My mother was a gracious host and an excellent cook. However, whenever any guest complimented her on her cooking, or said that Goans were good cooks, she would take umbrage at it. I did not understand it then. It was some years later that I came to know of the ABC Goans – Ayahs, Butlers and Cooks. That is how the British sahibs condescendingly looked down upon the Goans, which is probably why my mother resented the linkage to cooking!
The early Goans of Kanpur were made of sterner stuff. They had another connotation for ABC – Astute Business Capability. The pioneer of the ABC of Kanpur (then known as Cawnpore) was Manuel Xavier de Noronha (MX). Born on 30th October 1825 in the prosperous Grand Coimo Vaddo of Aldona village, MX had learnt the art of photography from the Portuguese. It would be apt to also term it a science, for there was neither camera nor film. One had to fabricate one’s own equipment. Gold and silver nitrate solutions were applied to plate glass to make the photographs, as neither celluloid nor photographic paper had been invented.
Legend has it that MX set off for distant lands with a retinue of 300 bullock carts, to photograph the high and mighty. There may have been other traders or businessmen with him, as Aldona had a history of business acumen. In a souvenir published by the Aldona Association of Bombay in 1943, Dr. Thomas C D’Silva MBBS wrote, “In trade and commerce, the Aldonense has usually blazed the trail; he may be called the pioneer among Goans”. In the same souvenir, Luis Jose D’souza MA, MSc, writes: “At a time when the so-called Novas Conquistas (New Conquests) were as unknown to the Goans as Bombay was, the Aldonense with his characteristic daring and unsurpassed spirit of pioneering, penetrated the ‘unchartered area’. He went as a businessman…. Their means of transport were the oxen. Many of us still remember the caravans of oxen with bags slung across their backs and bells jingling from their necks, trudging their way wearily over hills through malaria-ridden jungles plying their trade…. They left us a legacy of daring, love of work, integrity of character, unsurpassed qualities of leadership, and above all a marvellous spirit of self-confidence”. Surely MX had imbued that spirit.
Somewhere around 1854, when he was just 25 years of age, MX sought greener pastures. His major customers were in the princely state of Rajputana, as they were among the few that could afford his photographic charges of Rs 200/- over 150 years ago! Sometimes MX’s entourage was beaten up and his equipment smashed because the negatives looked like ghostly images and the darbaris thought that the photographer was a magician who had extracted the “souls” of their masters.
In the course of his travels MX arrived in Cawnpore circa 1856 and got caught in the vortex of the 1857 War of Independence. The 1943 Souvenir places MX on the Roll of Honour for saving 80 lives in 1857. It is not clear whose lives he saved. However, a letter dt 3rd July 1880 written by Col Mowbray Thomson, Resident with the ex-king of Oudh, states that one Col Wilson of the 64th Foot was mortally wounded in a skirmish with the Gwalior Contingent, and “Noronha behaved gallantly as well as compassionately in staying with him till he was safely carried off the field and into the fort where he died a short time afterwards”. Gallantry and Compassion are words seldom used in tandem, especially in war, when passions run high. So MX must have been an exceptional character.
Businessmen, by their very nature, remain politically neutral. MX must have been no different. By virtue of speaking English and being a Christian, he would have been acceptable to the British rulers. Being Konkani speaking, which is akin to Marathi, he would also have been acceptable to Nanarao Peshwa and Tantya Tope, the Maratha rulers of the region at that time. Even the Gwalior Contingent would have had Marathi speaking soldiers under Scindia’s rule.
Cawnpore, post 1857, was a boomtown after the British recaptured it from the Peshwas. They built a large Cantonment and established various factories. The river Ganga was still navigable for small sea going vessels from the Bay of Bengal. The next year the railway line reached Cawnpore. So MX was at the right place at the right time, and seized the opportunity to establish business. He began his firm of M/s M.X. de Noronha & Son in 1858.
From photography he branched out into contracting, auctioneering and printing. The press was known as Aldona Press. Auctioneering became the mainstay of the Noronhas for over 140 years. Military auctions were the major ones – vehicles, supplies, stores, and in later years tanks, aircraft and ships. There was also scrap from the factories and mills that were coming up. Post Independence there were the sale of evacuee properties. And finally there were the household auctions of Britishers going home. In those days there was precious little manufactured in India, and the “Made in England” tag was as valuable for new as for second hand merchandise.
MX’s only son William Constantine Sr (WC) took over from where his father left off; diversifying into tanning, hide and skin trade, brick kilns, dal milling, manufacture of coaches, carriages and furniture, running the Post & Telegraph services, supplying electricity to the Cantonments, and sale of arms and ammunition. WC also went on a property-buying spree. It was claimed that he owned 99 bungalows in the cantonments, and half of the rest of Cawnpore!
It was smooth sailing till WC’s death in 1932. A bitter succession struggle went to the Allahabad High Court for adjudication. It must have affected WC’s three sons, Peter, Willie (Jr) and Stanley; who continued with the family businesses, but they were probably not as astute as their father was. Several factors contributed to the gradual decline of the Noronhas’ fortunes.
The first was the Rent Control Act promulgated sometime during the Second World War (1939 – 1945). It reduced landlords to paupers. Then came Independence in 1947. It was not just a political change; it was a deeper attitudinal one. Socialism, red tape and the brown babu reigned supreme. Corruption followed. The Noronhas couldn’t adjust to these changes. In the auction business they charged a 5-10% commission, and ensured the best price for their principles. Post Independence, “official” commissions dropped to as low as .25% with the biggest clients – the Director General of Supplies & Disposals (DGS&D). The Noronhas got squeezed out. The DGS&D even instituted an enquiry as to why the Noronhas were no longer prepared to do their auctions. But time and tide had turned irretrievably.
Precious properties also turned to dust, as the Noronhas didn’t have the heart to arm twist their tenants. Absurd rates of Wealth Tax and Estate Duty on non-remunerative assets took their toll. The Urban Land Ceiling Act of 1976 was the last nail in the Noronhas’ coffin.
Nevertheless, a small remnant made a fresh beginning in 1982. Now only one Noronha family remains on in Kanpur; running a super bazar, promoting the city’s first Mall, and having a small export business. Where will it take them? Kanpur is situated in U.P., which hasn’t had a business friendly or corruption free Govt for the last 20 years. The power scenario is dismal. Yet even in adversity one must seize the opportunity and make the most of it.
The Noronhas were not the only ABCs in Kanpur. WC’s first cousin Louis Caetano D’souza from Quitla in Aldona also came and set up the Regal and Roxy cinema halls on the prestigious Mall Road. One Mr Carvalho from Carona Aldona ran the Bristol Hotel and made a colony, Carvalhonagar. Ignatius D’silva who came from southern Goa ran the Orient Coffee House, Hotel and Billiard Saloon. So the Goans in Kanpur did have the capital ABC – Astute Business Capability.
Today there are several landmarks named after the Noronhas – Noronha Crossing, Noronha’s Exchange Post Office, Noronha Road and Mrs Noronha Hall. In common parlance the name has been colloquiallised to Narona, just as Carvalho has now become Karvalonagar, and one Sequeira Estate has become Sakera State. Connotations may change with time, but hopefully the Noronhas will continue the capital ABC, combined with gallantry and compassion, as their forefathers did.
* The writer is the great grandson of M.X. de Noronha.
Showing posts with label kanpur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kanpur. Show all posts
Thursday, 27 January 2011
DOWN MEMORY LANE
Reflections on the Sesquicentennial (1860 –2010) of St Patrick’s Church, Kanpur
# Allan de Noronha
(chhotebhai)
INTRODUCTION:
It is with a deep sense of mystery and humility that I embark upon the mammoth exercise of trying to reconstruct the history of St Patrick’s Church, Kanpur, on the occasion of its Sesquicentennial (150th Jubilee) from 1860 – 2010. At the outset I must ask forgiveness for any errors or notable omissions in this record. They are in no way intentional.
Dan Brown, the author of the best selling “The da Vinci Code”, states, “History is always written by the victors”. It is a poignant, yet dangerous, premise. As the adage goes, one man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist. Nevertheless, I shall attempt to present the history of our Church as objectively as possible. History that confines itself to dates, buildings and events can be quite boring. So this exercise will have a strong human element. As we have often heard, if we don’t learn the lessons of history, we are doomed to commit the same blunders. More importantly, we need to draw inspiration from the words and works of those who have gone before us.
A BACKGROUNDER:
In the north there is a common misconception that Christianity came to India in the wake of British colonialism. Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, also had some strong misgivings about the Christians he encountered; going to the extent of saying that he loved Christ, but not the Christians!
There is ample historical evidence to substantiate the advent of Christianity in India in apostolic times, the first century AD. One of Jesus’ twelve apostles, St Thomas, arrived in Kerala circa 52 AD; probably in search of the Jewish diaspora, settled there as traders. Till today, there is a Christian community in Kerala known as Kanayas, who claim that they are the descendants of Jews from Cana in Galilee, where Jesus performed his first miracle. There is also much historical evidence to support the visit of another apostle, St Bartholomew, in the Kalyan area near Bombay, at that time.
Christianity remained confined to the South West coast of India, till the advent of the Portugese, again in the same area, in the 15th/ 16th century. It is from Goa that the Jesuit missionaries moved north to Emperor Akbar’s court in Agra in the 16th century. Notable among them were Rudolph Aquaviva and the Sanskrit scholar Francis Roth. Akbar’s Church in Agra is a testimony to that presence. After Agra, the next oldest Catholic presence in the north was because of Begum Sumroo in Sardhana near Meerut.
EARLY HISTORY:
The Catholic presence in Kanpur may be traced back to what is known as the Lhasa Mission to Tibet. I quote from the Catholic Directory of 1912 (the oldest one I have): “The Mission of Allahabad dates from the year 1704 when the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda sent to Tibet five Capuchin Fathers, who opened houses in Chandernagore, Patna, Nepal and Lassa. In 1745, on account of the many conversions made in the capital of Tibet, the Capuchin Missionaries were forced to leave Lassa. They retired into Nepal where the King of Kathmandu received them most kindly and allowed them to preach publicly in his kingdom, and to build churches.
The wars, which the kings of Nepal incessantly waged among themselves, were a great obstacle to the propagation of the faith. And in 1769 they left Nepal, settled in Bettiah and Patna, and began to extend their apostolic labours into Hindustan and Bengal. On 20th January 1845 Patna was erected into a separate Vicariate … the beautiful church of Patna built in 1772 … In 1871 the present cathedral of Allahabad was opened … The mission of Allahabad was erected into a diocese in 1886, on the establishment of the Hierarchy of India” .
What of Kanpur, which is now part of Allahabad diocese? The same Directory states that St Patrick’s Church, Cawnpore was built in 1825 . This is corroborated by the account of my father, late Chev Peter de Noronha, which is reproduced in this Souvenir; and also of the first Indian parish priest, the legendary Fr Balthazaar J Pereira. By their accounts the church was originally located where Chandu Babu ka Hata or Laththawali Kothi are now situated. This church was destroyed during the First War of Independence in 1857, and rebuilt at its present site in 1860.
According to late Dr Munishwar Nigam, founder President of the Kanpur History Academy, the population of the city and the Cantonments in 1857 was 108,796. “There were four churches, Christ Church with 800 seats (1837), St John’s or Soldiers’ Church, chaplain C.D. Hamilton. Rev H. Sells represented the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. Rev J. J. Rooney was the priest of the Roman Catholic Church. At the Baptist Church there was no pastor … There were only a few Christian converts” . From the name it would seem that the Catholic priest was an Irishman, ministering to Irish soldiers. It is possible that he is buried in the Katcheri Cemetery.
It is unfortunate that there are no archives or old records in St Patrick’s Church. The 1912 Directory is the oldest record we have, other than the baptismal registers maintained in the church. The Directory tells us that in 1912 the Parish priest was Fr Lewis O.C., and that the Headmistress of St Mary’s Convent (opened in 1899) was Mother Floriana IBMV. There were 116 pupils.
THE CLERGY:
It is safe to presume that before the establishment of the Indian Hierarchy, and the Allahabad diocese in 1886, St Patrick’s must have been a garrison church, catering to Catholic soldiers in the British Army. As a child I remember that the pews had slots for the soldiers to keep their weapons. Since the British were mostly Anglican, it must have been their “poor cousins”, the Irish, who were the members of the church; and named it after their patron, St Patrick of Ireland. Rudyard Kipling, the noted British author of that era, invariably made derogatory references to the Irish soldiers.
It is not clear at what point of time the Irish Military Chaplains made way for the clergy of Allahabad diocese. The Catholic Directory of 1998 (the last one to be so published) states that the diocese was ministered to by the Capuchin priests of the Tuscany and Ancona Provinces (both in Italy) till 1890. Thereafter it was ministered to by the Capuchins from Bologna, Italy, till 1947, when it was handed over to the diocesan Indian clergy; with Fr B.J. Pereira of Goa, being the first Indian parish priest.
However, there was a rude interlude during the Second World War (1939 –1945). The priests in Kanpur were Italian, and the sisters at St Mary’s were German. Both these nations were part of Hitler’s and Mussolini’s Axis Forces, which were against the British led Allied Forces. Hence the Italian and German missionaries were arrested and interned by the British rulers. Sr Joan CJ delved into the archives of St Mary’s. She found that all the German sisters had to sign a bond in June 1940 stating: ‘I swear … to support constitute authority and to exclude all political ends. I include in this promise exact obedience to any rules laid down by His Majesty’s representatives, and also an undertaking to refrain from doing, saying or writing anything, either publicly or privately, to the prejudice of the British Government in India”. They could write only one letter of just 25 words in a year to their families in Germany, routed through the Vatican. It was only through the newspapers that they could know of the fighting and bombing in their homeland, a traumatic experience.
This act of the British clearly shows that political interests over rode religious goals, if at all the British had any such aspirations. The internment could have proved fatal for the Catholic Church. Fortunately the void was filled by the Capuchins of the French Canadian province. By then it was time for the indigenous Indian clergy to take over. The words of Pope Leo XIII proved truly prophetic, “Filii tui India, administri tibi salutis” (Your sons Oh India, will bring salvation to you). This prophetic vision and resilience held the Catholic Church in good stead after Independence in 1947, as it was no longer dependent on foreign missionaries. This is in sharp contrast to several other small Protestant churches, which collapsed, and their buildings were acquired by the Govt; including one at Moolganj Crossing here in Kanpur.
EVOLUTION OF THE COMMUNITY:
Church historians are usually clergymen. Hence they tend to record the deeds of the clergy alone. Fortunately, St Patrick’s has a track record of a strong and enlightened laity, which played a crucial role in the growth and evolution of the faith community. Its composition has changed with time. The first Catholics most certainly were European colonialists – mostly Irish. With inter marriage, came the Eurasians (often referred to as Anglo-Indians). This ethnic group had the advantage of job opportunities in the Railways and Post & Telegraph Depts, and therefore was quite comfortable.
The first known Catholic of Indian origin was Manuel Xavier de Noronha, a businessman from Aldona, Goa. He arrived in Kanpur circa 1856. He was an eyewitness to the 1857 war, and established business in Kanpur in 1858. He was followed by his nephews Louis Caetano de Souza and Caetano Marie de Souza, from Quitla, Goa. Indeed the first ethnic Catholics were all Goan. With the growth of Kanpur’s textile industry, several Goans came to work in the mills, and also as domestic workers in the bungalows of the “burra sahibs”. There does not seem to be much evidence of conversions among the local poulace.
The first northern migrants were from the Sagar and Bettiah missions. Eustakius, the catechist from Sagar, who lived in Gadaria Mohal, was among the early “native” Christians. He was the President of the Catholic Funeral Management Society, whose members were all Hindi speaking. In like manner, the Cornelius family was among the first from Bettiah. With the advent of the Second World War, an Airforce base and several Ordnance factories came up, generating employment opportunities. This saw an influx from Tamilnadu and later Kerala. With the implementation of the reservation policy for Scheduled Tribes, there was a migration of Adivasis from the Chhotanagpur belt for Central Govt jobs, and also as institutional and domestic helpers. After the Chinese revolution several Chinese families also came to Kanpur. So St Patrick’s has been an evolving and cosmopolitan community.
Post Independence saw a reverse migration of a number of old Goan and Anglo Indian families that migrated to England, Australia and Canada. The English-speaking members always dominated St Patrick’s. This is borne out by and undated (pre-Independence leaflet) for the Corpus Christi procession where the “Indian Christian Community” was distinguished from the “Ladies and gentlemen”! This is also why the Catholic Funeral Management Society insisted that only Hindi could be used in their meetings . Interestingly, they considered Peter de Noronha as their “bonafide member”. It is in the fitness of things that Hindi has now taken pride of place in all liturgical services.
Another interesting aspect of the church in Kanpur, not limited to St Patrick’s, is the inability to evolve a truly Local Church, as envisaged by Vatican II. When the Kanpur Catholic Association (KCA) conducted a socio-economic survey in 1986 it found that only 7% of Catholics had their own houses, while in contrast 28% Protestants had theirs. This was because a large percentage of Catholics were service class, and therefore moved wherever their jobs took them. On the other hand, those who grew roots and built their own houses, also moved out of the Cantonment area, with its archaic and restrictive building laws. This is one of the reasons that St Patrick’s growth has been stifled. Those who can afford to, simply move out to suburban areas, which come under other parishes. St Patrick’s has been the mother church to the other 5 parishes in Kanpur – St Xavier’s, Ashoknagar, St Joseph’s, Chakeri, St Thomas’, Kidwainagar, St Xavier’s, Naramau and St Anthony’s, Chandari. Their gain has been St Patrick’s loss.
THE EARLIEST FAMILIES:
From the baptismal register in the parish we find that ………………………
However, before memory fades, besides the families aforementioned, let me recall to mind some families that were long time residents of St Patrick’s. In Regal Building there was Martin D’souza, the Pachecos, Oakleys, Rozarios, Machados and Wilmers; on The Mall the D’silvas, Pereiras, Menezes, Carvalhos and Andrews; in Cantt the Peters, Monte D’cruz, Ellis, Shears, Binges, Khares, D’costas and Ferdinands; in the Loco Colony the Southcombes, Wrights, Ducasses, Stuarts, and Atwells; and in Mirpur the Andersons, Bellettis and Gallibardis. They, and many more, are all fondly remembered. This ofcourse does not purport to be an exhaustive list.
TOWERING LEADERS:
The achievements of various pastors and institutions have been expressed in the articles written by their representatives in this Souvenir, so I will not repeat that. Here I will confine myself to the leadership roles of our lay Patricians, in both church and society.
Pardon me for beginning with my grandfather, William C de Noronha (Sr). He was Life President of the All India Cantonment Residents’ Association, through which forum he took the British Army rulers head-on, to protect the rights of “native Indian civilians” in the Cantonments. He was also President of the U.P. Chamber of Commerce, which again was the Indian chamber, while the British had their own “Upper India Chamber” His eldest son, Dr M.X. de Noronha, was the President of the Indian Medical Association, where his bust is put up. The next son was Chev Peter de Noronha KSG, CE, the only Patrician to be knighted by the Pope for his services to church and society. His wife, Florence, also received the papal medal “Pro Ecclesiae et Pontifice”. She was the President of the All India Indian Christian Association, National Vice President of the Indian Red Cross Society as also of the Council of Catholic Women of India, Chairman of the U.P. Hospitals’ Welfare Society etc. The U.P. Govt made her an Honorary Magistrate. Stanley de Noronha, perhaps Kanpur’s best orator, was the Governor of the Rotary Club for two terms. Sr Angela UMI and Alice de Souza also assumed leadership roles in the Council of Catholic Women of India.
And ofcourse, yours truly was the youngest National President of the All India Catholic Union for two terms, and represented the country at the International Council of Catholic Men. It is hoped that the youth and women of our parish will draw inspiration from these stalwarts of yesteryear, and future leaders will also emerge.
MILESTONES:
In the annals of our community there are some events and occasions that stand out as milestones. Here are some of them.
· Pride of place must go to the visit of Mother Teresa in 1967, her subsequent visits and her association with our parish.
· India’s first cardinal, Valerian Gracias of Mumbai, was our honoured guest, also in 1967. Besides the reception given to him in the parish, he was invited to address the Rotary Club, and also to Raj Bhawan, Lucknow, for dinner with Governor B. Gopala Reddi.
· The visit of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the 1950s was a time of great devotion and blessing. The parishioners had gathered in large numbers at the railway station to bring the statue in procession to the church; and thereafter for veneration in different homes.
· In December 1965 the investuture ceremony of the papal awardees by Bp Raymond D’mello, was a red-letter day for the parish, with the elite of civil and military society present.
· A faded sepia print, now partly legible with a magnifying glass, records that when Fr Victor Sinibaldi O.C., the then parish priest, was made the bishop of Allahabad in 1899, his Episcopal gold ring was presented to him by W.C. de Noronha (Sr) of this parish.
· Later, when Fr Angelo Poli O.C., also parish priest here, was made the bishop of Allahabad, again it was the Patricians who presented him his Episcopal ring on 30/11/1915. It was on behalf of the Catholic Association of Allahabad Diocese. A copy of the felicitation is printed in this Souvenir. The signatories were Fr John Chrysostom O.C. (Patron), J.G. Ryan (Chairman), W.C. de Noronha (Vice Chairman & Secretary), and members E.E. Chiene, L.C. de Souza, W D’cruz, M Kirwar, F.H. Johnson and Fr Lewis O.C.
· One of the saddest moments was when two young men of the parish died in a tragic plane crash in July 1970. William O’Connor and David Beglan were in a two-seater aircraft from the Kanpur Flying Club. They crashed when flying over the Girls’ High School in Allahabad.
ACTIVITIES:
St Patrick’s has always been humming with activity. Its golden era was the post Independence period under the stewardship of its first Indian parish priest, Fr Balthazaar Pereira. He was an outstanding, yet humble persona, who believed in the full participation of the laity in all parish activities.
THE LEGION OF MARY: Pride of place must go to the Legion of Mary; a lay organisation that laid special emphasis on home visitation, to make people feel loved and wanted. This began in 1944, when Peter de Noronha was appointed the first Indian Envoy of the Legion, spreading its message far and wide in north India. Besides house visitation, it laid emphasis on the gaining of religious knowledge through Patrician Meetings (a type of study circle). They also had a strong campaign for dissemination of Catholic literature and periodicals. The Catholic Information Centre was run under the aegis of the Legion from the residence of Peter de Noronha. It is well documented in the history of evangelisation in U.P. that the goodnews went out to thousands of non-Christians in Hindi, English and Urdu. The Centre used the “Meet Christ” booklets prepared by Frs Wattling SJ of Patna and Theodore Bowling SJ of Poona. In later years, because of Peter’s failing health, Maj J.R. de Souza (Retd), took up the work of the Centre. Another unique feature of the Legion was the large Christmas Crib put up at the Rio Restaurant, owned by Mr Lorenzo, on The Mall. Anthony Julius was one of the stalwarts that manned the Crib, spreading the Christmas message, and disseminating leaflets on Christmas. Among those who were active Legionaries we may recall the names of Lena and Peter Machado, Noreen de Souza, K.O. Samuel, Jimmy Binge, Gnanapragasam, A. Sebastian, Patsy Wright, Gill Pereira and Paul D’souza.
THE CATHOLIC CLUB: Together with the spiritual, there was also the cultural. The Catholic Club was a favourite watering hole for the parishioners. Clergy and laity enjoyed playing badminton together (Fr Germain Ferreira was an enthusiast) and going for picnics. There were regular Whist Drives, housie, dances and other cultural activities to bond the community.
COMMUNICATIONS: Long before media and communications became common parlance, St Patrick’s had its own parish journals – “Contact”, and later “The Master Calls”. Some extracts are printed here. There was also a library, known as Duckett’s Library. There was even a printing press at the back of what is now St Aloysius’ School Hall. It generated employment for under-privileged Catholics.
THE CATHOLIC MILTANT: In pre-Vatican II ecclesiology the Church on earth was often referred to as the Church Militant (a kind of struggle against the dark forces of evil). Post Vatican II we now call ourselves a Pilgrim Church (moving forward, but not yet arrived). A pamphlet of 1944 reveals the ideology and activities of this “militant” group! It states that a good militant must be dependable, efficient, punctual and attentive to details. Members had to receive Communion once a month, spend one hour every month on work allotted etc. It was a Bible Study programme, with specific Gospel passages or issues for study and discussion. Among the “subjects for enquiry” were – Militarism, Pacifism, Mixed Marraiges, Respect for Women and Temperance. Since it was during the protracted WWII they were asking the question “Why does God not stop the war?” The “subjects for study” were based on the papal encyclicals Rerum Novarum and Quadragessimo Anno. They included:
· Factors that make for World Revolution
· A Mad Race for Profits and the New Economic Dictatorship
· Socialist Philosophy, Economics, Politics and the Marxian Programme
· The Proper use of Wealth, and the Bonds of Brotherly Love
This was way back in1944! So were the Militants of yesteryears way ahead of the Pilgrims of today? How many of us care to study Sacred Scripture, the Vatican Council documents or papal encyclicals, either individually or collectively?
ST MARTHA’S WELFARE ASSOCIATION: In the encounter with Jesus at Bethany, the church has traditionally extolled the virtues of Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to him; while he sister Martha was castigated for being “too busy” with worldly things. A division was made between the Marys (religious) and the Marthas (laity). The Marthas was an organisation founded in the USA, where laywomen helped in the “material work” of the church, as distinct from “spiritual” organisations. Kanpur was the first branch of the organisation outside the USA, but with no financial links. The Marthas raised funds through raffles, balls etc and catered to the needs of remote mission stations throughout the diocese of Allahabad. The missionaries would give their wish lists – clothing or bedding for the boarders and orphans, sacred vessels, vestments etc. The Marthas never said no. Among the active members were Florence de Noronha, Hazel de Souza, Antoniette D’silva, Rita Ballard and Cynthia Southcombe.
FATIMA CLINIC: Fatima Hospital and Nursing School in Mahanagar, Lucknow is now a huge establishment. Few would know that its seed was sown in St Patrick’s. When the Ursuline sisters came here in the 1950s among them was Dr Rafaella Scolletta. In those days religious life was rather restrictive, and Dr Scolletta found it an encumbrance to her service to women in need (there were hardly any women gynaecologists then). She took the bold and pragmatic step of leaving the convent, something unheard of in those days. But she was welcomed into the home of a prominent parishioner. They gave her space on The Mall to establish Fatima Clinic. This was opposite Nanarao Park, where the Indian Overseas Bank is now located. Some years later Dr Scolletta moved to Lucknow at the behest of the Italian Capuchins still working there.
KANPUR CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION: This is not strictly a parish organisation, if we think that a parish is restricted to the boundary walls of a church. However, Vatican II ecclesiology has expanded the horizons of the church and its responsibilities. Suffice it to say that whereas a Parish Council caters to the internal needs of the church, like First Communion or Corpus Christi processions; Catholic Associations, as clearly enunciated in the New Code of Canon Law, work in temporal affairs – socio-economic, political, legal, advocacy etc. The KCA has been active in protecting the rights of the church before Govt agencies, and in promoting communal harmony and social justice. Among its founder members from this parish were Alwyn Prabhu IOFS, Alice de Souza, Douglas de Noronha, Cynthia Southcombe and Veronica Bajpai. Current active members include Angelo Menezes, Sanjay Khanna, Brian Thomson, Omi Srivastava and Elizabeth Singh.
LANDMARKS:
Besides the various Milestones and Activities of the parish there are also some noteworthy landmarks, including the parishioners’ contribution to diverse fields like the Armed Forces, Music, Business etc.
LOCAL VOCATIONS: We have seen how missionaries from distant lands came to sweat and toil in our parish. After their departure it was the priests from Goa, and subsequently from Mangalore, who took up the onerous task. Similarly, among the religious, most of the sisters who have been ministering to the parish are from Kerala or Chhotanagpur. It is unfortunate that there have been hardly any local vocations from our parish. In the 1950s, the first one was Christine de Noronha, who took the name of Sr Christa IBMV. The other is Lena Carvalho, daughter of Dominic Carvalho, a migrant from Goa. She joined the Apostolic Carmel sisters.
ARMED FORCES: This parish gave birth to several war heroes, especially during WWI (1914-18) and WWII (1939-45).
· Pride of place goes to Capt Dr Timothy Baptist, husband of Mary Dorothy de Noronha, who lived at what is now 58 Tagore Road (opposite the present Cantt Board office). He died in service on 8/4/1901 at Meean Meer, whose bishop presided over his funeral.
· His eldest son was Col Arthur Baptist. He too was a doctor, being a specialist in tropical medicine. He was commissioned in the Indian Army on 5/11/1916. For his distinguished services he was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) on 3/6/1924.
· Arthur’s younger brother was Hugh Baptist, who was commissioned into the Royal Fusiliers 2nd Bn on 8/6/1915. His head, cheek and left eye were wounded by shrapnel during WWI so he was discharged in 1918, but not before he received a British War Medal and Victory Medal.
· Peter de Noronha, being a Civil Engineer from Thomason College (now IIT Roorkee) was commissioned into King George’s Own Royal Sappers & Miners (now Bombay Sappers) during WWI.
· The deSouzas, who were part of the Baptist family, had several members in the forces. Maj Leslie deSouza of the Indian Army Medical Corps was given the bravery award Military Cross in WWII.
· His younger brother Col Malcolm deSouza was with the Garhwal Rifles.
· Their cousin Sqn Ldr Gerald Anthony deSouza was part of the 355 RAF Squadron based at Calcutta. He was killed in action on 2/5/1945, while leading a bombing raid on the Rangoon River in Burma, just a few days before WWII ended. His Commanding Officer Wg Cdr J. Martin in a letter to Gerald’s mother, the day after he was killed, said that they “admired his gallantry in action and devotion to duty”.
· There were more deSouzas in the army. Maj Joe de Souza, son of Louis Caetano deSouza also served in the army.
· In more recent times we have Col Melwyn D’Souza, whose mother Laetitia D’Souza taught for several years in St Aloysius’
· Capt Arjun Michael Singh of 10 Armoured Regt is the son of Col I.M. Singh (Retd) and Rita Singh.
We salute all these brave hearts.
MUSICIANS: Can music be far away if there are Goans around? There were several professional musicians.
· Caridade Carvalho and his brothers had their own band at the Bristol Hotel that they ran. In later years he led the Bombay Police Band
· Gabriel Pereira, together with Manuel Jose Menezes and Minguel Pacheco had a band called The Night Flyers. Pacheco went on to Bollywood to play for the legendary duo of Laxmikant Pyarelal.
· John Raphael became a famous pianist in Delhi.
· Marian deSouza, after migrating from Kanpur did her doctorate in Sacred Music.
We still hear their chimes, over time.
BUSINESSMEN: Many families have also been long established in business, something uncommon in the north.
· Manuel Xavier de Noronha founded a slew of businesses in Kanpur in 1858. After 150 years the family is still in business in Kanpur.
· Louis Caetano deSouza put up the Regal and Roxy Cinemas on The Mall.
· Caridade Carvalho and his brothers ran the Bristol Hotel on The Mall, and established Carvalhonagar, near Anwarganj on the G.T. Road.
· Ignatius D’silva ran the Orient Hotel, Billiard Room and Coffee House.
They should inspire entrepreneurial skills in our youth, instead of them waiting for jobs to fall in their laps.
CONCLUSION:
Good things should not come to an end. May the glorious history of St Patrick’s Church, Kanpur, and the many graces we have received, inspire all of us clergy, religious and laity to strive even harder to establish God’s Kingdom of peace, love, service and fellowship on earth. That will be a true tribute to those who have gone before us, leaving behind a rich legacy, as we celebrate the Sesquicentennial of our beloved church.
* The writer is the great grandson of M. X. de Noronha, the first Indian member of this church.
# Allan de Noronha
(chhotebhai)
INTRODUCTION:
It is with a deep sense of mystery and humility that I embark upon the mammoth exercise of trying to reconstruct the history of St Patrick’s Church, Kanpur, on the occasion of its Sesquicentennial (150th Jubilee) from 1860 – 2010. At the outset I must ask forgiveness for any errors or notable omissions in this record. They are in no way intentional.
Dan Brown, the author of the best selling “The da Vinci Code”, states, “History is always written by the victors”. It is a poignant, yet dangerous, premise. As the adage goes, one man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist. Nevertheless, I shall attempt to present the history of our Church as objectively as possible. History that confines itself to dates, buildings and events can be quite boring. So this exercise will have a strong human element. As we have often heard, if we don’t learn the lessons of history, we are doomed to commit the same blunders. More importantly, we need to draw inspiration from the words and works of those who have gone before us.
A BACKGROUNDER:
In the north there is a common misconception that Christianity came to India in the wake of British colonialism. Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, also had some strong misgivings about the Christians he encountered; going to the extent of saying that he loved Christ, but not the Christians!
There is ample historical evidence to substantiate the advent of Christianity in India in apostolic times, the first century AD. One of Jesus’ twelve apostles, St Thomas, arrived in Kerala circa 52 AD; probably in search of the Jewish diaspora, settled there as traders. Till today, there is a Christian community in Kerala known as Kanayas, who claim that they are the descendants of Jews from Cana in Galilee, where Jesus performed his first miracle. There is also much historical evidence to support the visit of another apostle, St Bartholomew, in the Kalyan area near Bombay, at that time.
Christianity remained confined to the South West coast of India, till the advent of the Portugese, again in the same area, in the 15th/ 16th century. It is from Goa that the Jesuit missionaries moved north to Emperor Akbar’s court in Agra in the 16th century. Notable among them were Rudolph Aquaviva and the Sanskrit scholar Francis Roth. Akbar’s Church in Agra is a testimony to that presence. After Agra, the next oldest Catholic presence in the north was because of Begum Sumroo in Sardhana near Meerut.
EARLY HISTORY:
The Catholic presence in Kanpur may be traced back to what is known as the Lhasa Mission to Tibet. I quote from the Catholic Directory of 1912 (the oldest one I have): “The Mission of Allahabad dates from the year 1704 when the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda sent to Tibet five Capuchin Fathers, who opened houses in Chandernagore, Patna, Nepal and Lassa. In 1745, on account of the many conversions made in the capital of Tibet, the Capuchin Missionaries were forced to leave Lassa. They retired into Nepal where the King of Kathmandu received them most kindly and allowed them to preach publicly in his kingdom, and to build churches.
The wars, which the kings of Nepal incessantly waged among themselves, were a great obstacle to the propagation of the faith. And in 1769 they left Nepal, settled in Bettiah and Patna, and began to extend their apostolic labours into Hindustan and Bengal. On 20th January 1845 Patna was erected into a separate Vicariate … the beautiful church of Patna built in 1772 … In 1871 the present cathedral of Allahabad was opened … The mission of Allahabad was erected into a diocese in 1886, on the establishment of the Hierarchy of India” .
What of Kanpur, which is now part of Allahabad diocese? The same Directory states that St Patrick’s Church, Cawnpore was built in 1825 . This is corroborated by the account of my father, late Chev Peter de Noronha, which is reproduced in this Souvenir; and also of the first Indian parish priest, the legendary Fr Balthazaar J Pereira. By their accounts the church was originally located where Chandu Babu ka Hata or Laththawali Kothi are now situated. This church was destroyed during the First War of Independence in 1857, and rebuilt at its present site in 1860.
According to late Dr Munishwar Nigam, founder President of the Kanpur History Academy, the population of the city and the Cantonments in 1857 was 108,796. “There were four churches, Christ Church with 800 seats (1837), St John’s or Soldiers’ Church, chaplain C.D. Hamilton. Rev H. Sells represented the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. Rev J. J. Rooney was the priest of the Roman Catholic Church. At the Baptist Church there was no pastor … There were only a few Christian converts” . From the name it would seem that the Catholic priest was an Irishman, ministering to Irish soldiers. It is possible that he is buried in the Katcheri Cemetery.
It is unfortunate that there are no archives or old records in St Patrick’s Church. The 1912 Directory is the oldest record we have, other than the baptismal registers maintained in the church. The Directory tells us that in 1912 the Parish priest was Fr Lewis O.C., and that the Headmistress of St Mary’s Convent (opened in 1899) was Mother Floriana IBMV. There were 116 pupils.
THE CLERGY:
It is safe to presume that before the establishment of the Indian Hierarchy, and the Allahabad diocese in 1886, St Patrick’s must have been a garrison church, catering to Catholic soldiers in the British Army. As a child I remember that the pews had slots for the soldiers to keep their weapons. Since the British were mostly Anglican, it must have been their “poor cousins”, the Irish, who were the members of the church; and named it after their patron, St Patrick of Ireland. Rudyard Kipling, the noted British author of that era, invariably made derogatory references to the Irish soldiers.
It is not clear at what point of time the Irish Military Chaplains made way for the clergy of Allahabad diocese. The Catholic Directory of 1998 (the last one to be so published) states that the diocese was ministered to by the Capuchin priests of the Tuscany and Ancona Provinces (both in Italy) till 1890. Thereafter it was ministered to by the Capuchins from Bologna, Italy, till 1947, when it was handed over to the diocesan Indian clergy; with Fr B.J. Pereira of Goa, being the first Indian parish priest.
However, there was a rude interlude during the Second World War (1939 –1945). The priests in Kanpur were Italian, and the sisters at St Mary’s were German. Both these nations were part of Hitler’s and Mussolini’s Axis Forces, which were against the British led Allied Forces. Hence the Italian and German missionaries were arrested and interned by the British rulers. Sr Joan CJ delved into the archives of St Mary’s. She found that all the German sisters had to sign a bond in June 1940 stating: ‘I swear … to support constitute authority and to exclude all political ends. I include in this promise exact obedience to any rules laid down by His Majesty’s representatives, and also an undertaking to refrain from doing, saying or writing anything, either publicly or privately, to the prejudice of the British Government in India”. They could write only one letter of just 25 words in a year to their families in Germany, routed through the Vatican. It was only through the newspapers that they could know of the fighting and bombing in their homeland, a traumatic experience.
This act of the British clearly shows that political interests over rode religious goals, if at all the British had any such aspirations. The internment could have proved fatal for the Catholic Church. Fortunately the void was filled by the Capuchins of the French Canadian province. By then it was time for the indigenous Indian clergy to take over. The words of Pope Leo XIII proved truly prophetic, “Filii tui India, administri tibi salutis” (Your sons Oh India, will bring salvation to you). This prophetic vision and resilience held the Catholic Church in good stead after Independence in 1947, as it was no longer dependent on foreign missionaries. This is in sharp contrast to several other small Protestant churches, which collapsed, and their buildings were acquired by the Govt; including one at Moolganj Crossing here in Kanpur.
EVOLUTION OF THE COMMUNITY:
Church historians are usually clergymen. Hence they tend to record the deeds of the clergy alone. Fortunately, St Patrick’s has a track record of a strong and enlightened laity, which played a crucial role in the growth and evolution of the faith community. Its composition has changed with time. The first Catholics most certainly were European colonialists – mostly Irish. With inter marriage, came the Eurasians (often referred to as Anglo-Indians). This ethnic group had the advantage of job opportunities in the Railways and Post & Telegraph Depts, and therefore was quite comfortable.
The first known Catholic of Indian origin was Manuel Xavier de Noronha, a businessman from Aldona, Goa. He arrived in Kanpur circa 1856. He was an eyewitness to the 1857 war, and established business in Kanpur in 1858. He was followed by his nephews Louis Caetano de Souza and Caetano Marie de Souza, from Quitla, Goa. Indeed the first ethnic Catholics were all Goan. With the growth of Kanpur’s textile industry, several Goans came to work in the mills, and also as domestic workers in the bungalows of the “burra sahibs”. There does not seem to be much evidence of conversions among the local poulace.
The first northern migrants were from the Sagar and Bettiah missions. Eustakius, the catechist from Sagar, who lived in Gadaria Mohal, was among the early “native” Christians. He was the President of the Catholic Funeral Management Society, whose members were all Hindi speaking. In like manner, the Cornelius family was among the first from Bettiah. With the advent of the Second World War, an Airforce base and several Ordnance factories came up, generating employment opportunities. This saw an influx from Tamilnadu and later Kerala. With the implementation of the reservation policy for Scheduled Tribes, there was a migration of Adivasis from the Chhotanagpur belt for Central Govt jobs, and also as institutional and domestic helpers. After the Chinese revolution several Chinese families also came to Kanpur. So St Patrick’s has been an evolving and cosmopolitan community.
Post Independence saw a reverse migration of a number of old Goan and Anglo Indian families that migrated to England, Australia and Canada. The English-speaking members always dominated St Patrick’s. This is borne out by and undated (pre-Independence leaflet) for the Corpus Christi procession where the “Indian Christian Community” was distinguished from the “Ladies and gentlemen”! This is also why the Catholic Funeral Management Society insisted that only Hindi could be used in their meetings . Interestingly, they considered Peter de Noronha as their “bonafide member”. It is in the fitness of things that Hindi has now taken pride of place in all liturgical services.
Another interesting aspect of the church in Kanpur, not limited to St Patrick’s, is the inability to evolve a truly Local Church, as envisaged by Vatican II. When the Kanpur Catholic Association (KCA) conducted a socio-economic survey in 1986 it found that only 7% of Catholics had their own houses, while in contrast 28% Protestants had theirs. This was because a large percentage of Catholics were service class, and therefore moved wherever their jobs took them. On the other hand, those who grew roots and built their own houses, also moved out of the Cantonment area, with its archaic and restrictive building laws. This is one of the reasons that St Patrick’s growth has been stifled. Those who can afford to, simply move out to suburban areas, which come under other parishes. St Patrick’s has been the mother church to the other 5 parishes in Kanpur – St Xavier’s, Ashoknagar, St Joseph’s, Chakeri, St Thomas’, Kidwainagar, St Xavier’s, Naramau and St Anthony’s, Chandari. Their gain has been St Patrick’s loss.
THE EARLIEST FAMILIES:
From the baptismal register in the parish we find that ………………………
However, before memory fades, besides the families aforementioned, let me recall to mind some families that were long time residents of St Patrick’s. In Regal Building there was Martin D’souza, the Pachecos, Oakleys, Rozarios, Machados and Wilmers; on The Mall the D’silvas, Pereiras, Menezes, Carvalhos and Andrews; in Cantt the Peters, Monte D’cruz, Ellis, Shears, Binges, Khares, D’costas and Ferdinands; in the Loco Colony the Southcombes, Wrights, Ducasses, Stuarts, and Atwells; and in Mirpur the Andersons, Bellettis and Gallibardis. They, and many more, are all fondly remembered. This ofcourse does not purport to be an exhaustive list.
TOWERING LEADERS:
The achievements of various pastors and institutions have been expressed in the articles written by their representatives in this Souvenir, so I will not repeat that. Here I will confine myself to the leadership roles of our lay Patricians, in both church and society.
Pardon me for beginning with my grandfather, William C de Noronha (Sr). He was Life President of the All India Cantonment Residents’ Association, through which forum he took the British Army rulers head-on, to protect the rights of “native Indian civilians” in the Cantonments. He was also President of the U.P. Chamber of Commerce, which again was the Indian chamber, while the British had their own “Upper India Chamber” His eldest son, Dr M.X. de Noronha, was the President of the Indian Medical Association, where his bust is put up. The next son was Chev Peter de Noronha KSG, CE, the only Patrician to be knighted by the Pope for his services to church and society. His wife, Florence, also received the papal medal “Pro Ecclesiae et Pontifice”. She was the President of the All India Indian Christian Association, National Vice President of the Indian Red Cross Society as also of the Council of Catholic Women of India, Chairman of the U.P. Hospitals’ Welfare Society etc. The U.P. Govt made her an Honorary Magistrate. Stanley de Noronha, perhaps Kanpur’s best orator, was the Governor of the Rotary Club for two terms. Sr Angela UMI and Alice de Souza also assumed leadership roles in the Council of Catholic Women of India.
And ofcourse, yours truly was the youngest National President of the All India Catholic Union for two terms, and represented the country at the International Council of Catholic Men. It is hoped that the youth and women of our parish will draw inspiration from these stalwarts of yesteryear, and future leaders will also emerge.
MILESTONES:
In the annals of our community there are some events and occasions that stand out as milestones. Here are some of them.
· Pride of place must go to the visit of Mother Teresa in 1967, her subsequent visits and her association with our parish.
· India’s first cardinal, Valerian Gracias of Mumbai, was our honoured guest, also in 1967. Besides the reception given to him in the parish, he was invited to address the Rotary Club, and also to Raj Bhawan, Lucknow, for dinner with Governor B. Gopala Reddi.
· The visit of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the 1950s was a time of great devotion and blessing. The parishioners had gathered in large numbers at the railway station to bring the statue in procession to the church; and thereafter for veneration in different homes.
· In December 1965 the investuture ceremony of the papal awardees by Bp Raymond D’mello, was a red-letter day for the parish, with the elite of civil and military society present.
· A faded sepia print, now partly legible with a magnifying glass, records that when Fr Victor Sinibaldi O.C., the then parish priest, was made the bishop of Allahabad in 1899, his Episcopal gold ring was presented to him by W.C. de Noronha (Sr) of this parish.
· Later, when Fr Angelo Poli O.C., also parish priest here, was made the bishop of Allahabad, again it was the Patricians who presented him his Episcopal ring on 30/11/1915. It was on behalf of the Catholic Association of Allahabad Diocese. A copy of the felicitation is printed in this Souvenir. The signatories were Fr John Chrysostom O.C. (Patron), J.G. Ryan (Chairman), W.C. de Noronha (Vice Chairman & Secretary), and members E.E. Chiene, L.C. de Souza, W D’cruz, M Kirwar, F.H. Johnson and Fr Lewis O.C.
· One of the saddest moments was when two young men of the parish died in a tragic plane crash in July 1970. William O’Connor and David Beglan were in a two-seater aircraft from the Kanpur Flying Club. They crashed when flying over the Girls’ High School in Allahabad.
ACTIVITIES:
St Patrick’s has always been humming with activity. Its golden era was the post Independence period under the stewardship of its first Indian parish priest, Fr Balthazaar Pereira. He was an outstanding, yet humble persona, who believed in the full participation of the laity in all parish activities.
THE LEGION OF MARY: Pride of place must go to the Legion of Mary; a lay organisation that laid special emphasis on home visitation, to make people feel loved and wanted. This began in 1944, when Peter de Noronha was appointed the first Indian Envoy of the Legion, spreading its message far and wide in north India. Besides house visitation, it laid emphasis on the gaining of religious knowledge through Patrician Meetings (a type of study circle). They also had a strong campaign for dissemination of Catholic literature and periodicals. The Catholic Information Centre was run under the aegis of the Legion from the residence of Peter de Noronha. It is well documented in the history of evangelisation in U.P. that the goodnews went out to thousands of non-Christians in Hindi, English and Urdu. The Centre used the “Meet Christ” booklets prepared by Frs Wattling SJ of Patna and Theodore Bowling SJ of Poona. In later years, because of Peter’s failing health, Maj J.R. de Souza (Retd), took up the work of the Centre. Another unique feature of the Legion was the large Christmas Crib put up at the Rio Restaurant, owned by Mr Lorenzo, on The Mall. Anthony Julius was one of the stalwarts that manned the Crib, spreading the Christmas message, and disseminating leaflets on Christmas. Among those who were active Legionaries we may recall the names of Lena and Peter Machado, Noreen de Souza, K.O. Samuel, Jimmy Binge, Gnanapragasam, A. Sebastian, Patsy Wright, Gill Pereira and Paul D’souza.
THE CATHOLIC CLUB: Together with the spiritual, there was also the cultural. The Catholic Club was a favourite watering hole for the parishioners. Clergy and laity enjoyed playing badminton together (Fr Germain Ferreira was an enthusiast) and going for picnics. There were regular Whist Drives, housie, dances and other cultural activities to bond the community.
COMMUNICATIONS: Long before media and communications became common parlance, St Patrick’s had its own parish journals – “Contact”, and later “The Master Calls”. Some extracts are printed here. There was also a library, known as Duckett’s Library. There was even a printing press at the back of what is now St Aloysius’ School Hall. It generated employment for under-privileged Catholics.
THE CATHOLIC MILTANT: In pre-Vatican II ecclesiology the Church on earth was often referred to as the Church Militant (a kind of struggle against the dark forces of evil). Post Vatican II we now call ourselves a Pilgrim Church (moving forward, but not yet arrived). A pamphlet of 1944 reveals the ideology and activities of this “militant” group! It states that a good militant must be dependable, efficient, punctual and attentive to details. Members had to receive Communion once a month, spend one hour every month on work allotted etc. It was a Bible Study programme, with specific Gospel passages or issues for study and discussion. Among the “subjects for enquiry” were – Militarism, Pacifism, Mixed Marraiges, Respect for Women and Temperance. Since it was during the protracted WWII they were asking the question “Why does God not stop the war?” The “subjects for study” were based on the papal encyclicals Rerum Novarum and Quadragessimo Anno. They included:
· Factors that make for World Revolution
· A Mad Race for Profits and the New Economic Dictatorship
· Socialist Philosophy, Economics, Politics and the Marxian Programme
· The Proper use of Wealth, and the Bonds of Brotherly Love
This was way back in1944! So were the Militants of yesteryears way ahead of the Pilgrims of today? How many of us care to study Sacred Scripture, the Vatican Council documents or papal encyclicals, either individually or collectively?
ST MARTHA’S WELFARE ASSOCIATION: In the encounter with Jesus at Bethany, the church has traditionally extolled the virtues of Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to him; while he sister Martha was castigated for being “too busy” with worldly things. A division was made between the Marys (religious) and the Marthas (laity). The Marthas was an organisation founded in the USA, where laywomen helped in the “material work” of the church, as distinct from “spiritual” organisations. Kanpur was the first branch of the organisation outside the USA, but with no financial links. The Marthas raised funds through raffles, balls etc and catered to the needs of remote mission stations throughout the diocese of Allahabad. The missionaries would give their wish lists – clothing or bedding for the boarders and orphans, sacred vessels, vestments etc. The Marthas never said no. Among the active members were Florence de Noronha, Hazel de Souza, Antoniette D’silva, Rita Ballard and Cynthia Southcombe.
FATIMA CLINIC: Fatima Hospital and Nursing School in Mahanagar, Lucknow is now a huge establishment. Few would know that its seed was sown in St Patrick’s. When the Ursuline sisters came here in the 1950s among them was Dr Rafaella Scolletta. In those days religious life was rather restrictive, and Dr Scolletta found it an encumbrance to her service to women in need (there were hardly any women gynaecologists then). She took the bold and pragmatic step of leaving the convent, something unheard of in those days. But she was welcomed into the home of a prominent parishioner. They gave her space on The Mall to establish Fatima Clinic. This was opposite Nanarao Park, where the Indian Overseas Bank is now located. Some years later Dr Scolletta moved to Lucknow at the behest of the Italian Capuchins still working there.
KANPUR CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION: This is not strictly a parish organisation, if we think that a parish is restricted to the boundary walls of a church. However, Vatican II ecclesiology has expanded the horizons of the church and its responsibilities. Suffice it to say that whereas a Parish Council caters to the internal needs of the church, like First Communion or Corpus Christi processions; Catholic Associations, as clearly enunciated in the New Code of Canon Law, work in temporal affairs – socio-economic, political, legal, advocacy etc. The KCA has been active in protecting the rights of the church before Govt agencies, and in promoting communal harmony and social justice. Among its founder members from this parish were Alwyn Prabhu IOFS, Alice de Souza, Douglas de Noronha, Cynthia Southcombe and Veronica Bajpai. Current active members include Angelo Menezes, Sanjay Khanna, Brian Thomson, Omi Srivastava and Elizabeth Singh.
LANDMARKS:
Besides the various Milestones and Activities of the parish there are also some noteworthy landmarks, including the parishioners’ contribution to diverse fields like the Armed Forces, Music, Business etc.
LOCAL VOCATIONS: We have seen how missionaries from distant lands came to sweat and toil in our parish. After their departure it was the priests from Goa, and subsequently from Mangalore, who took up the onerous task. Similarly, among the religious, most of the sisters who have been ministering to the parish are from Kerala or Chhotanagpur. It is unfortunate that there have been hardly any local vocations from our parish. In the 1950s, the first one was Christine de Noronha, who took the name of Sr Christa IBMV. The other is Lena Carvalho, daughter of Dominic Carvalho, a migrant from Goa. She joined the Apostolic Carmel sisters.
ARMED FORCES: This parish gave birth to several war heroes, especially during WWI (1914-18) and WWII (1939-45).
· Pride of place goes to Capt Dr Timothy Baptist, husband of Mary Dorothy de Noronha, who lived at what is now 58 Tagore Road (opposite the present Cantt Board office). He died in service on 8/4/1901 at Meean Meer, whose bishop presided over his funeral.
· His eldest son was Col Arthur Baptist. He too was a doctor, being a specialist in tropical medicine. He was commissioned in the Indian Army on 5/11/1916. For his distinguished services he was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) on 3/6/1924.
· Arthur’s younger brother was Hugh Baptist, who was commissioned into the Royal Fusiliers 2nd Bn on 8/6/1915. His head, cheek and left eye were wounded by shrapnel during WWI so he was discharged in 1918, but not before he received a British War Medal and Victory Medal.
· Peter de Noronha, being a Civil Engineer from Thomason College (now IIT Roorkee) was commissioned into King George’s Own Royal Sappers & Miners (now Bombay Sappers) during WWI.
· The deSouzas, who were part of the Baptist family, had several members in the forces. Maj Leslie deSouza of the Indian Army Medical Corps was given the bravery award Military Cross in WWII.
· His younger brother Col Malcolm deSouza was with the Garhwal Rifles.
· Their cousin Sqn Ldr Gerald Anthony deSouza was part of the 355 RAF Squadron based at Calcutta. He was killed in action on 2/5/1945, while leading a bombing raid on the Rangoon River in Burma, just a few days before WWII ended. His Commanding Officer Wg Cdr J. Martin in a letter to Gerald’s mother, the day after he was killed, said that they “admired his gallantry in action and devotion to duty”.
· There were more deSouzas in the army. Maj Joe de Souza, son of Louis Caetano deSouza also served in the army.
· In more recent times we have Col Melwyn D’Souza, whose mother Laetitia D’Souza taught for several years in St Aloysius’
· Capt Arjun Michael Singh of 10 Armoured Regt is the son of Col I.M. Singh (Retd) and Rita Singh.
We salute all these brave hearts.
MUSICIANS: Can music be far away if there are Goans around? There were several professional musicians.
· Caridade Carvalho and his brothers had their own band at the Bristol Hotel that they ran. In later years he led the Bombay Police Band
· Gabriel Pereira, together with Manuel Jose Menezes and Minguel Pacheco had a band called The Night Flyers. Pacheco went on to Bollywood to play for the legendary duo of Laxmikant Pyarelal.
· John Raphael became a famous pianist in Delhi.
· Marian deSouza, after migrating from Kanpur did her doctorate in Sacred Music.
We still hear their chimes, over time.
BUSINESSMEN: Many families have also been long established in business, something uncommon in the north.
· Manuel Xavier de Noronha founded a slew of businesses in Kanpur in 1858. After 150 years the family is still in business in Kanpur.
· Louis Caetano deSouza put up the Regal and Roxy Cinemas on The Mall.
· Caridade Carvalho and his brothers ran the Bristol Hotel on The Mall, and established Carvalhonagar, near Anwarganj on the G.T. Road.
· Ignatius D’silva ran the Orient Hotel, Billiard Room and Coffee House.
They should inspire entrepreneurial skills in our youth, instead of them waiting for jobs to fall in their laps.
CONCLUSION:
Good things should not come to an end. May the glorious history of St Patrick’s Church, Kanpur, and the many graces we have received, inspire all of us clergy, religious and laity to strive even harder to establish God’s Kingdom of peace, love, service and fellowship on earth. That will be a true tribute to those who have gone before us, leaving behind a rich legacy, as we celebrate the Sesquicentennial of our beloved church.
* The writer is the great grandson of M. X. de Noronha, the first Indian member of this church.
ABODE OF THE MOTHER
When I mentioned to a friend that there was a post office in Varanasi named Christnagar, he was astounded. It did not ring true. That person would be equally amazed to know that in Kanpur there is a place called Mariampur (The Abode of Mother Mary)!
It was probably the prophetic vision of Fr Faustian Alva, then Parish Priest of St Xavier’s Church, Ghusramau, to give Indian names like Mariampur and Kumari Udyan Vidhyala, long before the ecclesiastical reforms of Vatican II.
It was my privilege to write for the Silver Jubilee of Mariampur Hospital in 1986, and now to recall its pleasant memories as it celebrates its Golden Jubilee. According to the Book of Leviticus, in the Old Testament, it is the 50th year (after 7 sabbaticals, 7x7=49) that a jubilee is commemorated. The English word Jubilee has its etymological roots in the Hebrew word Yobel, that means horn, the one that is sounded to herald glad tidings. A jubilee is therefore a time of blessing and thanksgiving, gifted by the Lord.
It is a matter of great joy that Mariampur Hospital is celebrating 50 years of its existence. For me it is an occasion to journey back into the past, and to thank God for His mercies and gifts of healing through Mariampur Hospital. When it was first built it was much smaller than what it now is. It had huge rooms named after different saints, like St Joseph and St Rita. There was a lovely garden, and a lot of sunlight and fresh air. It had an aura of peace and tranquillity, truly the “Abode of the Mother”.
As children we often visited the sisters, including the first batch that had made great sacrifices to come all the way from Italy, to serve the poor and needy of Kanpur. My earliest memory of the hospital is when my father, Peter, was operated upon for gallstone in 1965. Back then, every operation was considered a major one, with serious consequences. I remember my Uncle Stanley, who was not much of a churchgoer, pacing nervously outside the Operation Theatre, and fervently praying the rosary. Our prayers were answered. As a token of gratitude the family presented the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes that adorns the front portico. It was a symbol of the “Abode of the Mother”.
I remember the services of the sister doctors – Giovanna (Joanna), Gesualda and Fernanda. My second memorable experience of Mariampur was when I had typhoid in 1975. Sr Gesualda immediately got me admitted and took great care of me. It was a turning point in my life, when I was searching for the answer to God’s call. Even Bishop Alfred Fernandez of allahabad came to spend time at my bedside and guide me. Sr Adel, who was then in charge of vocation promotion, would pray with me every day. Srs Naomi, Giselle and Marcelina were ministering angels to me. But my most amazing experience was when I saw Sr Gesualda late at night lying prostrate and praying silently in the chapel in the dim light. There was an aura of grace and peace, and I knew deep down in my heart that the Lord was calling me to be His disciple.
The first time that I had felt that somebody was in close communion with God is when I first met Blessed Mother Teresa in 1968. This experience was repeated in Mariampur in 1975 when I saw Sr Gesualda praying. Even now, 36 years later, she prays for me everyday, a powerful intercessor for a frail mortal like me. Can I ever repay such a debt?
Both our children were born in hospitals run by the Ursulines. Mariam was born in 1985 in Holy Family Hospital, Mumbai, where mother and child were lovingly ministered to. I spent ten days there in the hospital. For several years I had a stomach ailment, but the doctor who treated me in Holy Family gave me some enzyme regeneration treatment, to counteract earlier over dosage of antibiotics. Ever since, the only problem with my stomach is that it is still a bit on the rounder side! Even at that time in Holy Family, I experienced an inner healing in the chapel, where I was praying. When one of the sisters came to announce the birth of a baby girl, at that very moment I decided to name her Mariam Florence.
A second child, Avinash, was born in Mariampur in 1987. Since my daughter was named after my mother I thought it appropriate that the son be named after my wife’s father – Salvador. But Sr Martha would have none of it. She insisted that he be called Peter. So the sisters of Mariampur have left an indelible mark on my family, and for generations to come.
There is another aspect of Mariampur that I can never forget. It is the blood donation. Very often Sr Riti would phone me for blood donors, and I have donated blood several times over the years. Sr Riti herself would insist on giving me fresh limejuice. Once there was an emergency, and I had just donated blood, so my wife Meera volunteered. The patient was sinking fast, so Sr Riti took the calculated risk of transferring my wife’s blood straight to the patient, and he survived. These are miracles of God’s grace.
When my wife had to undergo an operation, our bill was a fraction of what a friend of ours had paid for a similar operation in a private hospital. So Mariampur was providing excellent services at a fraction of the cost.
I also recall how the Community Health Department collaborated with my wife for an outreach programme across the Ganga in a village called Paramsukh Khera. Some years later, when Shuklaganj was ravaged by floods, the sisters willingly joined the effort of the Kanpur Catholic Association and other organisations in holding a three day medical relief camp, where hundreds of flood effected people got free treatment and medication.
This remembrance would not be complete without also recalling the services of stalwarts like Srs Francisca and Alphonse. Truly one can say that for the people of Kanpur, Mariampur Hospital has been a source of great blessing and healing, of body, mind and soul. I salute all these dedicated sisters who have served there these last fifty years. Indeed Mariampur is the “Abode of the Mother” of peace, tranquillity and healing.
JANUARY 2011
It was probably the prophetic vision of Fr Faustian Alva, then Parish Priest of St Xavier’s Church, Ghusramau, to give Indian names like Mariampur and Kumari Udyan Vidhyala, long before the ecclesiastical reforms of Vatican II.
It was my privilege to write for the Silver Jubilee of Mariampur Hospital in 1986, and now to recall its pleasant memories as it celebrates its Golden Jubilee. According to the Book of Leviticus, in the Old Testament, it is the 50th year (after 7 sabbaticals, 7x7=49) that a jubilee is commemorated. The English word Jubilee has its etymological roots in the Hebrew word Yobel, that means horn, the one that is sounded to herald glad tidings. A jubilee is therefore a time of blessing and thanksgiving, gifted by the Lord.
It is a matter of great joy that Mariampur Hospital is celebrating 50 years of its existence. For me it is an occasion to journey back into the past, and to thank God for His mercies and gifts of healing through Mariampur Hospital. When it was first built it was much smaller than what it now is. It had huge rooms named after different saints, like St Joseph and St Rita. There was a lovely garden, and a lot of sunlight and fresh air. It had an aura of peace and tranquillity, truly the “Abode of the Mother”.
As children we often visited the sisters, including the first batch that had made great sacrifices to come all the way from Italy, to serve the poor and needy of Kanpur. My earliest memory of the hospital is when my father, Peter, was operated upon for gallstone in 1965. Back then, every operation was considered a major one, with serious consequences. I remember my Uncle Stanley, who was not much of a churchgoer, pacing nervously outside the Operation Theatre, and fervently praying the rosary. Our prayers were answered. As a token of gratitude the family presented the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes that adorns the front portico. It was a symbol of the “Abode of the Mother”.
I remember the services of the sister doctors – Giovanna (Joanna), Gesualda and Fernanda. My second memorable experience of Mariampur was when I had typhoid in 1975. Sr Gesualda immediately got me admitted and took great care of me. It was a turning point in my life, when I was searching for the answer to God’s call. Even Bishop Alfred Fernandez of allahabad came to spend time at my bedside and guide me. Sr Adel, who was then in charge of vocation promotion, would pray with me every day. Srs Naomi, Giselle and Marcelina were ministering angels to me. But my most amazing experience was when I saw Sr Gesualda late at night lying prostrate and praying silently in the chapel in the dim light. There was an aura of grace and peace, and I knew deep down in my heart that the Lord was calling me to be His disciple.
The first time that I had felt that somebody was in close communion with God is when I first met Blessed Mother Teresa in 1968. This experience was repeated in Mariampur in 1975 when I saw Sr Gesualda praying. Even now, 36 years later, she prays for me everyday, a powerful intercessor for a frail mortal like me. Can I ever repay such a debt?
Both our children were born in hospitals run by the Ursulines. Mariam was born in 1985 in Holy Family Hospital, Mumbai, where mother and child were lovingly ministered to. I spent ten days there in the hospital. For several years I had a stomach ailment, but the doctor who treated me in Holy Family gave me some enzyme regeneration treatment, to counteract earlier over dosage of antibiotics. Ever since, the only problem with my stomach is that it is still a bit on the rounder side! Even at that time in Holy Family, I experienced an inner healing in the chapel, where I was praying. When one of the sisters came to announce the birth of a baby girl, at that very moment I decided to name her Mariam Florence.
A second child, Avinash, was born in Mariampur in 1987. Since my daughter was named after my mother I thought it appropriate that the son be named after my wife’s father – Salvador. But Sr Martha would have none of it. She insisted that he be called Peter. So the sisters of Mariampur have left an indelible mark on my family, and for generations to come.
There is another aspect of Mariampur that I can never forget. It is the blood donation. Very often Sr Riti would phone me for blood donors, and I have donated blood several times over the years. Sr Riti herself would insist on giving me fresh limejuice. Once there was an emergency, and I had just donated blood, so my wife Meera volunteered. The patient was sinking fast, so Sr Riti took the calculated risk of transferring my wife’s blood straight to the patient, and he survived. These are miracles of God’s grace.
When my wife had to undergo an operation, our bill was a fraction of what a friend of ours had paid for a similar operation in a private hospital. So Mariampur was providing excellent services at a fraction of the cost.
I also recall how the Community Health Department collaborated with my wife for an outreach programme across the Ganga in a village called Paramsukh Khera. Some years later, when Shuklaganj was ravaged by floods, the sisters willingly joined the effort of the Kanpur Catholic Association and other organisations in holding a three day medical relief camp, where hundreds of flood effected people got free treatment and medication.
This remembrance would not be complete without also recalling the services of stalwarts like Srs Francisca and Alphonse. Truly one can say that for the people of Kanpur, Mariampur Hospital has been a source of great blessing and healing, of body, mind and soul. I salute all these dedicated sisters who have served there these last fifty years. Indeed Mariampur is the “Abode of the Mother” of peace, tranquillity and healing.
JANUARY 2011
Saturday, 7 August 2010
THE NORONHAS OF KANPUR
Many friends and relatives keep asking me about the history and origin of the Noronhas of Kanpur. I had initially recorded this piece in 1996, and have now updated it.
THE PIONEER: This saga begins circa 1854, from the prosperous village of Aldona, Goa. It was famous for its chillies and business acumen. A 26-year-old intrepid entrepreneur set out on a journey to nowhere. He had learnt photography from the Portuguese in Goa, and set out with a caravan of 300 bullock carts to take photographs of the high and mighty, mostly in the princely states of Rajputana (Rajasthan today). They alone could afford the princely charges of Rs 200/- per photograph then. In those days there was neither camera nor film. The camera was one’s own fabrication, and gold or silver nitrate solutions were used for making the pictures on glass. Celluloid had not yet been invented. A far cry from the effortless ease of digital photography today.
There were times when this intrepid adventurer was beaten up and his equipment smashed. He was accused of extracting the “souls” of his subjects. This is because the negative images looked like ghosts, which was not always pleasing to the rajas and Nawabs! In the course of his meanderings he turned up in Cawnpore (now Kanpur) circa 1856. It was then a boomtown, with a vast agricultural hinterland, prosperous mills, and the Ganges River still navigable for small sea going vessels. This young man was Manuel Xavier de Noronha (30/10/1828 to 18/9/1888), better known as MX.
Two important events influenced his staying on in Kanpur. One was the First War of Independence in 1857, and the other was the coming of the railways from Calcutta in 1858.
During the 1857 conflict there were hardly any ethnic Christians. They were probably caught in the crossfire. MX was given shelter in the Fort (now the Ordnance Equipment Factory). During the ensuing battle a British officer was lying wounded on the battlefield, crying for succour. MX, being a non-combatant, walked out of the fort unarmed, slung the Officer over his broad shoulders and headed back for the Fort. He almost got to safety when a canon ball knocked off the head of the man he was carrying. He then dropped the body and ran back inside. The deceased was later identified as one Col Wilson of the 64th Foot Regiment, and the firing was from the Gwalior Contingent. A souvenir published in 1943 by the Aldona Association of Bombay states that MX saved 80 lives during the 1857 war, for which his name was inscribed on the village’s Roll of Honour. It is not clear whose lives he saved, or how credible the claim is.
MX stayed on in Kanpur, establishing his business in 1858 under the name and style of M/s M.X. de Noronha & Son. From photography he branched out into auctioneering (which continued right up to 1987) and printing. The press was known as Aldona Press. MX also finds mention in one of Rudyard Kipling’s books; as a Goan businessman in whose house an elephant ran amok.
THE PHILANTHROPIC RAIS OF KANPUR: This is how MX’s only son, William Constantine de Noronha (Sr) came to be known in later life. WC (31/8/1862 to 24/11/1932) expanded and diversified his father’s business. He established a tannery, hide and skin business, dal and rice milling, electricity generation for the Cantonments, ran the Post & Telegraph services (Noronha’s Exchange Post Office still functions), manufactured coaches, carriages and furniture, had brick kilns, and dealt in arms and ammunitions. His forte was real estate. He reportedly owned 99 bungalows in the Cantonments, so much so that old timers would say that the Noronhas owned half of Kanpur.
While on the one hand he prospered in business, on the other he was exceedingly generous. Some obituary references will suffice. “He was well known for his charities. Gold medals endowed by him are awarded annually in almost all local institutions. The gift of an X-Ray block to the local Prince of Wales Hospital, a donation of Rs 20,000/- for the U.P. Chamber of Commerce buildings, Rs 25,000/- for the YMCA’s Birdwood Hall in Simla, fans and lights in the Dufferin Hospital, Rs 2000/- for the Indian Medical Association Hall are some of his well known charities” . The Vivekananda Institute passed this resolution. “This meeting places on record its sense of profound sorrow at the sad death of its venerable President, Mr W.C. de Noronha, in whom Cawnpore has lost not only a premier citizen, but one of those rare men who inspite of their high position, continue to be friends of the poor and helpless” . “His charities were given indiscriminately to all deserving institutions of all classes and creeds; many Christian, Mohammedan and Hindu institutions are the recipients of his liberal doles, and the Catholic Mission of whose church he was a faithful servant owes much to his boundless benevolence” .
An interesting endowment made by him on 1/9/1930 was the Birdwood Sword of Honour. It was to be awarded annually in perpetuity to the best cadet of the Indian Army at the Kitchener College, Nowgong. It was named after his friend Field Marshall Sir William Birdwood, the then Chief of Army Staff. It is believed that during Partition this sword went to Pakistan.
Another interesting bit of information about WC was found in a souvenir published by the Arya Samaj in 2008. It states that he got made a cremation place at Bhairon Ghat in memory of his major domo, Ranjit Singh’s, daughter, and also built a two storey building in Ranjit Singh’s wife’s memory at the Arya Samaj Mandir on Thandi Sarak. So obviously WC was a very secular and broad-minded person, way ahead of his time.
Besides business and philanthropy, WC was a great leader, espousing various causes. In 1927 he was elected President of the United Provinces Chamber of Commerce, and represented it before the controversial Simon Commission in 1928. His stellar role was as the Life President of the All India Cantonment Residents’ Association, through which he championed the rights of Indian residents in the Cantonments, which were the hegemony of the British. A glimpse of his thoughts can be found in his Presidential address at the 6th conference of the Association, held at Ambala on 13/3/1926. Referring to the new Cantonments Act of 1924 he says, “ The reform it professes to introduce in the Cantonment Administration is more illusory than real. The act itself was not conceived in a liberal spirit. It represented a merely grudging attempt to apply to the Cantonment Administration in form, rather than in spirit, some of the rudimentary principles of local self-government. It was defective from the very beginning, and where it smacks of liberalism, the executive instructions subsequently issued in the form of circulars from the Army Department, have made it as illiberal as ever”.
Ninety years later his message seems as strident and topical as it was then. Not just the Cantonments, but also the entire system of governance smacks of pseudo-liberalism and executive preponderance. Incidentally, this writer is himself hotly pursuing the implementation of the 74th Amendment to the Indian Constitution in U.P., through which power devolves on the local self-government, through peoples’ participation and decision-making! It must be somewhere in the genes.
Because of his unique contribution to the welfare of the Cantonments, Canning Road (named after Viceroy Lord Canning) was renamed as Noronha Road, post independence. This is the arterial road that connects Phoolbagh to Circuit House. Mistaking the name for that of a foreigner, some army officials recently changed the name to Nehru Road. On my representation, the name of Noronha was restored.
Another point of interest is that WC owned the city’s first automobile . I remember an old Ford Model T that Ford Motors from America wanted to buy back from us, but my father refused. There was also an old Daimler Benz, with wooden wheels, steam engine and chain driven. Unfortunately our forefathers did not quite appreciate the value of these unique vintage cars. The Raja of Tirwa, a neighbouring principality, offered to renovate these gems and 4 others. That was about 40 years ago. We haven’t seen them since!
THE ANCESTRAL HOUSE: An aesthetic legacy of WC was the family house that he built. It was initially called “The Exchange”, perhaps because of the auction business, which may have had both cash and barter transactions. He rebuilt it 1904, renaming it “Manuel House”, after his father MX. It was perhaps the first double storeyed building on The Mall. Its architecture was unique, with intricate arches and chiselled brickwork. Ranjit Singh designed it, and the artisans reportedly came from Calcutta. Since WC had his own brick kilns, special bricks with the family name, were made for this construction. During the Quetta earthquake, sometime in the 1920’s, the building cracked through and through. But it withstood the test of time until it was demolished in 2002, to make way for the Mega Mall.
THE THREE BROTHERS: WC had four sons and three daughters, one of whom he disowned for marrying a non-Brahmin. Regretfully, he still prided himself on his Saraswat Brahmin lineage. His eldest son was a doctor, also called MX. But Kanpurites especially remembered the three brothers – Peter, Willie and Stanley, famed for their unity. That unity, unfortunately, often exacted a heavy price from the wives and children, who felt somewhat left out in the cold!
The threesome started their own auction business of M/s P. Stanwill & Co, popularly known as Stanwills. The household goods auctions held on Sunday mornings were a major source of entertainment and interest. Auctioneering always has hoary anecdotes, and Stanwills had its fair share. Hilarious situations arose because those were the days when Indian manufacturing was measly, and anything “Made in England” was considered precious. There is the story of one Dr Tamba, a regular auction buff. Stanley, with his legendary gift of the gab, sold him a car’s petrol tank cover. The story goes that for several years thereafter, the good Dr Tamba kept coming back to the auctions looking for a car to match the cover!
An eyewitness has another naughty story. An Englishman, who was going home, was selling everything. That included the pisspot. It was a beautiful porcelain one with handles and floral motifs. Stanley passed it off as a serving bowl to a Marwari lady desperate for the “Made in England” tag. The eyewitness recalls that raita was served in the bowl at a dinner party that she was subsequently invited too. For obvious reasons, she didn’t eat, saying that she was fasting that day. A real fast one that!
Stanley (1903 to 1970) was the youngest, and also the most dashing; by far the best orator in Kanpur. If glamour and flair was required for any social event, Stan had to be there; be it a Vintage Car Rally, a Golf Tourney or a Cricket Test. As Secretary of the U.P. Olympic Association it was always his privilege to introduce the cricket teams to the Governor of U.P. at any Test Match at the Greenpark Stadium. Stanley is best remembered for his contribution to Rotary. As Rotary Governor for two consecutive terms (1952-54) he galvanised Rotarians from Peshawar to Patna, his Rotary District.
Willie (1898-1975) inherited WC’s flair for business. He was remembered as the gentleman with the hearing aid, and a crack shikari. Very often district and police officials would contact him to hunt down marauding or man-eating tigers and leopards. His house was adorned with trophies including two beautifully mounted tigers, crocodile snouts, elephant’s feet etc. Be it big game hunting or duck shooting, his wife Mae was always by his side. Since he was hearing impaired she would nudge him to indicate what was coming. Bang.
Willie had a flamboyant lifestyle. He was one of those rare entities to possess a Diner’s Club Card. At his wedding aircraft from the Cawnpore Flying Club showered confetti on the newly weds and the guests at the Queen’s Park, now Phoolbagh .
The British adventurer Eric Newby was sailing down the Ganga from Haridwar to Calcutta in the 1960’s. His experiences are recorded in his book “Slowly Down the Ganges”, which was subsequently made into a documentary film by the BBC TV in the 1980’s. Newby writes about the legendary hospitality and Christmas dinner at Willie’s home.
Peter (1897 – 1970), the eldest of the threesome, was different. He was the wise, quiet and religious one. He was a Civil Engineer by profession, having graduated from Roorkee University (then Thomason College) in 1919. He was instrumental in building the first bridge across the Ganga at Haridwar’s Har-ki-Pauri Ghat, where the river enters the plains. During the First World War he was called up to serve in the King George’s Own Royal Sappers & Miners (now called the Bombay Sappers).
He later joined his brothers in business. But his first love was books. Standing instructions in the Cawnpore Club library were that all new arrivals were first to be sent to Mr Noronha. What he read, he shared through his writings. Several articles were published in secular and Catholic journals. His thoughts were collated in his book “The Pageant of Life”. He was particularly active in Catholic organisations. He was the first Indian, in 1946, to be appointed an Envoy of the Legion of Mary. For several years he ran the Catholic Information Centre from his own home. For his exemplary life and services he was in 1965 knighted by the Pope with the Order of St Gregory. An indication of the respect with which he was held in the city was that at his death the district courts and all Christian institutions closed for the day.
In 2008 the Indian Medical Association (IMA) suddenly remembered their former president, Dr M.X., and erected a bust in his honour at the entrance of the IMA Hall at Parade. This is actually “Mrs Noronha Hall”, as it was built by W.C. (Sr) in memory of his wife Claudine Rachel.
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE: Peter’s second wife, Florence (1924-1983) was popularly known as the Florence Nightingale and Joan of Arc of Kanpur; because of her services to disadvantaged sections of society. She showed her mettle when she hoisted the Indian tricolour on the night of 14th August 1947 on the British Consulate in Goa, where she was then working. Florence came into her own during the Chinese Aggression of 1962. The District Magistrate put her in the vanguard of the war effort, through the Sena Sewa Samiti. She organised 1220 blood donors and arranged for truckloads of linen, warm clothing etc. She was the founder Chairperson of the U.P. Hospital’s Welfare Society, founder of the Indian branch of the Order of St Martha, National Vice President of the Indian Red Cross, National President of the All India Indian Christian Association, and a host of other organisations. Due to her efforts Mother Teresa came to Kanpur to establish a Home for the Destitute. Because of her commitment the U.P. Govt appointed her as an Honorary Magistrate . Here too she proved herself in judging cases with firmness and fairness.
A typical instance of her tenacity was when the President of India, Dr Radhakrishnan, was to visit Kanpur in 1965. She requested Chief Minister Sucheeta Kripalani and Governor Bishwanath Das to adjust the President’s programme so that he could address the U.P. Hospital’s Welfare Society. They refused. So she broke protocol and went directly to the President, who gladly acceded to her request, much to the chagrin of the Chief Minister and the Governor.
From social work Florence joined politics, as an active Congresswoman. She was appointed to the Minorities cell of the UPCC and AICC. For her services the Pope honoured her with the “Pro Ecclesiae et Pontifice” medal in 1965, at the same time that her husband was knighted.
THE LANDMARKS: There are four landmarks in the city, named after the family. The first is Noronha Crossing, where the family’s ancestral residence was located on The Mall. The second is Noronha’s Exchange Post Office, across the road. The third is Noronha Road in the Cantonments, and the fourth is the Mrs Noronha Hall at Parade. It cannot be called the Hall of Fame. For the fame has receded into history, though the name and the flame remain. Sri S.P. Mehra, the nonagenarian President of the Kanpur History Society says that the Noronhas were the biggest fools of Kanpur, to have lost such a vast inheritance! That would depend on what one considers wise or foolish. The Noronhas apparently chose peace and happiness over worldly fame and name. How foolish of them?
THE RISE & FALL: When MX came to Kanpur circa 1856, it was at its zenith. It was then called the “Manchester of the East”. After Independence Nehru called it the “Dustbin of the North”, and India Today labelled it as an “Industrial Graveyard”. Several other epithets have been hurled at the city. The decline in the city is mirrored in the fortunes of the Noronhas. Some moved back to their roots in Goa. Others sought greener pastures abroad. The harsh reality is that after Independence there was a steady decline in ethics in business and public life, and the Noronhas who had evolved in a different ethos, felt growingly uncomfortable in the changed scenario.
A small remnant made a fresh beginning in 1982, to keep the Noronha flag and flame going in both business and commitment to society. Like the “Last of the Mohicans” there is also the last of the Noronhas in Kanpur. But the city is again on the upswing, especially in the realm of education and industrial growth. Will it impact the last of the Noronhas? How long will it last? 154 years is a long stretch for any family. Would MX like his journey to Kanpur to disappear in the sands of time?
* The writer, born in 1951, known as chhotebhai in public life and literary circles, is the son of Peter and Florence de Noronha.
* See also “Where was Great Grand Dad?” by the same writer
THE PIONEER: This saga begins circa 1854, from the prosperous village of Aldona, Goa. It was famous for its chillies and business acumen. A 26-year-old intrepid entrepreneur set out on a journey to nowhere. He had learnt photography from the Portuguese in Goa, and set out with a caravan of 300 bullock carts to take photographs of the high and mighty, mostly in the princely states of Rajputana (Rajasthan today). They alone could afford the princely charges of Rs 200/- per photograph then. In those days there was neither camera nor film. The camera was one’s own fabrication, and gold or silver nitrate solutions were used for making the pictures on glass. Celluloid had not yet been invented. A far cry from the effortless ease of digital photography today.
There were times when this intrepid adventurer was beaten up and his equipment smashed. He was accused of extracting the “souls” of his subjects. This is because the negative images looked like ghosts, which was not always pleasing to the rajas and Nawabs! In the course of his meanderings he turned up in Cawnpore (now Kanpur) circa 1856. It was then a boomtown, with a vast agricultural hinterland, prosperous mills, and the Ganges River still navigable for small sea going vessels. This young man was Manuel Xavier de Noronha (30/10/1828 to 18/9/1888), better known as MX.
Two important events influenced his staying on in Kanpur. One was the First War of Independence in 1857, and the other was the coming of the railways from Calcutta in 1858.
During the 1857 conflict there were hardly any ethnic Christians. They were probably caught in the crossfire. MX was given shelter in the Fort (now the Ordnance Equipment Factory). During the ensuing battle a British officer was lying wounded on the battlefield, crying for succour. MX, being a non-combatant, walked out of the fort unarmed, slung the Officer over his broad shoulders and headed back for the Fort. He almost got to safety when a canon ball knocked off the head of the man he was carrying. He then dropped the body and ran back inside. The deceased was later identified as one Col Wilson of the 64th Foot Regiment, and the firing was from the Gwalior Contingent. A souvenir published in 1943 by the Aldona Association of Bombay states that MX saved 80 lives during the 1857 war, for which his name was inscribed on the village’s Roll of Honour. It is not clear whose lives he saved, or how credible the claim is.
MX stayed on in Kanpur, establishing his business in 1858 under the name and style of M/s M.X. de Noronha & Son. From photography he branched out into auctioneering (which continued right up to 1987) and printing. The press was known as Aldona Press. MX also finds mention in one of Rudyard Kipling’s books; as a Goan businessman in whose house an elephant ran amok.
THE PHILANTHROPIC RAIS OF KANPUR: This is how MX’s only son, William Constantine de Noronha (Sr) came to be known in later life. WC (31/8/1862 to 24/11/1932) expanded and diversified his father’s business. He established a tannery, hide and skin business, dal and rice milling, electricity generation for the Cantonments, ran the Post & Telegraph services (Noronha’s Exchange Post Office still functions), manufactured coaches, carriages and furniture, had brick kilns, and dealt in arms and ammunitions. His forte was real estate. He reportedly owned 99 bungalows in the Cantonments, so much so that old timers would say that the Noronhas owned half of Kanpur.
While on the one hand he prospered in business, on the other he was exceedingly generous. Some obituary references will suffice. “He was well known for his charities. Gold medals endowed by him are awarded annually in almost all local institutions. The gift of an X-Ray block to the local Prince of Wales Hospital, a donation of Rs 20,000/- for the U.P. Chamber of Commerce buildings, Rs 25,000/- for the YMCA’s Birdwood Hall in Simla, fans and lights in the Dufferin Hospital, Rs 2000/- for the Indian Medical Association Hall are some of his well known charities” . The Vivekananda Institute passed this resolution. “This meeting places on record its sense of profound sorrow at the sad death of its venerable President, Mr W.C. de Noronha, in whom Cawnpore has lost not only a premier citizen, but one of those rare men who inspite of their high position, continue to be friends of the poor and helpless” . “His charities were given indiscriminately to all deserving institutions of all classes and creeds; many Christian, Mohammedan and Hindu institutions are the recipients of his liberal doles, and the Catholic Mission of whose church he was a faithful servant owes much to his boundless benevolence” .
An interesting endowment made by him on 1/9/1930 was the Birdwood Sword of Honour. It was to be awarded annually in perpetuity to the best cadet of the Indian Army at the Kitchener College, Nowgong. It was named after his friend Field Marshall Sir William Birdwood, the then Chief of Army Staff. It is believed that during Partition this sword went to Pakistan.
Another interesting bit of information about WC was found in a souvenir published by the Arya Samaj in 2008. It states that he got made a cremation place at Bhairon Ghat in memory of his major domo, Ranjit Singh’s, daughter, and also built a two storey building in Ranjit Singh’s wife’s memory at the Arya Samaj Mandir on Thandi Sarak. So obviously WC was a very secular and broad-minded person, way ahead of his time.
Besides business and philanthropy, WC was a great leader, espousing various causes. In 1927 he was elected President of the United Provinces Chamber of Commerce, and represented it before the controversial Simon Commission in 1928. His stellar role was as the Life President of the All India Cantonment Residents’ Association, through which he championed the rights of Indian residents in the Cantonments, which were the hegemony of the British. A glimpse of his thoughts can be found in his Presidential address at the 6th conference of the Association, held at Ambala on 13/3/1926. Referring to the new Cantonments Act of 1924 he says, “ The reform it professes to introduce in the Cantonment Administration is more illusory than real. The act itself was not conceived in a liberal spirit. It represented a merely grudging attempt to apply to the Cantonment Administration in form, rather than in spirit, some of the rudimentary principles of local self-government. It was defective from the very beginning, and where it smacks of liberalism, the executive instructions subsequently issued in the form of circulars from the Army Department, have made it as illiberal as ever”.
Ninety years later his message seems as strident and topical as it was then. Not just the Cantonments, but also the entire system of governance smacks of pseudo-liberalism and executive preponderance. Incidentally, this writer is himself hotly pursuing the implementation of the 74th Amendment to the Indian Constitution in U.P., through which power devolves on the local self-government, through peoples’ participation and decision-making! It must be somewhere in the genes.
Because of his unique contribution to the welfare of the Cantonments, Canning Road (named after Viceroy Lord Canning) was renamed as Noronha Road, post independence. This is the arterial road that connects Phoolbagh to Circuit House. Mistaking the name for that of a foreigner, some army officials recently changed the name to Nehru Road. On my representation, the name of Noronha was restored.
Another point of interest is that WC owned the city’s first automobile . I remember an old Ford Model T that Ford Motors from America wanted to buy back from us, but my father refused. There was also an old Daimler Benz, with wooden wheels, steam engine and chain driven. Unfortunately our forefathers did not quite appreciate the value of these unique vintage cars. The Raja of Tirwa, a neighbouring principality, offered to renovate these gems and 4 others. That was about 40 years ago. We haven’t seen them since!
THE ANCESTRAL HOUSE: An aesthetic legacy of WC was the family house that he built. It was initially called “The Exchange”, perhaps because of the auction business, which may have had both cash and barter transactions. He rebuilt it 1904, renaming it “Manuel House”, after his father MX. It was perhaps the first double storeyed building on The Mall. Its architecture was unique, with intricate arches and chiselled brickwork. Ranjit Singh designed it, and the artisans reportedly came from Calcutta. Since WC had his own brick kilns, special bricks with the family name, were made for this construction. During the Quetta earthquake, sometime in the 1920’s, the building cracked through and through. But it withstood the test of time until it was demolished in 2002, to make way for the Mega Mall.
THE THREE BROTHERS: WC had four sons and three daughters, one of whom he disowned for marrying a non-Brahmin. Regretfully, he still prided himself on his Saraswat Brahmin lineage. His eldest son was a doctor, also called MX. But Kanpurites especially remembered the three brothers – Peter, Willie and Stanley, famed for their unity. That unity, unfortunately, often exacted a heavy price from the wives and children, who felt somewhat left out in the cold!
The threesome started their own auction business of M/s P. Stanwill & Co, popularly known as Stanwills. The household goods auctions held on Sunday mornings were a major source of entertainment and interest. Auctioneering always has hoary anecdotes, and Stanwills had its fair share. Hilarious situations arose because those were the days when Indian manufacturing was measly, and anything “Made in England” was considered precious. There is the story of one Dr Tamba, a regular auction buff. Stanley, with his legendary gift of the gab, sold him a car’s petrol tank cover. The story goes that for several years thereafter, the good Dr Tamba kept coming back to the auctions looking for a car to match the cover!
An eyewitness has another naughty story. An Englishman, who was going home, was selling everything. That included the pisspot. It was a beautiful porcelain one with handles and floral motifs. Stanley passed it off as a serving bowl to a Marwari lady desperate for the “Made in England” tag. The eyewitness recalls that raita was served in the bowl at a dinner party that she was subsequently invited too. For obvious reasons, she didn’t eat, saying that she was fasting that day. A real fast one that!
Stanley (1903 to 1970) was the youngest, and also the most dashing; by far the best orator in Kanpur. If glamour and flair was required for any social event, Stan had to be there; be it a Vintage Car Rally, a Golf Tourney or a Cricket Test. As Secretary of the U.P. Olympic Association it was always his privilege to introduce the cricket teams to the Governor of U.P. at any Test Match at the Greenpark Stadium. Stanley is best remembered for his contribution to Rotary. As Rotary Governor for two consecutive terms (1952-54) he galvanised Rotarians from Peshawar to Patna, his Rotary District.
Willie (1898-1975) inherited WC’s flair for business. He was remembered as the gentleman with the hearing aid, and a crack shikari. Very often district and police officials would contact him to hunt down marauding or man-eating tigers and leopards. His house was adorned with trophies including two beautifully mounted tigers, crocodile snouts, elephant’s feet etc. Be it big game hunting or duck shooting, his wife Mae was always by his side. Since he was hearing impaired she would nudge him to indicate what was coming. Bang.
Willie had a flamboyant lifestyle. He was one of those rare entities to possess a Diner’s Club Card. At his wedding aircraft from the Cawnpore Flying Club showered confetti on the newly weds and the guests at the Queen’s Park, now Phoolbagh .
The British adventurer Eric Newby was sailing down the Ganga from Haridwar to Calcutta in the 1960’s. His experiences are recorded in his book “Slowly Down the Ganges”, which was subsequently made into a documentary film by the BBC TV in the 1980’s. Newby writes about the legendary hospitality and Christmas dinner at Willie’s home.
Peter (1897 – 1970), the eldest of the threesome, was different. He was the wise, quiet and religious one. He was a Civil Engineer by profession, having graduated from Roorkee University (then Thomason College) in 1919. He was instrumental in building the first bridge across the Ganga at Haridwar’s Har-ki-Pauri Ghat, where the river enters the plains. During the First World War he was called up to serve in the King George’s Own Royal Sappers & Miners (now called the Bombay Sappers).
He later joined his brothers in business. But his first love was books. Standing instructions in the Cawnpore Club library were that all new arrivals were first to be sent to Mr Noronha. What he read, he shared through his writings. Several articles were published in secular and Catholic journals. His thoughts were collated in his book “The Pageant of Life”. He was particularly active in Catholic organisations. He was the first Indian, in 1946, to be appointed an Envoy of the Legion of Mary. For several years he ran the Catholic Information Centre from his own home. For his exemplary life and services he was in 1965 knighted by the Pope with the Order of St Gregory. An indication of the respect with which he was held in the city was that at his death the district courts and all Christian institutions closed for the day.
In 2008 the Indian Medical Association (IMA) suddenly remembered their former president, Dr M.X., and erected a bust in his honour at the entrance of the IMA Hall at Parade. This is actually “Mrs Noronha Hall”, as it was built by W.C. (Sr) in memory of his wife Claudine Rachel.
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE: Peter’s second wife, Florence (1924-1983) was popularly known as the Florence Nightingale and Joan of Arc of Kanpur; because of her services to disadvantaged sections of society. She showed her mettle when she hoisted the Indian tricolour on the night of 14th August 1947 on the British Consulate in Goa, where she was then working. Florence came into her own during the Chinese Aggression of 1962. The District Magistrate put her in the vanguard of the war effort, through the Sena Sewa Samiti. She organised 1220 blood donors and arranged for truckloads of linen, warm clothing etc. She was the founder Chairperson of the U.P. Hospital’s Welfare Society, founder of the Indian branch of the Order of St Martha, National Vice President of the Indian Red Cross, National President of the All India Indian Christian Association, and a host of other organisations. Due to her efforts Mother Teresa came to Kanpur to establish a Home for the Destitute. Because of her commitment the U.P. Govt appointed her as an Honorary Magistrate . Here too she proved herself in judging cases with firmness and fairness.
A typical instance of her tenacity was when the President of India, Dr Radhakrishnan, was to visit Kanpur in 1965. She requested Chief Minister Sucheeta Kripalani and Governor Bishwanath Das to adjust the President’s programme so that he could address the U.P. Hospital’s Welfare Society. They refused. So she broke protocol and went directly to the President, who gladly acceded to her request, much to the chagrin of the Chief Minister and the Governor.
From social work Florence joined politics, as an active Congresswoman. She was appointed to the Minorities cell of the UPCC and AICC. For her services the Pope honoured her with the “Pro Ecclesiae et Pontifice” medal in 1965, at the same time that her husband was knighted.
THE LANDMARKS: There are four landmarks in the city, named after the family. The first is Noronha Crossing, where the family’s ancestral residence was located on The Mall. The second is Noronha’s Exchange Post Office, across the road. The third is Noronha Road in the Cantonments, and the fourth is the Mrs Noronha Hall at Parade. It cannot be called the Hall of Fame. For the fame has receded into history, though the name and the flame remain. Sri S.P. Mehra, the nonagenarian President of the Kanpur History Society says that the Noronhas were the biggest fools of Kanpur, to have lost such a vast inheritance! That would depend on what one considers wise or foolish. The Noronhas apparently chose peace and happiness over worldly fame and name. How foolish of them?
THE RISE & FALL: When MX came to Kanpur circa 1856, it was at its zenith. It was then called the “Manchester of the East”. After Independence Nehru called it the “Dustbin of the North”, and India Today labelled it as an “Industrial Graveyard”. Several other epithets have been hurled at the city. The decline in the city is mirrored in the fortunes of the Noronhas. Some moved back to their roots in Goa. Others sought greener pastures abroad. The harsh reality is that after Independence there was a steady decline in ethics in business and public life, and the Noronhas who had evolved in a different ethos, felt growingly uncomfortable in the changed scenario.
A small remnant made a fresh beginning in 1982, to keep the Noronha flag and flame going in both business and commitment to society. Like the “Last of the Mohicans” there is also the last of the Noronhas in Kanpur. But the city is again on the upswing, especially in the realm of education and industrial growth. Will it impact the last of the Noronhas? How long will it last? 154 years is a long stretch for any family. Would MX like his journey to Kanpur to disappear in the sands of time?
* The writer, born in 1951, known as chhotebhai in public life and literary circles, is the son of Peter and Florence de Noronha.
* See also “Where was Great Grand Dad?” by the same writer
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