P.P.JOSEPH
Puthukunathan Pithavadian Joseph
A Family Genealogy
OF HIS DESCENDENTS THROUGH ONE
HUNDERED AND EIGHTY YEARS
SPREAD OVER EIGHT GENERATIONS
Among the early christians of the South Travancore London Mission who contributed largely to the growth and stability of the Nagercoil Home Chursh during the second half of the 19th century, was a wealthy plantation conductor, named Mr. P.P.Joseph, son of a Hindu convert named Ponnamperumal whose chritian name was Puthukunathan. Mr. P.P.Joseph (Puthukunathan Pithavadian Joseph) was born in the year 1835 in a small village near Nagercoil, called Pillaiyarpuram.
Although Mr. Joseph had no university education, he acquired a working knowledge of English through contact with the European Missionaries of his time. What he lacked in the field of higher education was made good by his sons, grandsons and great grand children who rose to great heights in the sphere of university education. Two of his sons Messrs. P.J.Devasahayam and P.Owen Joseph were distinguished university men. The former was the Principal of the London Mission High School, Coimbatore, for more than 30 years and was, in recognition of his erudite scholarship and devotionto the London Mission Home Board in England. Mr. P.Owen Joseph served in the Police Department of the Travancore Government and retired as a Senior Inspector of Police with a clean and distinguished record of service. His great great grandson Admiral O.S.Dawson retired as Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy. Admiral Dawson was also the recipient of the highest military award - P.V.S.M Param Visishi Seva Medal. Later Admiral Dawson served as the High Commissioner of India in New Zealand. Now he leads a retired life in Bangalore.
The
late Mrs. Annie Harris, wife of the late Mr.Y.Harris, Teacher and Deacon
(1891-1913) was Mr.Joseph's only daughter by his first wife, Elizabeth of
Santhapuram. On the death of Elizabeth, Mr. Jospeh married Rachel, also of
Santhapuram, and had nine children by her, five sons and four
daughters.
Mr. Joseph was a man of adventure and enterprise. Over a century ago, he sailed in a country craft from Tuticorin to Ceylon where, by dint of hard and honest work he earned a good lot of money. He returned to India as a wealthy man and started coffee plantation in the forest area near Pechiparai in the hills of Southern Travancore, obtaining the necessary permission and license from the Travancore Government. With the experience he gained from the plantations in Ceylon he converted more than 400 acres of the forest area into a rich coffee plantation and named it "Providence Estate". His business thrived well and brought him enormous gain. He traded in coffee seeds exporting them to foreign countries in cargo boats from Colachel.
P.P. Joseph owned many horses and was very good in horse riding. He visited his estate in horse back which was the only means of travel those days. He always carried a gun with him in these journeys and hunting was his pastime in and around the estate.
On the Cape road, east of the Clock Tower, he built a house which is even today known as "Peria Veedu"for its size, with zinc sheets for its roof.
Mr.Joseph was a man of generous disposition and was always in the forefront to help the poor and the needy. He lived a sumptuous and a princely life.
Mr.
Joseph was a deacon of the Nagercoil Home Church from 1876 to 1893 and took
very keen interest in the welfare of the Home Church and its
congregation, not only by his generous donations and subscriptions but also
by regularly attending the Church Committee meetings held once in a month,
although his business demanded his constant presence at his estates in the
hills.