Ben's Garden
16/75, Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar (Chamier's) Road |
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John de Monte was a Portuguese businessman who arrived in Madras from French Pondicherry in the early 1800s. He was successful in business and became wealthy. It was around this time that he bought from George Moubray the house and 105 acres known then as Moubray's Gardens. These acres stretched from today's Chamier's Road down to the Adyar River and from Turnbull's Road to Chamier's Road extension and Pugh's Road, which leads it to the river.
John de Monte left a will, which, apart from bequests, stated that "none of my landed property, nor any part of my Plate, Furniture and Fixtures shall be sold." The management of the properties and the disbursement of its income – to "Orphans, Widows and distressed Families... and also Charity Schools" – was to be undertaken by the Bishop or Vicar General of St. Thomé and his successors. Whenever parts of it were sold, it was by court order. Ben's Gardens, the largest remaining part of the property, is in extent about 9 acres. It was, till 1996, occupied by the Partners and, later, the senior executives of Parry & Co. The oldest house in the middle of this estate could well have been the original garden house in Ben's Gardens. Later, three or four more houses were built on the leased property, quite possibly by Parry & Co. A resident of Ben's Gardens were the first to own a motor car in Madras.
It is not clear as to what the Church plans to do with this property now.
(Courtesy: KALAMKRIYA)
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