A Forgotten Pioneer Tanjore Mission Missionary, Adopted son of the Revd Fr. C.F.Schwartz , A Pastor Who Baptised Maharasan Vethamanickam of Mylaudy, A Missionary who was Really Responsible for the Spread of Protestant Christianity in South Travancore The Revd. John Caspar Kohlhoff of Tanjore .

                                               

Introduction   :  Late Revd John Caspar Kohlhoff of Tanjore Mission was a remarkable Man of God and forgotten Missionary. The Protestant Christians of South Travancore are bound to remember the great historical part played by late Rev John Caspar  Kohlhoff of Tanjore Mission with great gratitude and indelible memories for what he had done for the  spread of Christianity in South Travancore by baptising Mylaudy Maharasan  in 1799 at Tanjore  [ C.M. Agur, B.A, Church History of Travancore, page 441 ]. On one Sunday  while preaching at the garden Church at Schwartz garden , Thanjavur, [ now it is called   CSI St Peters Church Tanjore], Rev John Caspar Kohlhoff  saw the Travancore Pilgrim Mylaudy Maharasan, who later became the real Founder of the Protestant Church in Travancore [Rev.I.H. Hacker , A Hundred Years In Travancoe, 1908,p.20]  and his brother's son  Sivagurunathan in yellow dress inside the small Church located inside Schwatrz Garden, Maharnonbu Chavadi, [later it was named as St. Peter's Church ] instantly he recognised the importance of Maharasan and after the service  Rev. J.C. Kohlhoff approached Mylaudy Maharasan and won his heart by conveying the  love and concern of Christ for all human-beings.  Subsequently after having taught about the basics of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and by the grace of God, to Mr Mylaudy. Maharasan and his nephew Mr Sivagurunathan.,Rev. John Caspar kohlhoff baptised Maharasan with a new name Vedamanickam and Mr Sivagurunathan as Masillamani . It would be appropriate to know the concise history of C.S.I.St. Peter's Church in Thanjavur . Originally this Church was a small and unnamed Church; it was founded by the Rev. Fr. Schwartz in Schwartz Garden presented to him by Tulja Maharaj of Thanjavur, located in Maharnonbu Chavadi in Thnjavur. The Rev. C.F. Schwartz was the first Pastor of this small church and served in this Church from 1770 till 1793[ Rev. C.F. Schwartz  died on 13th February, 1798]; and he was succeeded by his adopted son Rev. John Caspar Kohlhoff . In 1827 a Missionary by name Rev. Peter made some needed changes in the Church structure so as to encompass  the graves of Rev. C.F. Schwartz and his adopted son and successor Rev.John Caspar kohlhoff .   But Rev. Peter died before the completion of the construction of this Church. However this Church was consecrated on 31st January 1845 by Bishop Spencer Paul and this Church was named "St Peter's Church" after Rev Peter . As the number of believers increased  Rev. William Herbert Blake of SPG, Tanjore built a new Church near the original Church in the same compound and the new Church was consecrated on 18th October 1900.  St. Peter's Church, Thanjavur was amalgamated with the Church of South India on 27th September 1947 , and since then  this Church is being called as C.S.I. St. Peter's Church, Thanjavur. God used the baptised Mylaudy Maharasan  Vedamanicakm as a powerful tool to sow the words of  Jesus Christ in South Travancore and to win souls for Christ . A perusal of the Protestant Church History will reveal that in many ways Rev John Caspar Kohlhoff helped, guided and galvanised Mylaudy Maharasan Vedamanaicakm to be a powerful, purposeful and soul winning pioneer native  Evangelist  in South Travancoere .

                                              

                                        Rev. John Caspar Kohlhoff of Tanjore Mission 

                                       

The Rev.J.C.Kohlhoff's Family    : Rev. John Caspar kohlhoff was a scion of an illustrious Lutheran Christian and literary family and his parents hailed from Neuwarp, Pommerania, Europe and  it would be really useful to know some more information about the famous Kohlhoff family.. A Forefather of Kohlhoff family one Mr Caspar Kohlhoff [ Senior]  was the Burgomaster [ Master of the citizens -- Chairman of the Executive council or Cabinet]  of Neuwarp in the bay of Stetin  and he married Ms Regina Hesse the daughter of  Elias Hesse and granddaughter of the the great  German Latin Poet Eobanus Hesse [ Helius Eobanus Hessus] a great  follower of Dr. Marin Luther..   Eobanus Hesse was a great German Latin Poet of his time . Eobanus Hesse  was a student of Mr Ludwig Stippius,  a great Confidant of Dr. Marin Luther.  Helius Eobanius Hessus was appointed as Professor of Latin at an University and he took  active part in the contemporary religious, political and literary conversations and issues of his time. Mr.Helius Eobanius Hesse gave his full support for Dr. Martin Luther and the Reformation till his death in October 1540. Mr Caspar Kohlhoff [Senior]and his wife Miss Regina Hesse gave birth to 4 daughters and 3 sons and this couple's third child and eldest son Rev John Balthasar kohlhoff was born in November 1711 at Neuwarp. . Mr John Balthasar Kohlhoff studied at the Rostock Academy and Halle University till 19th September 1736, and was ordained at Copenhagen on 7th October 1736.

 

                                                  Rev. John Balthasar Kohlhoff of Tanjore 

Rev. John Balthasar Kohlhoff Reached Tranquebar,  in  1737   : In December 1736, Rev. John Balthasar Kohlhoff along with his brother Missionaries Rev.Obuch and Rev Wiedebrock  reached London Town and stayed in London for sometime with Rev. F M. Ziegenbagen , the then Chaplain to His Majesty King George 11[ Second], till March 1737, and embarked to India with his brother missionaries  and  landed at  Madras on the 4th of July 1737. Rev. John Balthasar kohlhoff  continued his travel and arrived at Tranquebar on 19th August 1737; and he mastered Tamil quickly and preached his historical Firt Sermon in Tamil on 23rd December, 1737 and afterwards there was no turning back in his ministerial career.. [ C.M. Agur, p.p. 437 & 438].

Rev John Balthasar Kohlhoff's Children    : Rev . John Balthasar  Kohlhoff married twice , first he married Ms Margeretha Wilhelmina Vosges and by her he had two daughters ; and then he married Ms Petronella Thorsen [ called in Tranquebar History as Pernile Thors]  and by Ms Peronella J. Balthasar kohlhoff,  Rev. John Balthasar Kohlhoff had 3 sons and one daughter namely -[1] Rev. John Caspar Kohlhoff [ The Hero of this Article] , born in 1762,[2] Mr. Elias Eobanus kohlhoff, born in 1764, [3] Mr. Daniel Frederick kohlhoff , born in 1766, and [4] Ms Dorothea Elizabeth Borgen, born in 1768. 

                                                   Rev. C.F. Schwartz of Tanjore Mission 

Rev John Caspar Kohlhoff was adopted and Ordained by Rev.Fr. Schwartz of Tanjore    : Rev. John Balthasar Kohlhoff and Rev. Fr. Schwartz were great Missionaries and great friends and were working as Missionaries in Tranquebar and in its surroundings..Rev. J. Caspar Kohlhoff son of Rev. J. Balthasar Kohlhoff was born at Tranquebar on 23rd May ,1762 [ baptised 29, May 1762.]  As per the oral agreement made between Rev. John Balthasar Kohlhoff and Rev. Schwartz , Rev. Schwartz adopted  Rev, John Balthasar's first born  male child Rev. John Caspar Kohlhoff and brought up him . Rev.Schwartz  ordained Rev. John Caspar Kohlhoff on 23rd January 1787 at Tranquebar [J. FERD. FENGER, History of the Tranquebar Mission , Tranquebar, 1863, p.318]

The Marriage of Rev John Caspar Kohlhoff and his Children  ;  Rev. John Caspar Kohlhoff married Ms Christina Magdalena Horst on the 1st July 1811 , daughter of Rev. Horst and sister of Mrs Charles Mead and Mrs William Miller . [ C.M. Agur, p. 438 ]. Rev. John Caspar Kohlhoff and Ms Christina Magdalena Horst Kohlhoff were blessed by God with all the conjugal blessings and this couple gave  birth to the following children namely : [1]  Mr. John Schwartz Adolphus Arthur Kohlhoof  on  November 5th, 1813, and   Mr John. S. A. A. Kohlhoff  entered  the Cochin Government Service as Conservator of Forests, [2] Mr. Christian Samuel Kohlhoff  and he was born on May 14, 1815 at Tanjore, [3] Ms . Sophhia Eliza Harley and she was born on may 27, 1820, ,[4] Ms Charlotte Caroline Schmitz and she was born on November 15, 1821, [5] Ms Mary Ann Elizabeth Heyne and she was born on June 11, 1823 at Tanjore . [ Mr. .Harley, Mr. Schmitz and Mr Heyne were Christain Missionaries.]. 

 

Rev. John Caspar Kohlhff  served as Pastor of St Peter,s Church, Tanjore   : The famous Danish Missionary Rev. Fr. Frederick Christian Schwartz  worked as the Pastor of the St. Peter's Chruch, Thanjavur from 1770 to 1793 . . Rev, C.F. Swartz ordained his adopted son Rev. John Caspar Kohlhoff  on 23rd January 1787 . Rev. John Caspar Kohlhoff worked as the Pastor of the St. Peter's Church at Thanjavur for a many years from 1787  till his death in 1844, with great distinction, compassion and concern for human souls . .While serving as the Pastor of this old Protestant Church  St. Peter's Church, Thanjavur , Rev. John Caspar  Kohlhoff  met Mylaudy Maharasan Vedamanickam and subsequently baptised Maharasan with new Christian name Vedamanickam ., as told in the first paragraph of this Article. 

Kohlhoff's Family's Link With South Travancore      :  Rev. John Balthasar Kohlhoff  gave birth to Mr. Daniel Frederick Kohlhoff [ Brother of Rev. John Caspar Kohlhoff of Thanjavur Mission, the Hero of this Article ], and  Mr. Daniel Frederick Kohlhoff gave birth to Mr Christian Frederick Kohlhoff [ 1810] , and Mr Christian Frederick gave birth to  Mr Charles Cornelius Kohlhoff [birth 1858  death 1909] and Mr Charles Cornelius Kohlhoff married Ms Celestina Florence Mead, a daughter  of Rev. Charles Mead and  Ms Lois Biddulph Mead[ a Daughter of great Tamil Christian Poet Mr Devaram Biddulph or Devaram Munshi and sister of Mrs. Joanna Carlotta Mead Agur ] from South Travancore[P. Babu Manoharan, Mr. C.M.AGUR, B.A and MANY OTHER MILESTONES p. 365 ] .Thus in many ways the famous Kohlhoff family of Tanjore mission  had a link with South Travancore. 

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Conclusion    :  Rev. John Balthasar Kohlhoff and Ms Elizabeth Pernile Thorsen Kohlhoff couple gave birth to Rev John Caspar Kohlhoff in Tranquebar on 23rd May, 1762 and after having served as Pastor of the St. Peter's Church,Thanjavur for 57 years with great dedication Rev. John Caspar kohlhoff died on 27th March 1844 and his mortal body was buried at St. Peter's Church Compound  in Thanjavur. Rev John Caspar Kohlhoff rendered valuable and timely help and guidance to his Co-Brother Rev. Charles Mead to spread Protestant Christianity in South T.ravancore. It would be appropriate to remember one important historical fact here that Rev. John Caspar Kohlhoff  sent Maharasan Vethamanickam with an introduction letter to meet Rev. Dr. John at Poreiyar and Maharasan Vedamanickam received some sound instructions and Tracts  from Dr. John [ C.M. Agur, p. 443] . Later during the second trip of m\Maharasan Vedamanicakm to Thanjavur to find a Foreign Christian missionary Rev John Caspar Kohlhoff  made arrangement for Maharasan Vethamanickam to meet the just arrived Foreign Missionaray Rev. Ringel Taube in Tranquebar [ Ibid, p. 451]. And we know these historical meetings of Maharasan Vedamanickam with Rev Dr. John and  Rev. Ringel Taube laid  the foundation of the Protestant Church in  South Travancore. Rev. John Caspar kohlhoff was a remarkable Man of God , he was a great Visionary, Social thinker, he worked till his death in 1844 for the  cause of the the Cross of Jesus Christ, he loved and respected the poor and the rich in the same way without any partiality . It is not possible to accommodate all the services  and intellectual and spiritual accomplishments of Rev. John Caspar kohlhoff within the space of this Article . I will end this Article with the following sentence, " Dear and respected Rev. John Caspar Kohlhoff, we love you and thank God for your meaningful life and we are proud of you ".. 

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P. Babu Manoharan, M.A,  [All rights are reserved . This Article will be enlarged , modified or corrected later if needed }   :

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