Scot traces his roots to Kerala
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Kottayam: For Graham Broad, a former geography teacher with the Gorgonstown school, Scotland, his visit to the cemetery of the St George CSI Church, Pallikkunnu near Peerumedu, recently was a hugely personal moment as it was where his maternal grandfather and great grandfather are buried.
“I have wanted to visit the cemetery for a long time, but have not been able to due to various preoccupations,” he said, explaining that his great grandfather was Rev Henry Baker, the first missionary priest of the high range, who died in 1866 and was buried in the St George church cemetery.
Thirty three years later his son, Alfred George Baker, too was buried at the same cemetery in 1899. Graham Broad, who is the son of Beatrice, daughter of Alfred George Baker, learnt all the details about his ancestors' stay in Kerala from `The Path to the Hills' written by George Abraham Pottankulam, a historian and planter from Mundakkayam.
“This has been the realisation of a long cherished dream. Although I knew my roots were here, I came to know the accurate details while leafing through the book. I feel very humbled by the great deeds of my grandfather, and I will visit here again,” he promised. The cemetery at the church is the burial place of almost 31 British nationals, who introduced tea cultivation in the high range.
Graham Broad, who was accompanied by his wife, Carleen, a former teacher of French at the same school where he taught, left for Scotland last Thursday after an almost ten-day stay in Kerala.
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