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| Rev. John Anderson, Madras, colonial India youtube.com |
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| Madras Christian CollegePostal stampindiapicks.com |
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| Madras War Cemetery, Chennai Grave finding |
Above image: The Madras Christian College, Tambaram was started in 1837 by the young missionary, John Anderson...........  |
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| Madras War Cemetery, MakeMyTrip |
Above image: Madras War Cemetery, the Anderson tomb in the Tana Street cemetery and the plaque on it.........
During British rule in India, Christian missionaries arrived with the primary purpose of spreading the Gospel of Christ, emphasizing salvation through belief in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. While some missionaries focused solely on religious conversions, many others recognized the importance of education and fully dedicated themselves to improving its quality across India. Among them was Rev. John Anderson (1805–1855), a Scottish missionary and an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland, who arrived in Madras in 1836andmade his home.
Anderson, hailing from Galloway and educated in Latin and Theology at the University of Edinburgh, saw education as a vital missionary tool. He strongly believed in uplifting the “unenlightened natives” through needed education coupled with Christian values. At the request of Rev. Lawrie and Rev. Bowie, he took charge of a small school near St. Andrew's Kirk, Egmore, relocating it to Armenian Street in Georgetown near Ft. St. George first established by the East India Company. This school, known as the General Assembly's School, became the foundation for what would later evolve into the prestigious Madras Christian College (MCC), now located on a sprawling 375-acre campus in Tambaram, a suburb of a sprawling city Chennai (Madras). The school was later separated as Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School, Chetpet.
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| Anderson Hall, Madras, now Chennai www.wikiwand.com/ |
Despite challenges and road blocks, being determined as he was, Anderson made strides in female education, with full support from his Swiss wife, Margaret Locher, who joined him in 1847. She started the mission's first girls’ boarding home. Both Rev. Anderson, his wife and his colleagues never failed to instill confidence in the native girls to boost their morale and confidence so that they could prove themselves as roll models to the next generation of girls in their participation in nation building and eradication of illiteracy.
By the end of Rev. Anderson's career, about 700 Hindu and Muslim girls—many from upper-caste Hindu families—were enrolled in mission schools. After the Church of Scotland’s split in 1843, Anderson joined the Free Church of Scotland but continued his educational mission undeterred. He passed away in March 1855 at the age of 50 in Madras, leaving behind a legacy of educational reform and empowerment. His tomb lies in the War Cemetery on Tana Street, Chennai.
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/John_Anderson_(missionary)
