Mary Clara Anandappa
Mary Clara Anandappa, born on April 4, 1898, was the eldest daughter of Emmanuel Anandappa and Maria Nathalia Canjemenaden. She grew up in a family of seven children. Her three brothers were Christopher Lazarus, Joseph Nicholas Anthony Emmanuel, and Lawrence Benedict Roche, while her sisters included Enid Augusta, Julia Anthonia, and Rose Angelina.
Below, you can find a copy of her birth record, verifying her birth date in 1898 and the names of her parents:
Early Life
Mary Clara Anandappa received her education at St. Bridget’s Convent and pursued her musical interests at the Trinity College of Music. As reported by the Ceylon Observer, she displayed early talent in music; at age 13, she successfully passed the “Preparatory Division” exam in 1911.
Tragically, Mary Clara faced significant losses early in her life. Her father passed away on April 8, 1915, just days after her 17th birthday. This loss was compounded eight years later when her mother also passed away, on May 11, 1923.
Marriage to A.P. Casie Chetty
Mary Clara Anandappa celebrated her marriage with Abraham Peter Casie Chetty, the youngest son of Caspar Casie Chetty and Maria Theresa Anandappa, in a ceremony held on July 2, 1917, at St. Lucia’s Cathedral.
I’m pleased to present an extract from the Ceylon Observer that details their wedding in 1917:
WEDDING
CASIE CHITTY - ANANDAPPA
The nuptials of Mr. Abraham Peter Casie Chitty, Broker of Messrs. R. Gordon & Co., and liquor merchant of Pettah, and Miss Mary Clara Anandappa, daughter of the late Mr. E. Anandappa, Broker of Messrs. Thompson Tetley & Co., were solemnised at 9 a.m. yesterday at S. Lucia's Cathedral, Kotahena by Rev. Father J B Meary, O.M.I. After Mass the register was signed, the attesting witnesses being Messrs J C Barton and M L Ramanadan (grand-father of the bride). After the ceremony at Church the bride's mother held a reception at her residence in New Chetty Street.
Connection to M.L. Ramenaden
This wedding extract sparked a research quest I’ve been on for the last year, centered around a perplexing question:
How could Mary Clara's grandfather be M.L. Ramenaden?
This is puzzling because Mary Clara’s parents were Emmanuel Anandappa and Maria Nathalia Canjemenaden - naturally, one would expect her grandfathers to bear the last names Anandappa and Canjemenaden, following traditional naming conventions.
Initial Theory
Initially, I came up with the following theory:
- Mary Clara’s maternal grandmother (Nathalia’s mother) was a Miss Ramenaden, and M.L. Ramenaden was Miss Ramenaden’s brother.
- This makes M.L. Ramenaden a grand-uncle of Mary Clara, and perhaps the newspaper simplified the relationship of grand-uncle to “grandfather”.
However, this theory was debunked by a death record of Nathalia Canjemenaden, which revealed her mother as Maria Rodrigo, not a Ramenaden as hypothesized.
New Evidence
I then discovered these below marriage records from the late 1800s that helped resolve the mystery:
- In 1879, Maria Rodrigo married Christopher Lazarus Canjemenaden - this is Mary Clara’s maternal grandparents!
- In 1884, Maria Rodrigo, now a widow, remarried to Mariano Laity Ramenaden
It appears that Maria Rodrigo’s first husband (Nathalia’s father), Christopher Lazarus Canjemenaden, passed away early, leading Maria Rodrigo to remarry Mariano Laity Ramenaden. Thus, “M.L. Ramenaden” became Mary Clara’s step-grandfather, clarifying the reference in the newspaper!
Family Life
Together, Mary Clara Anandappa and Abraham Peter Casie Chetty had 5 children:
- Beda Lourdes Therese Marcelline
- Anthony Mervyn Remington
- Emmanuel Joseph Gasper “Joy”
- Annabelle Mary Nathalia Rasappopathy “Rajie”
- Marie Hyacinth Genevieve Antoinette
- Queenie Bertha Immaculate
In 1952, Mary Clara faced the loss of her husband. Nevertheless, she persevered for nearly thirty more years, witnessing many momentous occasions in her children’s lives, including the joy of welcoming numerous grandchildren. Her journey came to a peaceful end in 1980, when she passed away at the age of 82.
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