4li 



MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



ECCLKSIAS 

 TICAL. 



St. Thomas' 



CH. XXIV. has been recently much improved by the addition of a chancel, 

 the gift of the widow of the late William Graham Mclvorj the 

 Superintendent of the Grovernment Chinchona Plantations. The 

 same lady has presented three handsome stained- glass windows 

 to the church. There is a good organ. There are sittings for 300 

 persons. Pew-rents are charged for a large portion of the sittings 

 at the rate of Rupees 2 a sitting. Within the church enclosure, 

 but above the church, is the cemetery. It is neatly planted with 

 trees and shrubs. This burial-ground has been used since 1830. 

 Europeans who died in the station previously were interred in the 

 old cemetery, adjoining the Woodlands domain at Stonehouse. 

 The Government have ordered all burials at St. Stephen's to 

 cease, and the Bishop has consecrated the enclosure of St. Thomas' 

 as a cemetery. Only one burial has, however, hitherto taken 

 place there. The cemetery has yet to be planted and laid out 

 with paths. 



The first proposal to build a second church in Ootacamand was 

 made in 1860, when a public meeting was held and a committee 

 formed to carry out the proposal. The death of Bishop Dealtry 

 in 1861 for a time checked the carrying on of the scheme. 



In 1865, however, when Archdeacon Dealtry became Chaplain 

 of Ootacamand, the attempt to build a second church was 

 revived, and Government having promised a grant of Rupees 

 30,000, a second appeal to the public was put forth in 1866 by a 

 committee consisting of Bishop Gell, the original committee, and 

 some fresh members. This appeal was so far successful that the 

 site near the lake was purchased from Mr. A. Higginbotham, 

 with a strip of ground on the lake side of the road, for Rupees 

 12,275, and the ground formally transferred to Government by 

 Government Order of August 1st, 1866, No. 157. 



The foundation-stone was laid by General Dowker on 1st May 

 1867, and, after many difficulties, the church was so far finished 

 in 1870 as to be safe and usable, but the steeple is not yet 

 built and the intended raised floor is not yet put in. The cost. 

 Rupees 64,732-3-1 (site, minus cost of old buildings and contri- 

 bution of Rupees 1,000 from Mr, Higginbotham, being Rupees 

 8,093-1-4), was met as follows : — 



Government grant 



Contributions (including pew-rents of 

 St. Stephen's from 1867 to 1872)... 



RS. A. 



32,190 







32,542 3 1 



The church, which is picturesquely situated, is gothic in style 

 and cruciform in shape, with a chancel and sanctuary. It has a 

 square tower. It was consecrated and dedicated to St. Thomas 

 the Apostle on 20th October 1870 by the Right Reverend Bishop 



