Daniel Poor
Encyclopedia
Daniel Poor was a Presbyterian missionary and educator, founder of the first English School in Jaffna
, Sri Lanka
.
Poor graduated at Phillips Academy, Andover in 1805 and Dartmouth in 1811, and at Andover Theological Seminary in 1814 at the age of twenty-five. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church at Newburyport, Massachusetts
in June 1815.
He married Susan Bulfinch of Salem, Massachusetts
on October 9, 1815 and two weeks after their wedding left for Ceylon on October 23, 1815. He visited with Rev. William Bentley of Salem, a great linguist, who was not impressed with Poor's intentions or abilities. The Poors were accompanied by two more missionary couples James Richards and his wife, as well as Benjamin C. Meigs and his wife and a young bachelor clergyman named Edward Warren. They arrived in Colombo
on March 22, 1816 and moved to the Jaffna Peninsula
thereafter. The Poors and Edward Warren settled in Tellippalai
on 16 October 1816.
Poor pioneered the English education service to Tellippalai
and its adjoining villages is magnanimous and admirable and to be remembered for ever by the poor, middle and the upper class folks of the region who had an advantage of high-standard education over the other rural areas of the Jaffna peninsula in the 19th century.
Though the American missionaries came with dedication and fanaticism to spread Christianity, they did not confine themselves strictly and fully to evangelism alone; they were keen to impart a liberal education. Immediately after landing in Colombo in 1813 Rev. Samuel Newell got a charter from the British governor to impart a primary education service to the public in the parched north. They were forbidden to engage in higher education. But, in contrast to the American missionaries, the Methodist missionaries, stationed in the Jaffna fort, took about four years to comprehend that they could not convert natives to Christianity without schools and in 1817 Rev. James Lynch applied for permission to their Head Office in England to establish schools. But Poor was able to commence his education service at Tellippalai without any impediment in 1816.
On 9 December 1816, Poor founded the ‘Common Free School’ in the ‘Dutch Hall’ that had been infested with poisonous serpents when Rev. Samuel Newel stepped into the compound in 1813. ‘The Common Free School’ was the first English school
founded in Jaffna. In 1818 Poor converted the school into ‘Family Boarding School’ again the first of its kind to Jaffna. The school started with six students. The first student Samuel Lochester completed his studies in 1828 and got an appointment as a teacher in the same school. Also, Poor was the first principal to admit girls and dalith students to a school. Among the five girls first admitted to the school, one Miranda Sellathurai was from the dalith class. In 1821 the total number on roll was 11 boys and 3 girls.
Poor began to preach through an interpreter, but his progress in Tamil
was so rapid that he spoke the language freely in less than a year. His wife Susan died at Tellipalai on May 7, 1821, after giving birth to one son and two daughters. Of the other three missionary colleagues, Edward Warren who was of fragile health, died in South Africa after leaving Colombo in April 1818. While at Tellippali, he treated sick people and taught not only English but also the Tamil language to the natives. James Richard, who accompanied Warren to Cape Town, remained there until Nov.25, 1818 and returned to Jaffna. He survived for three more years, and died on August 3, 1822.
Poor then married Ann Knight of England, on January 21, 1823. Poor moved to Vaddukoddai
where he founded a boarding school for boys. This school became an important educational centre for the entire region, and succeeded in sending out well-trained teachers and Bishops to schools and churches. He was given the degree of D. D. by Dartmouth in 1835. He was transferred to Madurai
, India
in 1836, where he founded thirty-seven schools that he visited in succession, and frequently addressed from horse-back to crowds of adult natives. He returned to his original station at Tellippalai in 1841. In 1848 he visited the United States where he created a profound impression with his able and eloquent advocacy of the cause of missions.
Poor returned to Jaffna again in 1850 and continued his work at Manipay until he fell a victim to the cholera
epidemic which struck the peninsula disastrously in 1855.
Poor had performed a noble service to Tellippalai in the fields of English education, the Tamil language and social advancement; he deserves to be celebrated in a grand way, if not possible annually, at least once a century.
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
Poor graduated at Phillips Academy, Andover in 1805 and Dartmouth in 1811, and at Andover Theological Seminary in 1814 at the age of twenty-five. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church at Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
in June 1815.
He married Susan Bulfinch of Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
on October 9, 1815 and two weeks after their wedding left for Ceylon on October 23, 1815. He visited with Rev. William Bentley of Salem, a great linguist, who was not impressed with Poor's intentions or abilities. The Poors were accompanied by two more missionary couples James Richards and his wife, as well as Benjamin C. Meigs and his wife and a young bachelor clergyman named Edward Warren. They arrived in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
on March 22, 1816 and moved to the Jaffna Peninsula
Jaffna Peninsula
The Jaffna Peninsula is an area in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is home to the capital city of the province, Jaffna and comprises much of the former land mass of the ancient Tamil kingdoms of the Nagas and the medieval Jaffna kingdom. The peninsula is mostly surrounded by water, connected to...
thereafter. The Poors and Edward Warren settled in Tellippalai
Tellippalai
Tellippalai or Thellippalai is a small town in the northern Jaffna District of Sri Lanka.It was a mission location when the American Ceylon Mission came to Sri Lanka in the 19th century. It was known as Tillipally in ACM documents...
on 16 October 1816.
Poor pioneered the English education service to Tellippalai
Tellippalai
Tellippalai or Thellippalai is a small town in the northern Jaffna District of Sri Lanka.It was a mission location when the American Ceylon Mission came to Sri Lanka in the 19th century. It was known as Tillipally in ACM documents...
and its adjoining villages is magnanimous and admirable and to be remembered for ever by the poor, middle and the upper class folks of the region who had an advantage of high-standard education over the other rural areas of the Jaffna peninsula in the 19th century.
Though the American missionaries came with dedication and fanaticism to spread Christianity, they did not confine themselves strictly and fully to evangelism alone; they were keen to impart a liberal education. Immediately after landing in Colombo in 1813 Rev. Samuel Newell got a charter from the British governor to impart a primary education service to the public in the parched north. They were forbidden to engage in higher education. But, in contrast to the American missionaries, the Methodist missionaries, stationed in the Jaffna fort, took about four years to comprehend that they could not convert natives to Christianity without schools and in 1817 Rev. James Lynch applied for permission to their Head Office in England to establish schools. But Poor was able to commence his education service at Tellippalai without any impediment in 1816.
On 9 December 1816, Poor founded the ‘Common Free School’ in the ‘Dutch Hall’ that had been infested with poisonous serpents when Rev. Samuel Newel stepped into the compound in 1813. ‘The Common Free School’ was the first English school
founded in Jaffna. In 1818 Poor converted the school into ‘Family Boarding School’ again the first of its kind to Jaffna. The school started with six students. The first student Samuel Lochester completed his studies in 1828 and got an appointment as a teacher in the same school. Also, Poor was the first principal to admit girls and dalith students to a school. Among the five girls first admitted to the school, one Miranda Sellathurai was from the dalith class. In 1821 the total number on roll was 11 boys and 3 girls.
Poor began to preach through an interpreter, but his progress in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
was so rapid that he spoke the language freely in less than a year. His wife Susan died at Tellipalai on May 7, 1821, after giving birth to one son and two daughters. Of the other three missionary colleagues, Edward Warren who was of fragile health, died in South Africa after leaving Colombo in April 1818. While at Tellippali, he treated sick people and taught not only English but also the Tamil language to the natives. James Richard, who accompanied Warren to Cape Town, remained there until Nov.25, 1818 and returned to Jaffna. He survived for three more years, and died on August 3, 1822.
Poor then married Ann Knight of England, on January 21, 1823. Poor moved to Vaddukoddai
Vaddukoddai
Vaddukoddai is small but important town in the minority Sri Lankan Tamil dominated Jaffna peninsula of Sri Lanka...
where he founded a boarding school for boys. This school became an important educational centre for the entire region, and succeeded in sending out well-trained teachers and Bishops to schools and churches. He was given the degree of D. D. by Dartmouth in 1835. He was transferred to Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1836, where he founded thirty-seven schools that he visited in succession, and frequently addressed from horse-back to crowds of adult natives. He returned to his original station at Tellippalai in 1841. In 1848 he visited the United States where he created a profound impression with his able and eloquent advocacy of the cause of missions.
Poor returned to Jaffna again in 1850 and continued his work at Manipay until he fell a victim to the cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic which struck the peninsula disastrously in 1855.
Poor had performed a noble service to Tellippalai in the fields of English education, the Tamil language and social advancement; he deserves to be celebrated in a grand way, if not possible annually, at least once a century.