MYLAUDY MAHARASAN VETHAMANICKAM'S GENEALOGY -PART I

INTRODUCTION:  Great Church historian C.B. Firth,in his famous book , "An Introduction To Indian Church History"  writes ,"Vedamanikam was a remarkable person". This single sentence signifies the greatness and importance  of the remarkable Vethamanikam. .Yes, he was a remarkable person in all sense of the word. He was a seeker of God and truth, he was a social activist and reformer , he was a visionary, he was a man  of  prayer and unquenchable faith, he was a fearless leader , friend and companion of  common people. In this article I am  glad to record and link  the genealogy of the great Mylaudy Maharasan Vethamanikam, with his descendants  who are living with us today.

Vethamanickam's family :Vethamanickam had two brothers.  Vethamanikam had an elder brother and his son was Sivagurunathan , and  Sivagurunathan  was baptized as Masillamani at Tanjore by Rev. Kohlhoff along with Maharasan Vethamanickam ,and Masillamani's wife  was baptized  by Mr. Ringeltaube at Mylady with a Christian name Yesudial .

Vethamonickam's younger brother's name was Gnanbaranam [ Sivanan]and his wife's name was Gnanayee and this couple's son was the great Christian Poet Devavaram Buddulph..

Perumal  was the head man of Vethamonaikam's the family  and he was baptized as Gnanamuthu by Rev. Ringeltaube .and Gnanmuthu's wife was baptized as , Nallai.
Vethamanickam's wife's  original  name was changed as Sathiayi  and Vethmanikam's daughter's  names were changed as Pakkiayi and Annammal  during the time of their baptism. at Mylaudy by Mr Ringeltaube
Vethamankam's eldest son's name was  Devasahayam [ His  original name was Chidambaram]
Vethamoickam's younger son's name was Moses.
The name of the eldest son-in-law  of Vethamanickam ,was Packkianthan.[Sivan]
And some important family  members of Vethamanickam who lived at Mylaudy and  baptized by Rev Ringeltaube were  namely : [1]Joseph[Agni], [2] Sathiyayi [Abirami], [3] Anananthayi [ Owavai], Mary [Sivagamy]

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The Genealogy  of Vethamanikam through his eldest son Devasagayam[Chidambaram]:
Maharasan Vethamanikkam of Mylaudy[1763--1827]                                      I  generation
                                |  
Vethamonikam's eldest Son's name was Mr Devasagayam [Chidambaram ] II generation
                                |
Devasagayam's son was Mr. Masillamani.                                                     III  generation.
                                |
Masillamani's daughter was Mrs Malayammal.                                             IV  Generation.
[Malayammal married Mr Gnanapragasam , from                      
[Kanakkarkulam , near Ovari, Tinneveli Dist]
Mrs Malayammal's brother was Vethamanickam
and his son was Mr.V. Joseph, M.A., B.Ed.
and he worked as Head-Master of Ringeltaube
Higher Secondary School, Mylaudy]
                             |
                             |
                             \
                           
                             
                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                       
Mrs Malayammal's son was Mr Yesupatham                                             V  generation
                                |
Mr Yesubatham and his wife Mrs. Manonmani        
Yesupatham are blessed with two  daughters and
one son  namely :Mrs, Santhy Jessi ,[2] Sumathi,                                     VI generation
and a  son by name[3] Rajan  
                                |
Miss Priya Mary , B. Sc [Nursing ], [she is the                                           VII generation
daughter of Mrs Santhy Jessi Mohan ] and she
now [2015] lives with us.

Vethamanickam's Eldest Son Mr Devasagayam was an LMS Catechist and Poet and Singer :.Devasagayam was a great  and pious Christian leader with all the necessary Christian leadership qualities. Devasagayam was appointed as Catechist of Etamboly by Rev Ringeltaube. And he continued as a Catechist of Etamboly even during the days  when Maharasan Vethamonickam. When Maharasan Vedamanickam was in charge of LMS, Mylaudy Mission , from 1816 to 1818  Vethamanickam's cousin Mr. Gnanamuthu who was the head of the family and a good counsellor to Vethamanickam in Mission affairs suddenly died . Vethamanickam was taken aback and he was highly moved in that situation Vedamanickam's eleder son Mr .Devasagayam visited the members of the neighboring  LMS Churches and  corrected the members'  faults and exhorted and inspired them with his  captivating  and meaningful songs.  CM. Agur writes that Mr Devasagayam was an exceptionally good singer.  When Vethamanickam was getting old; Mr. Devasagayam  retired from the LMS Mission service, to look look after the affairs of the family.

After retirement,  Devasagayam  took active part  in the church affairs of Pichheikudiyruppu Church [James Town] and was conducting the Sunday services; during the other days of the week  he  used to preach the Gospel of Christ in the nearby villages without getting any remuneration from the Mission.Devasagayam was also blessed with poetical  gift  like his other family members. . Rev Mead published a collection Devasagayam's Christian Kummi Songs in a form of a small Book in 1823.

Vethamonicka's Younger son Moses: CM Agur writes that Vethamanickam's younger son Moses was also a worthy son of a worthy father. Moses studied  at the Nagercoil Seminary and he was an exemplary student  . He was a classmate of his cousin  Devavaram . Rev Mead selected  Moses and Devavaram and sent them to Tanjore , Tranquebar , and Madras to be educated in the best institutions then available for Indian youths. Moses and Devavaram after having received a superior education in Tanjore and Madras returned to Nagercoil with "Proficiency Certificate" as regards to  their progress in English, Tamil Grammar and Literature and Theology . Agur writes that some of the Hindus of Najenad welcomed Moses and Devavaram to their houses without prejudice and took them to their house and heard their discourses on various subjects with pleasure,admiration and attention. After having reached  Nagercoil, Mr. Devavaram worked as Assistant to Charles Mead and Mr . Moses Vethamanickam worked as Assistant to Rev Charles Mault. These two eminent Native Assistants played a crucial role and distinguished part in the History and progress of the early LMS Mission in South Travancore.  In the creation of the Travancore Tamil Christian Literature and in the extension of the Schools and Churches, in South Travancore , both Moses and his cousin Devavaram took an active part and played an important, commanding and commendable  role.

Vethamanickam's Younger Son Mr Moses catechist and  his cousin John Palmer were  the chief men who  assisted Mr Charles Mault in the preparation of religious tracts in the Nageracoil LMS Press. Mr. Moses became the local Secretary of the South Travancore Reliogious and Tract Society. Unfortunataely Mr Moses died of Cholera in 1828 after one year since the death of his worthy father Maharasan Vethamanickam. Moses was very much  loved and respected  by  Charles Mault and others . Agur writes , " Mr. Mault shed tears and wrote that his right hand was gone :" Mr .Mault wrote a biographical sketch   of Moses called Anbu Nilamai [State or Specimen of love -- One so loved] and issued 4000 copies of it from Nagercoil Press. 

Conclusion:  Definitely while typing these last lines of this Article  my heart is  filled with satisfaction and joy. I have been trying to connect  Mylaudy Maharasan Vethamanickam with a living descendant but  I could not do so, so far . But  fortunately in this Article I have linked Maharasan Vethamanickam with a living descendant through proper Genealogy  tree. I hope this Article will enlighten the Readers , Researchers, Church Historians and Micro historians  and the family members of Maharasan Vethamanickam who are living in diaspora throughout the world.  

Written By P. BABU MANOHARAN. M. A, [Rights reserved. This Article will be modified , corrected,altered if needed later, this is for your kind attention].