Episode of Hiring a Servant in Colonial Times (circa 1902)

  •   Wed, Mar 10 2021
  •   By John B Monteiro

March 10, 2021

“When I go to a country, I go to flea markets, antique stores. I am always looking for something.” - Ursula Andress – (not Undress!) - (b.1936), Swiss actress, model and sex symbol who has acted in many American, British and Italian films.

These days one doesn't have to go to ancient antique markets/souks or shops to pick up antiques. We have eBay whose brief background, thanks to Wikipedia, is given below.

eBay Inc. is an American multinational e-commerce corporation based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995, and became a notable success story of the dot-com bubble.

Emmanuel D’Souza (more about him later) phoned me from USA in early February 2021 informing me about a 1902 Indian Post-card he had bought on eBay and asking me (apparently he follows Daijiworld website where I write often) whether I would be interested in writing about it. Then followed a series of email exchanges – even 2/3 a day – till I had enough to proceed with this article, including the copy of this postcard and his family photo. I will come back to Emmanuel later and now start with the content of the postcard - its content provoking enough for me to rush to the Protestant archives on its Seminary campus on Balmatta Hill, in the heart of Mangalore.

What does the post-card, reproduced alongside say? Sent on July 30, 1902 from Moolky, it reached Mangalore the next day (bullock cart transport) addressed to Miss H. Crauss, Manager of Balmatta LJ Girls’ School, Mangalore. Post-cards in those days provided writing space only on one side – the other side being reserved for address. What does it say? “Respected Madam, I beg to inform you that I am willing to send my daughter Mary to your house. But now as I owe Mr Adrian Rs 5 up to the end of this month, without settling of this account I cannot send her. Therefore I request if you would be good enough to pay Rs 5 to him on my account… I hope I will pay back afterwards to you.” Her signing off and name is in the vertical margin. The letter spells present- day Mulky as Moolky. Basel Mission had a station at Mulky as in other places like Karkala and Udupi. Apparently the card was written by a German missionary. Discerning readers will admire the artistic cursive handwriting.

(These days when the petrol price per litre is breaching the Rs.100 barrier we should see how Rs 5 was valued in 1902).

Who is the addressee who is out to recruit a servant? According to the 16th Report of the Basel German Mission 1899 in the archives at the Karnataka Theological College, printed at the Basel Mission Press, Miss H Krauss came to India from Germany in1898 and started learning Kannada. Later, she was in charge of the girls’ school in Mangalore (the address is given in the postcard). Later she married Rev Gottlieb Fischer who was in charge of Karkala station of Basel Mission and became so famous that a church – Fischer Memorial Church - was built, and still exists, at Belwai, close to St Lawrence Shrine (now Basilica) at Attur, near Karkala –a famous pilgrim magnet.

One sad episode recorded is the death of Anna Alfried (infant daughter of Rev Fischer and Clauss, the addressee of the postcard, born on November 18, 1906 and died on May 12, 1908 – and a monument was built for the departed child.

Now to Emmanuel Dsouza who provoked my interest in the subject of this article. He is a Mangalorean living in the United States in Centerville, Ohio with his wife Diana and two children. He is passionate about Mangalorean history and culture. History is his favorite subject and he loves visiting places all over the world and look for connections to his birthplace - Mangalore. The postcard mentioned in the article is one of those endeavors. He recalls paying $12 for the post-card via eBay.

Emmanuel works as a healthcare provider at a local clinic. He earned his diploma in nursing from Wenlock District Hospital, Mangalore, a Bachelor degree from Wright State University Dayton, Ohio (named after Wright Brothers, inventors of first flight) and a Masters from Xavier University, Cincinnati.

In his spare time Emmanuel likes volunteering for his local community and reading history. Currently he is reading a book (published in 1824) by James Scurry - a British soldier captured by Tipu Sultan and held in captivity in Sri-rangapattana - looking for clues about life of Mangalorean captives under Tipu.

Now a brief recall of the history of Indian postcard. It was introduced in India in 1879. 14cmX 9 cm (length & breath), it was designed and printed by London-based Thomas De Rue & Co and was meant for domestic use and was priced at a quarter Anna. They are now printed at Indian Security Press, Nashik and are priced at 50 paise - below cost which, for printing and handling, is said to be Rs 4 apiece. But, the postal department continues selling it at highly subsidized price as it is widely seen as the poor man’s mode of communication.

Finally, about Benet G. Amanna (amanagudde@redifmail.com), the in-charge of the archive noted earlier and who helped me out with access to the documents. He is steeped in Protestant history under Basel Mission and has written extensively on the subject. His latest book (co-authored with Dr Pius Fidelis Pinto – (piuspinto@hotmail.com) is in Tulu titled Karlad Chister (Karkala Christians). Priced at Rs 200, it is published by Samanvaya Publication, Kinnikambla Post, Mangalore 574 151. Tel: 0824-2491858.

Bye-bye to this cocktail!

 

 

 

 
By John B Monteiro
To submit your article / poem / short story to Daijiworld, please email it to news@daijiworld.com mentioning 'Article/poem submission for daijiworld' in the subject line. Please note the following:

  • The article / poem / short story should be original and previously unpublished in other websites except in the personal blog of the author. We will cross-check the originality of the article, and if found to be copied from another source in whole or in parts without appropriate acknowledgment, the submission will be rejected.
  • The author of the poem / article / short story should include a brief self-introduction limited to 500 characters and his/her recent picture (optional). Pictures relevant to the article may also be sent (optional), provided they are not bound by copyright. Travelogues should be sent along with relevant pictures not sourced from the Internet. Travelogues without relevant pictures will be rejected.
  • In case of a short story / article, the write-up should be at least one-and-a-half pages in word document in Times New Roman font 12 (or, about 700-800 words). Contributors are requested to keep their write-ups limited to a maximum of four pages. Longer write-ups may be sent in parts to publish in installments. Each installment should be sent within a week of the previous installment. A single poem sent for publication should be at least 3/4th of a page in length. Multiple short poems may be submitted for single publication.
  • All submissions should be in Microsoft Word format or text file. Pictures should not be larger than 1000 pixels in width, and of good resolution. Pictures should be attached separately in the mail and may be numbered if the author wants them to be placed in order.
  • Submission of the article / poem / short story does not automatically entail that it would be published. Daijiworld editors will examine each submission and decide on its acceptance/rejection purely based on merit.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to edit the submission if necessary for grammar and spelling, without compromising on the author's tone and message.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to reject submissions without prior notice. Mails/calls on the status of the submission will not be entertained. Contributors are requested to be patient.
  • The article / poem / short story should not be targeted directly or indirectly at any individual/group/community. Daijiworld will not assume responsibility for factual errors in the submission.
  • Once accepted, the article / poem / short story will be published as and when we have space. Publication may take up to four weeks from the date of submission of the write-up, depending on the number of submissions we receive. No author will be published twice in succession or twice within a fortnight.
  • Time-bound articles (example, on Mother's Day) should be sent at least a week in advance. Please specify the occasion as well as the date on which you would like it published while sending the write-up.

Comment on this article

  • John B. Monteiro, Bondel, Mangaluru

    Sat, Mar 13 2021

    Ambrose Pereira, Bajpe: I empathize with your sympathizing with the Marys of the world. But, it is the order of the world. What cannot be cured should be endured. I appreciate the way your elders tackled the matter and you have every reason to be proud of it. Going beyond Mary, it is also a matter of sex. Ms Krauss just manages three mentions in the Base Mission annual reports: her coming to India and proceeding to learn Kannada, as wife of her famous reverend, when their infant child’s death was recorded. Whereas her husband had a church named after him and her personality is merged with her Reverend husband and his achievements and recognition. Prescilla Fernandes, Mangalore: Dear Madam: Your lack of interest in history has not apparently shut you out of your achievements. Thank you for your appreciation of my work and wishes for my good health. Dear Prescilla Madam: There is a Konkani saying: Nidllyank Kazar Na and an English saying: Early bird catches the worm. Pl make a choice between these two.

  • Prescilla Fernandes, Mangalore

    Sat, Mar 13 2021

    Dear Monteiro sir, nice and interesting article. I am a keen person to read history of our forefathers but when it comes to wars I get uninterested. So I never got above 40% in History subject in my school days! Your home work at this age is much appreciable. Keep up the good work . Wishing you good health.

  • Ambrose Pereira, Bajpe

    Sat, Mar 13 2021

    John, The history you should have been writing about in detail is that of the Mary and all-others like her around us in Mangalore because she/they are THE MANGALORE’s REAL HISTORY. Mary and her kind’s grind, sweat and tears plus the incredible Christian education system that came up in and around Mangalore during the period have made us all incredibly successful today. As we saw it, these Mary’s and her type are one very sad but a highly successful chapter of Mangalorean's history. In short, many families those days like Mary’s, unable to feed their large families, sent their 8 to 14 year old's to homes of total strangers, as servants/ayah’s because of the utter poverty and lack of job opportunities in and around Mangalore. These Mary's job was that of bonded labour bordering on slavery. Think of Mary in your story, she was sent from her home to Adrian's home and then to Krauss home and God knows who else. Was she 10 then, 12 or 14? Well we do not know that do we? Plus we do not know ultimately what happened to our dear Mary either. That story is "the real Mangalore's history" Many of the Mary's were badly treated, made to work 12 to 16 hours with no Sundays, beaten and abused by their masters and chose to run away from these homes in the middle of the night. But these Mary’s and others suffered this abuse and put their offspring to success, many of them becoming doctors/engineers /priests who are in the top 5% bracket today. This pathetic state of exporting their or some orphan kids to work in strangers homes as SERVANTS or AYAH's continued till 1950’s and 60's to Bombay and later to the Gulf states. Sad to say, my dad and his two siblings suffered the same fate because both their parents died when they were 12, 11 and 10. But, but, but; they persisted with all of the abuse and made the entire family incredibly successful today. That story is for another time; or may be not. My dad never talked about this but someone else told me the whole story

  • John B Monteiro, Bondel, Mangalore

    Fri, Mar 12 2021

    Continued.... Now, about my being born, like Mohan, in a Kodke. About a score of Monteiro families were concentrated in Thodambil village on the BC Road-Polali highway. With farming and horticulture they were comfortable in their togetherness. However, my grandfather, Sebestian (Bosthev) and my father, Hilary, rooted out from this cluster of Monteiros and crossed over a hill and a padav and settled down on lower edge of a massive forest called Kukkuda Balle (Mango-grove) on a farmstead called Bearykody (Muslims’ Corner). (continued) Their first priority was to build a house for the family. Lesser structures like Kodke were easy to build. When my mother, Carmin, delivered me in the Kodke which was home to me till the main house would be ready. My mother was weak and delicate and was short on milk. So, I greedily sucked the milk of our farm workers who had free access to the Kodke. I was the apple of the eye of these female farm workers and I fought for their breast milk. Later, whenever I committed any mischief or wrong, which was often, my mother would say that I have absorbed the bad habits of the lactating farm workers. My late wife, Lynette, was unaware of this aspect of my life or she also would have blamed my early nursing for my irritating/uncouth behavior. Thank you Mohan for provoking this longish nostalgia.

  • John B Monteiro, Bondel, Mangalore

    Fri, Mar 12 2021

    Jason Rodrigues, Mangalore: Thank you for making the boni with your appreciation and encouraging comments about Emmanuel and me. Arthur, Mangalore: Thanks for your interesting query about Fischer’s descendants now left in South Kanara. Not likely except under monuments in Protestant graveyards. The reason is that Basel Mission missionaries, who first came to Mangalore in 1830s, were from Basel in Germany. During the two world wars, the British, who ruled India, were on the opposite sides and the Germans either left, expelled or interned and their properties were confiscated. After Independence the Germans gradually exited India giving the mission properties and responsibilities to local converts. A large demonstration/training farm under Karkala Mission is now owned by the Soans family (Soans Farm) and is on the tourists trail. When foreigners disembark from ocean liners and opt for day-visit to tourist spots, this farm is included in the itinerary. Mohan, Mangalore/Canada: I have something common with you, having been also born in a Kodke and nurtured there. For the newbies to rural life, I have to start with the architecture of rural farming homesteads. The main house was critically located, mostly facing east. Then there was a longish hut where farm and milking animals were tethered and fed. There would be an outdoor bathroom for taking bath. Toilet was in the surrounding open landscape. Then there was Kodke where raw paddy was soaked, boiled and later dried in the forecourt (jaal) of the house and then pounded in another Kodke (longish) with an attached lockable room where loose or packed rice was stored. This is the common venue of Mohan’s and my birth and early nurturing. Continued......

  • Gladson Dsouza, Capitanio, Mangalore

    Fri, Mar 12 2021

    This is a really well put article Mr.John. It is really great to know and learn about the rich history of this history rich city.

  • Mohan Prabhu, Mangalore/Kankanady, Ottawa/Canada

    Thu, Mar 11 2021

    Thank you John for this very interesting piece of history parts of which were unearthed from the Basel Mission archives. I, too, have been looking for some history of the "kodke" (cadjan house) which was where I was born and spent at least 3 years before my father moved to Kankanady. That was of course more than a hundred years ago when it was the habitat of the last of sanyasis who had their settlement on sanyasi gudde. Sanyasi gudde is where the Collector's house is now located - at the intersection of Balmatta Road and the road that goes to Bendur Church and St. Agnes Convent. I have been curious about the history of the sanyasis who had their settlement on sanyasi gudde, the road that connects Balmatta Road to Kadri - at the corner of which the iconic Vaz bakery was located until its building was recently demolished. I inquired with the Basel Mission many months ago, and they had in their archives in Basel a reference to the sanyasis and sanyasi gudde, but it is too difficult to access. It wa about the time that Basel Mission was established (I believe in 1834). Can your contact at the Mission be helpful to shed some light? Many thanks. It is another piece of history that the historian in you might like to explore.

  • Arthur, Mangalore

    Thu, Mar 11 2021

    Thanks for the research into Mangalore's forgotten past. It would be interesting to know if there are any descendants of Gottlieb Fischer in South Kanara today.

  • Jason Rodrigues, Mangalore

    Wed, Mar 10 2021

    Nice and well written article John. Indeed a glimse of the yester years. Emmanuel, good to see that you picked this from the eBay. Keep up the good work. Interesting to know "How many forgotten heroes sleep in history's great cemetery?" especially from our coastal belt.


Leave a Comment

Title: Episode of Hiring a Servant in Colonial Times (circa 1902)



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.