Travel: All Saint’s Church, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu
Coonoor was one of three Hill stations established by the British Raj in the Nilgiri Hills in Southern India. Elevation 1720m.
The Church was dedicated in 1851 and opened in 1854. A distinctive cream-coloured English-style Church in India.
‘A charming and restful spot of great natural beauty’ (The Church in Madras).
My journal entry (October 2014):
‘After lunch, we visited All Saints Church, next door to the Gateway Heritage Hotel. This was quite a revelation – a beautiful interior, well looked after and clearly still well used. It has a dark wood, vaulted roof space, lots of stained glass and is well painted both inside and out. Someone opened up for us. So glad that he did. The large and reasonably well tended graveyard contained the usual poignant memorials to those who died in India – from the military, the church and the planter community. All far from home’
Thank you so much for compiling these lovely posts about Churches built during the British Raj in India . I enjoyed it thoroughly . Thank You
I chanced upon your website purely by chance. I was plesantly surprised at your attention to detail . Thank you for such painstaking work in comparing the architecture of the Churches in South India with the Churches in Britan . I applaud you for your work !
Can anyone tell me if my maternal grandfather John Elliot Scott’s gravestone is in the cemetery? I have a picture of it so it should be easily traceable. Stone also has words ‘Of Sholayar Estate, Animalai’.
Hi Jim, Regret can’t help you on the headstone. John died in 1919, but just to say I’ve a connection to his wife Jean Chisholm Culbard. she remarried a Major Anthony Gilchrist McCall in 1924. Love to know more about John.
Hello Ronnie
Great to hear from you – thanks. John Elliot Scott came from a large Dundee family – his father was a Solicitor. He was Manager on the Sholayar Tea Estate Although I have pictures showing trees being felled and a bungalow being built when I presume the Estate was first established. John or Jo as he was known was very keen on big game hunting . He was also in the Assam Rifles . He died when my mother was aged 4. I could send you a picture of the Gravestone which Is quite elaborate But would need your e mail address? Jean and Major Anthony retired to Bournemouth in England and died many years ago. My Grandmother Jean never said very much about Jo and when I visited Sholayar Tea Estate in Valparai in 1985 I got mixed accounts about where he was buried. Please keep in touch
Hello Ronnie,
I have a connection to John Elliot Scott as well. Email me may be we could share what we know. fraser.wesley7@gmail.com