A Family from Usan:Information about Warren Thambapillai Asirwatham
Teacher,Reidberg coll. Warren Thambapillai Asirwatham (b. 1876, d. 1965)
W.T.Asirwatham and Kanmani |
Warren Thambapillai Asirwatham (son of Vinnayagar Varithamby Asirwatham and Mareya Thangamma) was born 1876 in Usan,Sri Lanka, and died 1965 in Jaffna.He married Eliza Kanmani Mann on 29 Oct 1906 in Uduvil, Jaffna.
Notes for Warren Thambapillai Asirwatham:
Thambappillai is the eldest son of Variththamby. He grew up in Usan studied atthe Jaffna College and was a contemporary of Allan Abraham (the person who predicted that the Hailes comet would not fall on the earth when many thought otherwise), Cannon Somasundaram and Sir Vaithilingam Duraisamy. He had a first in arts qualification from the University of Calcutta and was one of the most qualified teachers in the peninsula. Thambappillai and his brothers were day schoolers at the Jaffna college and used to walk 22 miles to Jaffna college on Sunday evenings and return the same distance on Friday evenings. On completing his education Thambappillai opted to be a teacher and taught at Trincomalee, Uddupddy, Sangaththanai Hindu college and finally at Drieberg college for approximately 20 years during which time he was promoted as acting headmaster. He retired in 1932 after teaching for almost 40 years. While teaching he lived at the teachers quarters at Reidberg college, Kandiah master lived in the other quarters. He taught Mathematics , English and Latin inwhich he was very fluent. He built a house at Point Pedro Road, Chavakachcheri after retiring but lived there for only an year as he decided to move to Thunavi close to Vaddukoddai that his children could go to school from there. Once his elder sons found employment in Colombo the family moved with them. He lived at Laurice road, Bambalapitiya, however, he could not resist his dream to serve and joined the CPM as a full time worker and was posted to Hambantota. Two years later, his vision was deteriorating from cataract and he could not see and moved back to Jaffna. At an ashram at Marudanamadam Rev.Selvaratnamhad informed him of a Swedish mission in South India where he could treat his eyes and Thambappillai went to India with his youngest son Gnany and had surgery to both his eyes. He could now see. He went back to Sanguvely to live, and later movedto Columbuththurai in 1941 where he lived another 15 years. He was tutoring English. He had the domestic help of Chellian and Albert whom the family had adopted from Badulla. Chellian treated him and Kanmani like his own parents. Thambappillai later moved to ahouse near the Pungmkulam station as he had to vacate the Columbuththurai house . It was close to the Arialai Railway Station past the Chundikuli CPM. He died of old age. He was buried at a cemetery close to the Jaffna Fort.
More About Warren Thambapillai Asirwatham and Eliza Kanmani Mann:
Marriage: 29 Oct 1906, Uduvil, Jaffna.
Children of Warren Thambapillai Asirwatham and Eliza Kanmani Mann are:
- +Mercy Ariapooshanam Asirwatham, b. 25 Feb 1914, Jaffna, d. 1944, Jaffna,Sri lanka.
- +Joseph Asirwartham Selvanayagam, b. 07 Jun 1916, Jaffna, d. 2004, Connecticut,U.S.A.
- +Samuel Rajanayagam Asirwatham, b. 17 May 1918, Innuvil Hospital, Jaffna, d. 30 May 1997, Boston,U.S.A.
- +David Ariyanayagam Aseerwatham, b. 04 Sep 1921, Usan, d. 14 Jul 1984, Colombo,Sri Lanka.
- +John Gnanaretnam Aseerwatham, b. 29 Mar 1924, Jaffna.