Church visits in Ajmer

3/1/12

This afternoon was the chance to explore Ajmer and in particular to visit the Robson Memorial Church where JWD would have preached regularly. There was no particular list of past ministers to consult, but the Presbytery in Charge was kind enough to dig out the old baptismal registers and the old marriage registers for the relevant years, and sure enough we found the evidence. See accompanying pictures. I hope you can zoom in on them. Later we visited St Mary's Church which is also of course now CNI but in JWD's time it was Episcopal and in one of his letters to his father RJD he tells the tale of his colleague and friend Rev. John Stirling being invited to preach in St Marys and how he drove Mrs Stirling and I think one other person to be there to hear John and be a good support on the occasion. Later in the afternoon we visited the home of my constant guide while in Ajmer, Paul Theodore. His famiily home was his grandfather's home to begin with and has been expanded in stages to accommodate he and his three brothers and their families - a real ancestral home with the full living together of siblings and their families. Later we visited and had tea with a good friend of all missionaries to Rajasthan, in particular a friend to Agnes Smith and her late husband Ewing Smith and their children, Peter David. His aunt Ruby I missed because she is currently staying with her daughter in Delhi. Here are a few pictures. 

  Bishop Warris Masih with the team of church leaders at Robson Memorial Church

 One page of the Marriage Register

 One page from the Baptismal Register

Outside of Robson Memorial Church

 Symbol at top of window represented the Church of Scotland

The Presbyter and Assitant Presbyter of Robson Memorial Church (names to confirm later)

At the foundation stone of St Mary's Church beneath the altar on the outside of the building. The 127 represents the fact that the property was originally a railway property and this was the lot number

Inside St Mary's Church, Ajmer

Paul with his wife, son-in-law, granddaughter and Bishop Warris

Peter David outside his home which doubles as his music studio where he directs a music academy