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History of Madras;

Madras in the Olden Time:

Being a History of the Presidency from the First Foundation to
the Governorship of Thomas Pitt, Grandfather of the Earl of Chatham
1639-1702

Compiled from official records by J. Talboys Wheeler, Madras:
printed for J. Higginbotham, Mount Road, by Graves and Co., Scottish Press
23rd February 1861

 
GOVERNORS OF THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY

 
PEOPLE IN MADRAS

from pages 53-54 of Chapter III:

The members of the Council were denominated "Merchants" and "Senior Merchants," a rank to which all the servants of the Company might aspire. Sometimes the young men came out as "Writers"; sometimes as "Apprentices" only. Every "Apprentice" seems to have served the customary period of seven years before he was promoted to a higher rank; a rule which was rigidly adhered to in all trades throughout Europe until a very recent period, and which seems to have had its origin in the mystic period during which Jacob served an enthusiastic apprenticeship to Laban, in order to gain the hand of the fair Rachel. During the first five years, the aspiring youths in the Company's service seem to have been allowed five pounds a year for the purchase of clothes. During the last two years of that time, whilst panting for the termination of apprenticeship, they were allowed Writer's salary of ten pounds a year. At the end of that period they were raised to the rank of "Writers," and after one year more, or eight years service in all, they became "Factors;" after which they rose in due time to the rank of "Merchants" and members of Council.

Besides these servants of the Company, there were others whose duties may be easily inferred from their names. There were the "Chaplain" who had a hundred a year, and who must have had a hard time of it with daily prayers, and Sunday's preaching and expounding. There was the "Schoolmaster," at a salary of fifty pounds a year, who had been sent out to teach all the children of English parents to read, write, cypher, and hate the Roman Catholics. Any parents whatever, - Portuguese, Hindoo, or Mussulman, - might likewise send their children to be similarly taught; but only on the condition that they should als be instructed in the principles of the Protestant religion.

 
from pages 252-258 of Chapter IV:

The close of the governorship of President Yale, offers a favourable opportunity for reviewing the progress of the Black-town of Madraspatanam, and the White-town of Fort St. George. It appears from a letter dated 12th December, 1687, that the population of the whole of the English Presidency, including the city of Madras, the town of Fort St. George, and the villages within the Company's bounds, amounted to three hundred thousand; and a more exact enumeration was then required to be made, for the information of James II, distinguishing the English, Portuguese, Moors, and Gentoos, both male and female, and their several professions, or occupations. Whether this more exact enumeration was ever made, we have not as yet been able to discover; but the statement of the aggregate population will be sufficient for all general purposes.

As regards the population at Fort St. George, or White-town, we have the most minute information. In a previous chapter it was shown how White Town was only half the size of the modern Fort. In the seventeenth century the river Coom ran much nearer the sea than at present. In fact it ran parrallel [sic] with the Coast right through the centre of the site now occupied by the present Fort. In the last century, the channel of the river was diverted into its present course, and the Fort considerably enlarged.

The old Fort or White-town, only extended about 400 yards in length, from north to south parallel with the sea; and about 100 yards from east to west, that is from the sea to the old channel of the river. This little space was however divided into twelve streets and alleys, and included altogether one hundred and twenty-nine dwelling houses and godowns, producing altogether a yearly rental of only one one hundred and twenty-four Pagodas, and nine fanams. The streets were respectively named - Middle Street, Choultry Street, Choultry Alley, Gloucester Street, York Street, York Lane, Charles Street, James Street, James Alley, St. Thomas Street, St. Thomas Lane, and Church Street. As a matter of local curiosity we print the following Directory or Rent Roll, verbatim et literatim, of which the original may be found in the consultation book under the 2nd of August, 1688. Some of our readers may here find the names of their ancestors, probably spelt in a different manner to those of their descendants.

[ According to the totals, 36 Fanams = 1 British Madras Pagoda ]
[ In later years 42, or 46 Fanams = 1 Pagoda ]

 
2nd August 1688
Rent Rowle of Dwelling Houses, Goedowns, etc.
within the Garrison or Christian Town,
with the names of their several Owners, Tenants, and Yearly Rents

 
The sanitary condition of this crowded little settlement may be inferred from the following startling announcement for the year 1688.

 
"... POPULATION, AT THE END OF THE YEAR 1699"

 
from pages 356-357 of Chapter XV

List of persons in the service of the Right Hon'ble Company
in Fort St. George
and other places on the coast of Coromandel

 
Thus out of one hundred and nineteen Englishmen, only twenty-six were married to English wives, fourteen were married to Castees, four to Mustees, two to French women, and one to a Georgian. It will be seen that only forty-seven were married at all, and that the remaining seventy-two were bachelors. The English ladies were fifty in number, viz. twenty-six wives, fourteen widows, and ten young unmarried ladies. It seems a great pity that ten young ladies should have been unable to find husbands amongst so large a community of unmarried gentlemen.

End of quotation