Mead, which was later converted to Scott Christian College.

Mead was welcomed by Vedamanikkam Upadesi and other workers in Colachel, and they took him to Myladi (formerly, Mylaudy). Mead observed the good missionary work done by Ringeltaube at Myladi. He stayed with Ringeltaube in his hatched hut. Mead was later provided with a government bungalow by Colonel Munro at Myladi.

Mead moved the headquarters of the Mission from Myladi to Nagercoil. He was offered the office of Colonel Munro in Nagercoil as his residence and the Church as the headquarters. In addition, he received the lands comprising and surrounding Nagercoil Kasba Diocese Church and the printing press of Scott Christ College from Maharani Gowri Parvathi Bayi as donation.

Mead was appointed as the District Judge of Nagercoil during April, 1818, by Maharani Gowri Parvathi Bayi. He also received Rs. 5000 as donation from Maharani to buy land and to build a church at Nagercoil. Mead planned to build a large church having a capacity of at least 3000. He laid the foundation of the church with a length of 140 feet and a width of 70 feet on January 1, 1819. The church was finished with the monetary help from Colonel Munro and the government. It was later known as C.S.I. Home Church.

Neyyoor Church

Serving as a government officer, Mead built a well-protected granary that can hold 1500 kottai paddy at Myladi. It was also facilitated with upper-storey guest rooms for Europeans. The security forces for the granary were chosen from the family of Vedamanikkam.

Before the end of 1819, Mead increased the number of societies left by Ringaltaube from seven to fifteen. He divided the South Travancore Mission into five districts: Nagercoil, Neyyoor, Parassala, Thiruvananthapuram, Attingal, and Kollam; he initiated an administration that aimed for swift development.

Contribution to Education

Granary

Mead started a seminary in Nagercoil in October 1819, where the languages of English, Tamil, and Malayalam were taught in addition to theology. Further, he started an English school nearby in 1820. Johanna Mead started a school for girls and an institution for handicrafts as well in the vicinity. Mead dreamt of the seminary becoming a college, and it did so during 1893 as Scott Christian college. In 1820, Mead started an English school for non-Christians as well. Similarly, Neyyoor Mission started a school in Neyyoor. By 1927, London Mission had opened 47 schools in South Travancore.

While he was travelling in Thanjavur during 1820, Mead bought a printing press, and founded Travancore’s first printing press in Nagercoil. He used it to disseminate Mission news. Since there was no paper production in Travancore, it was shipped from Britain as a donation. The printing press was called Travancore Mission Press.

Mead went to Kumbakonam in 1825 leaving South Travancore and stayed there for almost two years; he founded a new Mission establishment there as well. He returned to Nagercoil in 1827 after he collected enough donations for the church being built there. In 1828, he was then transferred to the western region for which Neyyoor was the headquarters. He stayed with his family in a small housing beside Mandaikadu beach till a bungalow was built in Neyyoor as there were not any spacious buildings. He built a hospital and church in Neyyoor.

Mission printing press, later known as C.S.I. printing press

Mead left for England in December 1836 for vacation and returned to Travancore in March 1838 after improving his health. He contributed to religious and educational services in Thiruvananthapuram. He excelled as a full-time educator during his last days of his life. He ran schools and presses in Thiruvananthapuram.

Statue of Charles Mead

Upper-body Cloth Revolt

During 1828, women from the oppressed caste started wearing upper-body clothes just as those from higher castes after taking up Christianity as their religion. In 1828 and 1829, this was opposed leading to riots in the areas around Kalkulam, Vilavancode, Agastheeswaram, and Eraniel. Mead arranged to control and end the riots in his meeting with the Resident. His house at Mandaikadu (formerly, Mondaicaud) was sieged in January 3, 1829, and he was rescued and saved with the help of the military from Udayagiri fort. See also Upper-body Cloth Revolt.

Death

Mead died on January 10, 1873 at the age of 81. He was buried in the compound of C.M.S. Church in Thiruvananthapuram.

Memorials

  • A street in Nagercoil is named in the memory of Charles Mead.
  • C.S.I. Church has named Mandaikadu diocese as Rev. Mead district.

Links