St. Thomas English Church, Santhome, Madras






 The advent of Christianity in Santhome area started eith the arrival of Portugese in 16th century. This happened after Vaco da Gama found out the sea route to the spice country India.  By the year 1523 the Portugese constructed the old Santhome church over the place where St Thomas was supposed to have been buried in 1st century.  That old Church was pulled down in 1893 and present Santhome Cathedral was inaugurated in 1896.  


      Santhome had a good  concentration of Anglicans in the first half of 19th century outside Fort St George  and a church was required for their spiritual needs. Rev . Robert Carver  (1788-1845) was the  man behind the construction and consecration of St. Thomas English church  at Santhome in 1842. He went to  Ceylon in 1815 as part of Wesleyn Mission and was there upto 1824 after when he shifted to Madras  due to  his wife death in Jaffna.  He intially worked in Santhome under S.P.C.K. upto 1836 and later worked under S.P.G. . He was ordained  priest by Bishop Spencer in 1842.  Robert  Carver constructed this Church at Santhome  on a place where a tannery called Bowyers tannery was already existing.  It was consecrated in 1842 . He was the first Minister of the Parish and died in August 1845. He was buried under the altar of the  Church  with inscriptions written on it by Bishop  Spencer. His daughter Mary Anderson  Carver married G.U.Pope  the  great  Tamil Scholar in 1843.


        This church is opposite Santhome High School a little inside away  from the din and bustle of the main road.

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