Napoleon Bonaparte once quoted - 'Public instruction should be the first object of government'. As we look back, nations building themselves from nowhere, it is public education which has always been in focus. And as Napoleon spoke this famous line, years earlier, far away in Calcutta, seeds of it were planted with a vision in mind - to encourage free public education and make it more accessible. This is a story of one such public institution and its environs which had a fascinating journey through centuries, survived it and eventually metamorphosed into a prominent school of today's Kolkata.
Bourchier & Old Charity School
On July 6, 1732, Richard Bourchier arrived at Calcutta - as series of events followed, he would be the person chiefly responsible for building the Charity School in Calcutta turned into Mayor's Court. The Old Court House built in about 1727 - 1729 was originally meant only to house the Charity School. However, the spacious building which was way too large for the purpose soon gave shelter to the Mayor's Court for a handsome rent and at a later point in time was the Supreme Court for a while. The principal credit of this Charity School project goes to Mr Bourchier. Here, in Mayor's Court, the predecessors of Impey and Hyde administered justice for a good part of 18th century. The Mayor sat in full official dress on a velvet cushion, and the nine Aldermen arrayed in all the glory of red taffety gowns. Orme, writing of it in 1756, describes it as 'a very spacious house of one floor in which the Mayor's Court and assizes used to be held'. For an excellent representation of the House, as it appeared in 1786, may be seen among Thomas Daniell's Views (below image), and it is pictured in this view as a fine two-storeyed building with a portico running along its whole length and surmounted by a wide verandah. The lower floor was used as the court room.
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| Old Court House and Writers Buildings in Calcutta by Thomas Daniell Courtesy: British Library |
Mildred Archer, an English art historian, described Richard Bourchier as a 'half length figure, in an oval, wearing a grey wig, brown coat and waistcoat. He holds his hat under his left arm and the hand is tucked into the waistcoat'. Mr Bourchier was no ordinary being. During the period he was in India from 1718 - 1760, he rose from being a merchant to Governor of Bombay. After trading for some time in India as a 'free merchant', he came to Calcutta and was made Export Warehouse Keeper and Member of Council. He retained this post for six years and then came a sudden blow in July 1732 in form of a letter from Court of Directors dismissing President Deane and most of his Council for sending home (back to England) goods of unsatisfactory quality. Bourchier thus found himself thrust out of office at a time when he had reached the rank of Second in Council and missed becoming Governor of Fort William by a whisker. Later on however, he became the Governor of Bombay (1750 - 1760) at the age of 61 and had a son, who, a little later went on to became Governor of Madras. Such a conjunction was unique. Mr Bourchier married twice - first on 25th November, 1723 - when he married Miss Sarah Hawkins. Eight children were born in rapid succession - and possibly due to this Mrs Hawkins' health deteriorated - she died prematurely at age of 35 on February 12, 1739. She lies buried in the churchyard of St John's Church, Calcutta. A year later on February 6, 1740 - Bourchier married Elizabeth, widow of Joseph Badman.
The origin of the Charity School however, arguably, was a cherished project of Chaplain Briercliffe for promoting Christian knowledge in 1713. In 1720, after many checks, the scheme was made afloat and Chaplain Thomlinson bequeathed Rs 80 towards it. The School at first was supported out of the income of the 'Charity Stock' of St Anne's Church, Calcutta. The origin of this monetary sum traces back to the early history of Chaplaincy of East India Company. There existed an institution for the guardians of the poor, the funds of which arose from the fines levied upon English officials of the factory who remained out late at night and those who neglected attendance at divine worship. With the formation of St Anne's Church, the Select Vestry owned this fund and it was further augmented by legacies and donations - it is known that the fees received for the palls at funerals went into it.
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| St Andrew's Church, Dalhousie Sq |
During the siege of Calcutta in 1756, the Charity School was shut down and was reopened soon after. During early 1760s, the Court House was greatly enlarged by the addition of verandahs twenty-five feet broad to both floors on the south, an additional saloon with a room at each end, arches opening all around, and a dancing-saloon. This was done in order that it might be used as an exchange, post-office, quarter-sessions office, public entertainments and assembly-rooms, and the rent, which at this time was two thousand rupees a year was increased proportionately to Rs 4160 a year in 1767 and further onto Rs 6180 a year in 1776. In 1778, the Government took over the whole building and later fixed the rent perpetually at Rs 800 a month. The money thus earned from Government rent went into the fund to support the Charity School - as per the condition laid by Mr Bourchier while he handed over the Court House to the Government. Gradually the tide of fashion ebbed away to rival assembly-rooms, the theatre, and other places of entertainment; the floors became unsafe for dancing, and, finally, the Old Court House was pulled down in 1792. It was here in 1775 that Maharaja Nandakumar was tried and sentenced to death. For more than twenty years the site remained vacant, till, in 1815, it was given by the Government for building St Andrew's Kirk (Kirk meaning Scottish Church). The legacy of this Court House remains commemorated in Old Court House Street - the road from St Andrew's Church to Maidan in Kolkata.
Charles Weston believed the Charity School fund got a major boost with the interest on the restitution money paid by Mir Jafar to the English for destruction of St Anne's Church in the siege of Calcutta. The fund was further augmented by a sum of around Rs 6000 - a legacy left by one Mr Constantine besides the original private subscriptions and regular Church collections.
8, Mission Row
As the English settlement grew, the number of orphan children of European and Eurasian origin rose dramatically and likewise the need for education of these children. This called for a public institution for the purpose of educating them in a school meant to be under the care of the community. The Charity School with its limited means and fund supply became quite inadequate to the demand for education. In consequence of the necessity of providing instruction for the offspring of the poor, a Society was established on 21st December 1789 at a public meeting presided over by Lord Cornwallis. The Society's management was placed in the hands of a Patron (Governor-General), Select Vestry and a few other Governors. The proposal submitted for the society had clear intentions of not bearing the entire charge of the children but only to provide free education; as it would transcend to education for all. The governing body believed that ignorance and lack of education would ruin these children's lives and in turn cause a burden on the community. Free School Society was thus born with a vision in mind and on paper.
As can be seen, the Charity School helped in providing the vital reason and necessary foundation in forming of the Society and must be regarded as a precursor to it. Soon after forming of the Free School Society at the public meeting, the children commenced studies at a house on 8, Mission Row. Thus, the charity school had a new address as it shifted from the Court House. This address on Mission Row (presently R.N Mukherjee Road), as is learnt, was adjacent to the Old Mission Church founded two decades back on 1770. For the girls of the school, it was customary to visit the Mission Church during summers and for the remaining months with moderate climate to St. John's Church (at a distance) for offering prayers. However, for the institution, this location would turn out to be a temporary one as we shall uncover soon.
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| Old Mission Church, R.N Mukherjee Road |
8, Mission Row had an illustrious line of occupants. Sir John Clavering, Commander-in-Chief & member of the Council of Warren Hastings, arrived in Calcutta on 1774. He stayed here at 8, Mission Row for a while and till his death on August 30, 1777. After his death, Lady Clavering lived here with her two daughters. Later on, this property belonged to the Company - from whom Charles Weston bought it for conducting the affairs of the Hon'ble United Company of Merchants of England trading to East Indies. The area was estimated to be around 6 bighas and 6 cottahs of land. Charles Weston (1731 - 1809) was born in Calcutta in Tiretta Bazaar area. He had initially been surgeon's apprentice to John Zephaniah Holwell, Zamindar of Calcutta and later served as a militiaman at the defence of Calcutta. At the time Holwell was about to leave India, he gave away Rs 2000 to Weston and had lent him Rs 5000 more. With this capital, Charles Weston made a large fortune, primarily in agency business. Mr Weston was known to be a kind hearted person and engaged in several philanthropic programs. Weston Street in Bowbazar, present day Kolkata is named after him. Further on, Weston and his wife, Constantia sold this building on Mission Row to Louis Barretto (another prominent name in Portuguese community in Calcutta) for a sum of Rs 25,000. At a later point in time, this address was home to Messrs Thomas New Mart. It was here in New Mart that J Thomas & Company, one of the largest tea auctioneer in the world started its operation. This firm is in operation till date and is now headquartered at Nilhat House, a landmark building in Dalhousie Square.
No 15, Jaun Bazar (Wilderness)
Almost at a time when Clavering breathed his last in 1777, few miles away from Mission Row, the final destination of the Free School for years to come was taking shape.
Stephen Cesar Lemaistre (1741 - 1777) was one of the four judges who conducted the famous trial of Maharaja Nandakumar in Old Court House. Justice Lemaistre was known to be a lively and jovial person who enjoyed the good things in life and lived well. It must be mentioned here that Sir Elijah Impey had a difficult colleague to pull with in Lemaistre and even more difficult one in Justice John Hyde (1737 - 1796). Although, he lived for a short while in Calcutta - he stayed at his palatial garden house residence near JanBazaar and called it Wilderness. It was named keeping in mind its environs which was still off city limits and not too early was covered with dense bushes of bamboo. Lemaistre died in November 1777 at his garden house as mentioned in Justice Hyde's notes and lies buried in South Park Street Cemetery in present day Kolkata. After Lemaistre's death, this property near Jaun Bazar (Jan Bazaar) was rented out to John David Patterson, one of the founding members of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. It went through couple of more transactions as we learn that eventually this garden house was arguably the home of Louis Barretto. Barretto brothers of Bombay, were rich and famous and bore an enviable legacy. In Calcutta, Louis Barretto was the head of the Portuguese community.
It is this property, once in possession of Lemaistre which was in all probability passed over to Louis Barretto. In 1795, in order for the school to have a permanent habitation, the Governor of the Charities bought this property along with adjacent land near Jan Bazaar from Mr Barretto. The same year, school buildings were erected on the premises of the garden house and all of 70 students of Charity School and 78 of Free School were moved into this newly formed school building. In 1796, a new school for the girls was built on the same premises at an expense of Sa Rs 20,000.
By 1800, we learn that the subscriptions to the Free School Society had decreased, and its available property and that of the old Charity School being of contingent nature, each was occasionally obliged to lend and borrow interchangeably from the funds of the other. This caused confusion in maintaining the accounts, which could be avoided by the consolidation of the funds. As this became more apparent to the subscribers, they assembled to consider the subject with the Select Vestry, that the Schools being united, would be more extensively useful. It was resolved on the April 14th, 1800, that the Funds of the two schools be consolidated and that the two institutions should be united under one establishment, to be governed by the Select Vestry. On 14th April 1800, the funds of the old and new school were consolidated making one fund of Rs 2,72,000 as on 31st March 1800. Thus, officially, the Old Charity School and the Free School were united to form Calcutta Free School. The Company mandated its surgeons to visit the school whenever it was necessary and that medicines which were required were to be furnished from Company's dispensary. Although the primary source of contribution remained that from public subscriptions and from Company's civil servants, the Government consented to allow Rs 60 a month for employing munshis to teach native language to the children.
St. Thomas Church
St Thomas Church was built on the same extensive school property - chiefly due to efforts of Bishop Turner, who first proposed building a church in the site of the Free School.
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| St. Thomas Church, Free School St |
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| Plaque at the entrance of the Church |
The foundation stone of the Church was laid on April 13th, 1830 by Lady W. Bentinck and the Church was completed on November 20th 1831. However, Bishop Turner did not live to see the Church being completed and so it was opened for public worship by Archdeacon Corrie. The consecration had to wait until 1833 when Bishop Willson arrived in Calcutta.
Streetwise - Free School Street
In 1841, the Lottery Committee built the Free School Street here in this neighborhood and named it after the Free School. It was Lottery Committee again which straightened and widened the road later. At the time the street was built, the Governors of the School were enabled to extend and define their boundaries of the School grounds.
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| Mirza Ghalib Street (Free School Street) |
A great storm in 1852 played serious havoc with the already decayed buildings, and so in the following year, a New Boys' School was commenced by Messrs Mackintosh Burn & Co. from designs prepared by Col. W. Forbes. In the year of Sepoy Mutiny and till July 1858, the Boys' School was placed at the disposal of the British troops. Among the records is preserved a letter from the then Head Master to the then Secretary - 'Dear Sir, As I was kept awake four hours last night by the noise of the guard beneath my window, I consider myself amply justified in deducting four hours from our school time to-day to complete my sleep.' Word was it among students that a secret passage was present in the underground of the building which was used by military during World War II.
The name of the school was changed from Calcutta Free School to St Thomas School in 1923, after the apostle St Thomas on whose day the original Free School Society had been founded i.e. 21st December. After Indian Independence came radical changes in the functioning of the school. One such was that for the first time, the school was opened to Non Europeans and all other communities. The school gifted the society with several brilliant students in field of academics as well in sports. Astronaut Rakesh Sharma was an alumni of this school. St. Thomas School is now located at Diamond Harbour Road, Kidderpore.
One exploring the environs of Free School St back in 1900s, walking west from Marquis St would need to take right - few steps ahead and again on right side would find the Girls' School. Next ahead in the lane would be St Thomas Church and further north would be Boys' School. In 1969, the road was renamed to Mirza Ghalib Street. Today, if one follows the same route from Marquis St, no traces of the Girls' School can be found - but going by the past accounts - it is to be believed that the present site of Headquarters of Fire Service and adjoining Chandrachur House was the original location of the Girls' School. St Thomas Church still exists and is accessible to general public. There is a school in the Church compound named St Thomas's Day School - but this has no connection with the original Calcutta Free School. Beside this school at a corner, hidden behind an array of flower pots lies a plaque which mentions the legacy of the Free School. I was happy on being able to click photos without an advise of caution. Job done, I walked out and headed back home. Traffic was muted on the streets of Calcutta - it was a Sunday noon!
~ Souvik Bhattacharya
Bibliography:1. Cotton, H.E.A - Calcutta Old and New2. Indian Antiquary Vol 403. Bengal Past and Present Vol 8, 144. Blechynden, Kathleen - Calcutta Past and Present5. Sheppard, Samuel Townsend - Bombay6. Calcutta: City of Palaces : a Survey of the City in the Daysof the East India Company, 1690-18587. Archer, Mildred - The India Office Collection of Paintingsand Sculpture8. Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. January toDecember 18989. Proposals for the Institution of a Free School Society in Bengal10. Calcutta Review - Volume 1311. Busteed, H.E - Echoes from Old Calcutta12. Calcutta Municipal Gazette - Volume 10413. Firminger, W.K - Thacker's Guide to Calcutta
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