Joshua David

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Mr.J.David was born in September 16th 1894. His parents were Mr.John Sahayam and Mrs.Salome John Sahayam, the daughter of Rev.J.Joshua. He was their fourth son and had his education in NAGERCOIL and obtained his B.A.Degree from the Travancore University. He started his career as a Teacher in the Scott Christian College. Soon he resigned that job and started business of his own and became an agent of the “Texaco Oil Company of America”, and dealt with their lubricating oil products. He overcame all the difficulties in the beginning and proved to be a very successful business man. He had good qualities like noble mindedness, honesty and straight forwardness which were appreciated by his Hindu and Christian customers. He was very liberal to help the poor in the society and in the family circle and had the nature of entertaining the foreigners, missionaries and other visitors. Possessing the qualities of Rev.Joshua to serve in the Church; he became a Deacon in the NAGERCOIL Home Church from 1942 to 1946 and the Secretary from 1945. The second World War came to an end in 1945 with the victory of the Allies and there were victory celebrations in many parts of the World. In August 19th and 20th of 1945 Mr.J.David, as the Secretary of the Home Church arranged two days celebrations of victory in the Church. So also in September 21,22 & 23 he arranged with the help of the Church Committee to set up programmes to celebrate the L.M.S. Jubilee functions. A procession of the people from all the Churches in the District was arranged by him, and it was a sight which nobody could easily forget. At that time, the Church services for the Sangam festival and for the week of Prayer in the first week of every New year, were conducted as morning services. For the convenience of the congregation he changed the timing of the services from morning to evening and it proved to be very successful. Rev.J.E.Kesari the then Home Church Pastor wrote in the Church Report that, “Mr.David was his right hand to do all the activities of the Church”. He served in the Mault Missionary Society as one of its Committee members, in the Christian Widow’s Welfare Society and in the Christian Co-operative Society. He was one of the charter members when the Christian Young Men’s Retreat was started in 1922. In 1935 the Church Committee without the knowledge of the congregation made plans to merge the Church School with the Duthie Vernacular School. Mr.C.P.Ramasamy Iyer the then Dewan of Travanacore requested the management to give the School under the custody of the Government. In both these matters Mr.J.David vehemently fought against the plans and saved the Church School being taken away from the management of the Church. The present Church School owes to him a lot. His wife Anne Prisbeth was the daughter of Mr.Albert Kandakku and Mrs.Devanayagam. Devanayagam hails from the well known “Shiraff family of Puthalam”. Anne worked in Duthie School for a long time till her marriage to Mr.J.David. She gained the favour and praise of the Headmaster of her time Mr.P.Devasahayam and also the foreign missionaries. She was very God fearing and brought up her children in the Christian faith and discipline. Their only son Edison died very unexpectedly, when he was very young and that made a real set back in their life. They had five daughters namely Suseela, Thilagam, Pushpam, Jeyaseely and Subamathy. After the death of her husband Mr.J.David in 1954, she took care of the family and children bravely. Their eldest daughter Suseela is married to Y.J.Robinson, the son of Dr.Yesudian and Mrs.Gnanai Yesudian and they both are the great grand children of Rev.Joshua. Thilagam was married to Mr.D.D.W.Daniels of NAGERCOIL, and she died in 1998. Pushpam is married to Mr.Ragavaiah of Neyyoor, Jeyaseeli is married to Dr.Dada Bhai Gnana Muthu of Palayamkottai and the youngest one Subamathy is married to Mr.Reginald Theodore of NAGERCOIL. All the children and grand children of Mr.J.David and Mrs.Anne David are well settled in life. “The just man walketh in his integrity

His children are blessed after him” Proverbs: 20:7 written by - daughter Mrs.Suseela Robinson