Mrs.Joanna Carlotta Mead Agur and Church Historian C. M. Agur..

INTRODUCTION:  No doubt  the history of Joanna Carlotta Mead Agur  and her beloved husband C. M Agur , the Author of the epoch making book "Church History of Travancore" [Madras , 1903 , pages 1184+] occupy a very significant place and chapter in the social, religious and church history of India and world. Johanna Carlotta Mead was one of the daughters of Rev Charles Mead ,  the Protestant Christian Apostle of South Travancore [Kanyakumari district], India. 

Joanna Carlotta Mead's Birth : Miss  Joanna Carlotta Mead was born at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala State, India  in  1863. Rev. Charles Mead christened his new born daughter as Joanna Carlotta in remembrance of  his beloved deceased wife Mrs. Johanna Celestina Horst Mead.
  

Joanna Carlotta's  famous Parents and family background : As a result of the sad and untimely death of  his first wife Ann Hunt, of  Bristol, England ,on 26 October,1817 in  Penang on his way to Mylaudy, [Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu India],  Rev. Charles Mead, married Johanna Celestina Horst , the daughter of Rev Christopher Henry Horst of Tanjore Misssion [A sister wing of Tranquebar Mission] on 13 th January , 1819 at Tanjore. And after the sad death of Mrs Johanna Celestina Horst Mead in 1848 at Neyoor, Rev Charles Mead married Miss Lois Biddulph [ the daughter of Mr, Devavaram Biddulph and Mrs Sarah Biddulph ] Here I am bound to say something about Joanna Carlotta's maternal grandfather Mr. Devavaram Biddulph of Mylaudy [This beautiful idyllic village lies at the distance of 7 miles East of Nagercoil in Kanyakumari District, India].

Joanna Carlotta's maternal grandfather Mr. Devavaram Biddulph : Mrs Joanna Carlotta Mead's  maternal grandfather and Rev. Charles Mead's third wife Mrs.Lois' father, Mr. Devavaram Biddulph was an outstanding  and multifaceted personality. Mr Devaram was born at Mylady, Kanyakumari district in the year 1802, to Mr Sivanaan or Gnanabaranam[The younger brother of Mahrasan Vethamonickam of Mylady] and Mrs Gnanayee Gnanabaranam. Mr Devavaram was the only son of his parents. Mr Devavaram was a great Scholar , Poet , Researcher, Writer, Preacher. He had written many Christian Lyrics and some of them are being sung in Tamil Worship services throughout the world in Tamil Church services even today. And also he had written some famous classical books in Tamil. He served as a Native Assistant to Rev Charles Mead .After his retirement from the Mission[Neyyoor Division of LMS], he settled at Trivandrum with Rev Charles Mead . And for many years Mr. Devaavram Biddulph was in charge of the native Tamil Congregation of Christ Church, Trivandrum and his Sunday Tamil sermons  were the attraction of many people in those days. Mr Devavaram died at Trivnadrum on the 28th of December,1874 and his body was interred in the Christ Church Cemetery, Trivandrum. 

Mrs Joanna Carlotta Mead's Siblings:  Rev Charles Mead and Mrs Lois Mead were blessed with 4 loving children namely:[1] Mary Ann Mead and she remained unmarried and died in 1931 [1854-1931],[2] Johanna Carlotta Mead Agur [b.1863-the place  and most probably she  would have died in 1914 ], [3]  John James Mead ,[4] Colestina Florence Mead and she married Mr. Charles Cornelius Kohlhoff of Tanjore  on 13th February 1893 [b.1871- d.1939 ].And Mrs Joanna Carlotta Mead had some more sisters and brothers were born  to her father  Rev Charles Mead through Mrs Johanna Celestina Horst Mead.

Joanna Carlotta Mead Worked as Music Mistress at the Govt College for Girls, Trivandrum:   Mrs Joanna Carlotta Mead Agur , had natural flair for music and she took active part in the Choir of the Christ Church, Trivandrum. She was very smart and intelligent and was  having good  taste  for micro history and Church history. Mrs.Joanna Carotta Mead Agur worked as Music Mistress in the famous Government Girls College , Trivandrum and Organist, Christ Church Trivandrum.



                                                
                                                   CHRIST CHURH ,TRIVANRUM




Joanna Carlotta Mead's marriage with CM Agur: Mrs Lois Biddulph  Mead and C.M. Agur's father Rev C. Masillamani were cousins and they were native of Mylaudy , Kanyakumari district [South Trvancore] Tamil Nadu , India. Even before their marriage , Mr.C.M Agur and Joanna Carlotta Mead were living at Trivandrum and had been  attending the same Christ Church and  were members of the same Christ Church,Trivandrum. And also they were knowing each other since their childhood days. CM Agur had written that Joanna Carlotta Mead helped him by giving  many important  records, letters,and other papers and books of  her revered father Rev. Charles Mead ,  while Mr.Agur was writing his monumental Book "Church History of Travancore". Miss. Joanna Carlotta Mead married Mr C.M. Agur in 1900.  and became Mrs. Joanna Carlotta Mead Agur 

.

The sudden and unexpected death of CM Agur: C.M. Agur, B.A, published his epoch making book , Church History of Travancore in 1903 with the help his brother Geologist Mr.Ezra Masillamani.[ Mr. Ezra Masillamoni, BA., B.Sc[ Geology-London],A.R.C.S, State geologist , Southern division, Travancore]. and soon after the release of the book  Church History of Travancore, C.M.Agur died in the next year in 1904, and his body was interred in the  Christ Church  Cemetery,Trivandrum..

Conclusion :. Mrs Joanna Carlotta  Mead Agur was a remarkable lady with many talents tastes.After the death of her beloved cousin and husband CM Agur,  Mrs Joanna Carlotta  Mead Agur  became very silent and decently disappeared from public notice for her own reasons.  Her time of death and place of death is not known to us.. However in the pages of the Church History of Travancore and India ,  she will always live and thrive . Mrs.Joanna Carlotta Mead Agur's relatives are living throughout the world in a colorful  and blissful way.
By P. BABU MANOHARAN. [Rights reserved-- This Article will be altered and modified , if needed later. your comments are welcome.]