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Two Churches a Tale BIBLIOASIA OCT – DEC 2017 Vol. 13 / Issue 03 / Feature Dr Nadia Wright is a retired teacher and now In February 1821, an Armenian seeing that it would encourage these Galastaun and his peers must have active historian who lives in Melbourne. She delegation met the British Governor hardworking and peace-loving people envisaged a much larger Armenian specialises in Singapore’s colonial history of Penang, William Phillips, who asked to settle in Penang. community settling in Penang when and the Armenian community in Southeast for a plan and an estimate of costs. The Armenian merchant Catcha- they pressed for a church. But this, Asia and Australia. She has written books The sum needed was $7,000. Arme- toor Galastaun not only made good the unfortunately, did not materialise: and scholarly articles on Armenians, nian philanthropist Carapiet Arrackell shortfall, but additionally purchased Armenian numbers in Penang never Singapore’s national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim, and the roles of Stamford Raffles bequeathed $2,000 of this amount, and a plot of land in September 1821 surpassed more than 30. The success A TALE and William Farquhar in Singapore’s history. the community raised another $2,000. at Bishop Street between Penang of rival Singapore spelled the end of the As they were short of $3,000, the Arme- Street and King Street. Construction Penang church. After Singapore became nians petitioned Governor Phillips for of the church commenced under the the capital of the Straits Settlements in of a donation in 1822. supervision of British merchant and 1832 and surged ahead as its commer- Phillips was of the view that hard- shipwright, Richard Snadden, and, in cial centre, there was little incentive for TWO working Christian people would be an 1822, Bishop Abraham of Jerusalem Armenian entrepreneurs to sink their In Penang, the Armenian Apostolic asset to the colony and to encourage officiated the laying of the foundation roots in Penang. The community shrank Church of St Gregory the Illuminator was more Armenians to settle in Penang, stone. In May 1824, the community as members left, and the remaining few consecrated in 1824; nearly 12 years later he donated $500 on behalf of the EIC, bought the neighbouring site that had struggled to support the church. in Singapore, another church bearing the while recognising that this amount housed the government dispensary, Despite Penang’s tiny Armenian isame name was consecrated. was much less than what the Arme- thus enlarging the church compound congregation, priests were sent out from CHURCHES The futures of these two churches nians were anticipating. Indeed, this and providing space to build lodgings Persia approximately every three years could not have been more different: while was a paltry sum compared with the for the priest. until 1885. After that, church services Penang’s Armenian church was demolished the Penang church was demolished in $60,000 the EIC had donated towards On 4 November 1824, the church was were held only when a priest visited 1909, the Singapore church continues to the building of the Anglican St George’s consecrated in a service led by Bishop Penang. The last was conducted in 1906 in the early 1900s while the one in Singapore exist to this day as the focal point for a Church in Penang. The directors of Jacob of Jerusalem and assisted by Rev- by Archbishop Sahak Ayvatian from the still thrives. Nadia Wright looks at the vastly small but thriving Armenian community, the EIC readily approved the donation erend Iliazor Ingergolie, Penang’s first Mother church in Isfahan. On his visit, besides being a tourist attraction. fulltime Armenian priest. The church Archbishop Ayvatian discussed the different fates of these two churches. was officially named the Armenian future of the deteriorating church build- (Facing page) A postcard featuring the Armenian Apostolic Church of St Gregory the Illu- ing with key members of the Armenian The Armenian Church in Penang Commemorative Monument in Penang, c.1909. (Below) A painting of the Armenian Church in minator. The local press described the community. Whatever their decision, the Around 301 AD, Armenia became the first Singapore by John Turnbull Thomson, 1847. This church as the project of a “public spirited church’s fate was sealed in Februa ry country in the world to adopt Christian- view shows the original chancel and the second individual” (in reference to Galastaun), 1909 when decaying beams caused the ity as the state religion after the apostle turret. All rights reserved, Hall-Jones, J. (1983). proclaiming it to be “one of the best collapse of a major balustrade, and large The Thomson Paintings: Mid-nineteenth Century Gregory converted its king, Tirdates III. Paintings of the Straits Settlements and Malaya proportioned and most elegant” buildings sections of the walls caved in. There was This would cause much strife in later (p. 43). Singapore: Oxford University Press. (Call in Penang, adding that it “reflects much no option but to raze the building, retain- years as Armenia stood between two no.: RSING 759.2 THO) credit on the Armenian population”.2 ing only the churchyard and parsonage.3 great Muslim powers: Persia and the Ottoman Empire. In the early 16th cen- tury, in his war against the Ottomans, the Persian king Shah Abbas razed the Armenian city of Julfa and deported some 25,000 Armenians to Persia (present-day Iran), mainly to his new capital Isfahan. He resettled most of the Armenians in an area that became known as New Julfa. It was the descendants of these Persian Armenians, renowned for their acumen as merchants, who subsequently settled in India and later, Java, Penang and Singapore.1 As religion was integral to their lives, these diasporic merchants built churches in their new settlements as soon as they had the means. Penang and Singapore were no exception. In 1786, Francis Light acquired the island of Penang from the Sultan of Kedah on behalf of the British East India Company (EIC) and established the settlement of George Town. The colony soon developed into a bustling entrepôt and attracted Armenian merchants from India and Java. Initially, these Armenians used the ser- vices of the Catholic and Anglican clergy for worship; however, as their numbers increased, they felt the need to have a church of their own. 36 37 BIBLIOASIA OCT – DEC 2017 Vol. 13 / Issue 03 / Feature As a memorial to the church, Arme- The Armenian Church in Singapore “This small but elegant building does nians Joseph Anthony and Arshak Sarkies great credit to the public spirit and commissioned German architect Henry The fate of the Armenian church in Singa- religious feeling of the Armenians Neubronner to design a commemorative pore took a different trajectory altogether. of this settlement; for we believe monument that was erected in 1909.4 Within a year of the establishment of a trad- that few instances could be shown Over the years, the monument as well ing post in Singapore in 1819 by Stamford where so small a community have as the garden surrounding it and the Raffles, Armenians began arriving. Initially, contributed funds sufficient for the tombstones in the graveyard became Reverend Iliazor Ingergolie travelled from erection of a similar edifice”.13 neglected, leading the press to report Penang to conduct services for the Arme- that this made a mockery of those who nian community in Singapore. But after Indeed, the church relied on a very had erected the memorial. the community grew to around 20 in 1825, small community (which never numbered In the late-1930s, the trustees of St the Armenians wrote to the Archbishop in more than 100 at its peak) to maintain it, Gregory’s Church in Singapore sold the site, Persia asking that a priest be sent to serve as well as pay for the services of a priest. on the instructions of the Mother church in their spiritual needs. In 1827, Reverend The burden of supporting the church was Persia, and the monument was demolished. Gregory Ter Johannes arrived in Singapore. one continuously faced by the Armenians In August 1937, the 20 Armenians buried in At first, Reverend Ter Johannes con- (Above) Arshak Sarkies (pictured here), along with Jo- in Penang and Singapore. In Penang, the the churchyard were re-interred in Western ducted services in the premises of an Arme- seph Anthony, commissioned German architect Henry Anthony family supported the priest for Road Cemetery (Penang’s municipal cem- nian merchant named Isaiah Zechariah, but Neubronner to design a commemorative monument many years, while in Singapore in the etery at the time) in a service conducted by soon, as in Penang, the community wanted for the Armenian Church in Penang. The monument 1930s, that task was taken on by Mrs 5 was erected in 1909. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Reverend Shamaian from Singapore. The its own church. In March 1833, Zechariah (Below) View of Government Hill, the English Burial Mary Anne Martin. money received from the sale of the church began petitioning Samuel Bonham, the In the 1840s and in 1853, the Singa- Ground and the Armenian Church in Singapore, The Armenian Church in Singapore as it looks today with major alterations made around 1853 by George land was invested in the Catchatoor Galas- Resident Councillor in Singapore, for a grant in 1840. This view shows the original dome of the pore community raised money for major Maddock – the new steeple, new east portico and the flat roof.Courtesy of the Armenian Church. taun Memorial Fund and managed by the of land. Eventually a suitable site was agreed church with the gold cross on top and the pitched modifications to the roof and dome.
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