Past People Places : 300 years of the first Anglican Church of Bombay, or. The Church of Churchgate

The view from the doorway

In 1662, Charles II married Catherine of Portugal,and as part of his dowry received the islands of Bombay.

At first Bombay was merely a bunch of uninhabited islands, but as they began getting connected and built on, the importance of Bombay to the British rose. And so did the need for a permanent place of prayer. Work soon began on its first Cathedral, the St Thomas Cathedral in the fort. In the 1670's work was begun, with donations. After three years however, it came to a standstill (in 1677), when the Governor died. The Cathedral was left with only a few metres of wall built. It was in 1715 that the Chaplain, Richard Cobbe, resumed construction of the structure. The structure was finally completed in 1718 and inaugurated Christmas day, that year by the Governor, Charles Boone.

A plaque commemorating Cobbe, below which, a plaque put up when the church was rededicated, 2003, after restoration

The Cathedral served as the primary place of worship for the English stationed in Bombay from the year 1718 onward. It also serves as zero-point for the city, when measurements were taken. The exact spot in the church premises is commemorated with a plaque.

The Zero point plaque

According to a LiveMint article, the church also serves as a place of record for all baptisms, marriages and burials across the Bombay Presidency, which is an area comprising most of modern Maharashtra, parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

The walls, covered with plaques

In 1837, the Cathedral was consecrated and the first Bishop of Bombay, Thomas Carr, appointed.

Now, many of you would have been to, or at least heard of, Churchgate station in Colaba. This, the St Thomas Cathedral, is the Church of Churchgate. The gate of the fort closest to the church was known as Church gate, which is what the station was named after. However, the church gate came down in 1862 along with the rest of the fort walls, to allow expansion.

The stained glass. I later read that a replaced panel sports an image of a local train and churchgate station!

Inside the church building, many people have been buried, or have memorial slabs in their name. From an Early Editor of the Times of India, to Governors of the 18th century, to military men, to the first recorder of Bombay, to various judges and leading lawyers, there are many different personalities of Bombay's history remembered here. These memorials also serve as a reminder of the various wars fought by the Bombay regiments, and the wars in the Presidency, from the wars with Tippu, all the way to the Second World War.

Quite a few ships were wrecked in storms off the coast. This one commemorates those who died in the wreck of 'Cleopatra', in 1847 off the Malabar coast

A few of those remembered here are:

Thomas Carre, he first Bishop of Bombay. He has a life-size statue of himself, lying down, with a plaque below, right beside the alter

The grave of Carr, died 1859

Lucretia Georgiana Brown West, the Widow of a Chief Justice of Bombay, died 1828

A memorial to all those in the Royal Indian Marine who died in World War I

A memorial to all those from Bombay who died in World War I

Captain Leiutenant George Warden, who was involved in various military activities, from 1794 -1807. These activities involved his first duties against the Coolies under Colonel Little(was this a revolt he subdued?) in 1794, to taking Colombo(1796), to the battle of Sedasheer, to the battle of Seringapattinam, to the destruction of the fortress of Jemaulabad (all in 1799), the expedition to Egypt (1801) and the Seige of Baroda(1803). In 1807, H Newham, Secretary to the Government publishes the condolence message that appears on his epitaph, in the Asiatic Annual Register, 1808.

Henry Curwen, Editor, Times of India, who died 1892 on the way back to England. He had bought the newspaper in 1890, in association with Charles Kane. It was sold in 1792.

Sir William Syer Knight, the first Recorder, or Kings Justice, of Bombay. Barrister at Law of the Society of Middle Temple, he died 1802

Thomas Mostyn, a Resident at the Mahratta Court, died 1779.

Robert Ashmead Billamore, who, apart from his military duties was Persian interpreter to the Poonah subsidiary force. A son of a noted General, he died in the 1818 war against the Mahrattas at Jaulnah, 7th May.

Colonel John Campbell, who held Mangalore against the armies of Tippu Sultan for 18 months. He died in 1784.

Hon. Jonathan Duncan, the Governor of Bombay from 1795-1811. He was appointed there as recognition for having abolished Infanticide in Benares and Kathiwar. He died 17th August 1811 in Bombay. The monument here was built out of public respect in 1817

Major Eldred Pottinger, one of those few people actually buried in the Cathedral. Made a hero when, in 1837, he provided intelligence to the British at Kabul on the Seige of Herat by the Persians, with Russian aid. He was within Herat and disguised. Afterwards, he was made famous by the British as 'The Hero of Herat'. Just before the revolt at Kabul, in 1841, he had arrived at Charikar and encamped with a Gurkha regiment, North of Kabul. On 3rd November, the uprising began, and the following night, they fought their way to the garrison at the base of the hill. After two weeks they made their way to Kabul, which only he and one other reached on 15th November. After the death of the British envoy, Sir William McNaghten, he was appointed British envoy to the Afghan court, and negotiated a withdrawal. However, while retreating many died from the cold and the Afghanis who followed them and shot at them from the high mountain passes. The ruler of Kabul, Akbar Shah, then took hostage all the women and injured, including Pottinger, and due to this, he survived the following massacre. Taken to the Bamiyan fort during the counter-attack by fresh British troops from the Presidencies, he connived with his captors, and took control of the fort. Once released and, returning to India, he received no rewards or mention, and resigned from the Company. He went to Hong Kong, where his uncle was the first British governor, and died there in 1843, a little over a year later.

One among the famous masses, hidden behind chairs, this was the best view I could get

The Cathedral received heritage status in 2003.

It is now maintained extremely well, and is a part of Bombay's living heritage. Open throughout the day, from 7-6, it is definitely a must-see if you are looking at Bombay's heritage, or architecture. Though quite a silent place, the history within it is loud, and reverberates.

Location, here