St. John's Church, Vellore Fort, Vellore
St.
John’s Church is located inside Vellore Fort Complex in Vellore Town in
Vellore District of Tamilnadu. The Church was raised in 1846 by the Government of Madras for the officers and men of the East India Company military station.
The church is called after St. John the Evangelist. However, the church was never officially consecrated
and hence not officially named as St. John’s Church. St. John's Church is
the oldest standing church in the Vellore Diocese. The church stands inside the Vellore Fort, which
is under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India, along with the Vijayanagara period Jalakandeswarar Temple, Tippu Mahal, Hyder Mahal, Candy Mahal, Badhusha Mahal
and the Begum Mahal.
History
In
Vellore, there existed a Chaplain of the East India Company since 1798 for the European officers. A catechist
appointed by the Society for Promoting
Christian Knowledge (SPCK) cared for the native converted Christians.
Some of the SPCK missionaries serving in Vellore were Gericke (up to 1803),
Paexold (till his death in 1817) and Rev. L P Haubroe appointed by Dr. Rottler
of Vepery.
SPCK Chapel, 1773:
In 1769,
Gericke, a missionary of the Society for Promoting
Christian Knowledge (SPCK) and a pupil
of Christian Friedrich Schwarz, commenced Christian missionary work at Vellore. In 1773, Fabricius of Vepery, raised the very first church building at Vellore
Fort, to be used as a chapel for Sunday services and to be
used as a school for children on other days, and with the condition that the
building can also be used by the native congregation. Fabricius contributed
60 pagados from the Vepery Mission Fund, Mr. Pelling, who was
the civil representative of the Madras Government at
Vellore, contributed 10 pagados.
The
officers and men of the Company regiment at Vellore
Fort contributed rest of the funds required for raising
this first chapel at the Vellore
Fort. In 1780, during Second Anglo-Mysore War, Vellore Fort fell into the Hands of Hyder
Ali, and was restored back to British Rule in 1784. In view
of the increased military presence at the Fort, the chapel building was taken
up to accommodate men of the 72nd Regiment. In 1787, Schwartz, wrote to the Madras Government,
asking them to either buy the building or pay rent. The Government agreed to
buy the building for 300 pagados.
Torriano Chapel, 1793:
In 1792,
William Harcourt Torriano, civil representative of the Madras Government and
friend of Schwarz, helped raise a new church building with his own
expenses at the Vellore Fort, for
the use of both Europeans and the native Indians. This large new chapel was
dedicated by Gericke and J P Rottler a missionary from Tranquebar in 1793, and this chapel lasted for 30 years.
Government Church, 1835:
The
Directors of the East India Company resolved Vellore to be one of the 7 military
stations where a permanent chaplain would be appointed. However, as a result of
the Vellore Mutiny of 1806, the Company regiment was transferred
to Arcot which became the primary military station between
1807 and 1862, and there remained only a small military presence at the Vellore
Fort. Military chaplains were now based in Arcot, where the Madras Government built a large church in 1814. The
Government decided in view of changed circumstances only a small church be
built at lower expense at the Vellore Fort.
In 1828,
the English School building inside the Fort became the new Government Board of
Education. By this time the Tarriano's Chapel was dilapidated and deserted, and
the divine services were being held at the barracks. In 1826, the SPCK had
handed over the Vellore Mission to the Society for the Propagation of
the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG). In
1830, the SPG allocated 200 pounds for building a proper chapel for use of the
congregation. The new church was completed in 1835, and was used by both
Europeans and the natives.
Plans for New Church at Vellore Fort:
In 1837,
Rev W Tomes, Chaplain of the Company recommended that the old Tarriano's Chapel be
repaired (re-roofed) for use of the European congregation, and the estimate was
Rs. 510. However the engineer's report was critical of the walls of the
structure and recommended a new building be built outside the Vellore Fort.
This report was accepted by the Government, and a site outside the Fort was purchased,
and the foundations were raised. However, at this point, objections were raised
on the location of the new site on military grounds, and had to be abandoned.
Public Rooms, Fort Vellore:
In 1837,
the Public Rooms, located with the Vellore Fort and owned and managed by the
officers of the military station, were hired by the Company, for the purpose of
holding church services on Sundays, for a monthly rent of Rs. 35, for 1 year.
This arrangement continued for 3 years. Then the property was purchased by the
Government, and church was raised at the site of the Public Rooms.
St. John's Church, 1846:
In 1844,
the new church building plan was sanctioned by the Madras Government, and raised within the Vellore
Fort in 1846, with a seating capacity of 280 people. Major
C G Ottley, the Fort Adjutant of the Vellore Fort, designed and built the new
church at the Fort. He was granted a remuneration of Rs. 500 by the Madras Government for his efforts. The Church is named
after St. John. However, it was never officially dedicated or
consecrated in his honor. According to local tradition, the church was never
consecrated as it was once a public room used for dancing, acting and other
entertainment. Another reason is that there was no resident Company chaplain at the
Vellore Fort for nearly 18 years after it was built.
Construction:
The
church could seat 280 people, the nave measured 50x41 ft2, the sanctuary in the
east 15 ft deep x 18 ft, 2 vestries 10 x 8 ft2, verandah in the west
supported by columns and steps to the ground. The cost of the church building
was Rs. 5559, with an extra Rs. 500 used for furniture and fittings raised by
subscription. The window on the east and the font are in memory of Lt. Col.
William Sim McLeod, gifted by his widow.
Refurbishments:
In 1862,
the Arcot military station was dissolved and the European regiment moved to
Vellore. When Rev J B Trend served at this church between 1874 and 1879, the
sanctuary was refurbished with carved wood, silk needlework, harmonium, brass
ornaments, all donated by the congregation. The altar plate of the church,
inscribed with the coat was arms was presented by the East India Company, of which only the paten now remains. In 1883, the Government of Madras spent Rs. 725 on alterations and improvements of
the Church.
Military Inscriptions:
The old
colours of the 10th Madras Infantry are deposited in the church,
before it was converted into a Burmese Battalion, with a brass plate inscription
recording the event.
Present Times:
Majority
of the congregation of the St. John's Church, Vellore, are associated with
the Christian Medical College
& Hospital (CMC). The Church
supports schools, hostels, working along with NGOs such as Compassion India.
Connectivity
For
brief details, please refer below link;
