The return of the Braidwoods

Some of the personal possessions of Rev. John Braidwood and his wife Isabella, who were associated with education in Madras in the 1850s, are now at Madras Christian College

November 07, 2016 06:51 pm | Updated December 02, 2016 02:05 pm IST

Chennai;Tambaram: 31/10/2016:R.W. Alexander Jesudasan principal Madras Christian College with John Braidwood the great granson of (Revd Braidwood) was instrumental in founding the MCC campus 179 years during 1830 handing certain antique items used by Braidwoods on Monday.Photo:  G.Krishnaswamy.

Chennai;Tambaram: 31/10/2016:R.W. Alexander Jesudasan principal Madras Christian College with John Braidwood the great granson of (Revd Braidwood) was instrumental in founding the MCC campus 179 years during 1830 handing certain antique items used by Braidwoods on Monday.Photo: G.Krishnaswamy.

“Is this your first visit to this city?”

“No, I came here on a tour in 1975,” said John Murray Braidwood.

“Did you make a visit to the Madras Christian College?”

“No. It was a package tour.”

“So, you could not visit the college because it was a package tour?”

“No, that’s not the reason. Back then, I was not aware of MCC.”

During a private conversation a week ago, Braidwood made this revelation. Viewed against the ceremony that had taken place the previous day, this piece of information was astonishing.

The 84-year-old Braidwood, who is from the United Kingdom, had handed over a set of antiques, including a silver coffee pot and two books, to the college. He had been in possession of these materials for many years.

Many of these antiques are over 150 years old and Braidwood had planned their transport to Chennai with great care.

“They were part of my hand luggage. I would not trust them with any other form of transport. There is considerable relief that I am passing them on to you for your care and attention,” said Braidwood, his face glowing with the satisfaction of a man who has performed a long-pending duty, as he handed over the collection to R.W. Alexander Jesudasan, principal of MCC.

They were the possessions of his great-grandparents, Rev. John Braidwood and his wife Isabella Braidwood, two missionaries from Great Britain, whose lives are woven into the early years of the institution.

The Braidwoods were associates of Rev. John Anderson, who set up a school for boys on Armenian Street in Georgetown, which would later develop into MCC. The Anderson Church stands exactly where the school once stood.

Rev. Braidwood assisted Rev. Anderson in running the school, and his contribution included teaching natural philosophy and chemistry.

Rev. Anderson was keen on women’s education, and he had appointed Isabella Braidwood to promote it in Madras. She started a school for girls, which at one point had 70 students. The love of her students, manifested in the silver coffee pot, bears testimony to how well she carried out this work. When she left Madras, her girl students presented her with the silver pot. “The silver pot has been on my fireplace. Before that, I have always seen this at my grandmother’s place. She would keep it in a prominent place,” said Braidwood, the great grandson, who now lives a retired life after having served as a building surveyor in Oxfordshire for many decades.

When did Braidwood trace the history of the silver pot and other materials back to Madras?

After he started reading True Yoke-Fellows In The Mission Field: The Life and Labours of Rev. John Anderson and Rev. Robert Johnston , written by Rev. Braidwood and published in London in 1862.

A copy of this book is part of the antiques given to the college. “It is a working copy of the book — there are many handwritten alterations,” said Braidwood. The collection also consists of a daily devotional that had been used by Isabella. In this handy book, every section that is written in English has a corresponding Tamil translation. Isabella had learnt Tamil during her stay in Madras.

The rest of the collection includes many photo frames, with some of them carrying the photos of the Braidwoods. Now, from those frames, they will be looking upon an institution they helped nurture during its initial years in Georgetown.

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