Chennai’s Umpherston Street: when names metamorphose

Two weeks ago you will recall that I had walked through George Town. While doing so I had kept a sharp eye on the blue street name signboards for their spellings always provide some rich material. I did think there was something wrong with Humpherson Street but did not pay much attention owing to the general chaos. Last Sunday I was back, and this time at 6.00 am. I had ample opportunity to take a proper look, and this is what I found. 

This is not the first time this street name has changed. Strictly speaking it ought to have been Umpherston Street but even in British times, as is evident from the writings of HD Love in his Vestiges of Old Madras in 1913, the street name had changed to Humpherson. An H had been added where none existed, probably because someone felt it was silent, as in honour. This contrasted with the way the Y in Yeldham vanished to make it Eldam’s Road – adding a Y in pronouncing is common in our region when a word begins with an E and clearly whoever was in charge of signboards in the 20^th century thought that was wrong.

But let us get back to Umpherston. Rather uniquely, there were according to Love, four Umpherstons in these parts towards the end of the 18^th and early years of the 19^th century. Thomas was a coachbuilder in George Town, James was a trader in Ceylon, George a livery stable keeper in Chintadripetand William a sutler (supplier of provisions to an army) at Gooty in present day Andhra. Love opines that either Thomas or James gave his name to the street, though why a trader in Sri Lanka merited being commemorated in Madras is not clear. 

Also Read | The long story of how a Dalit family once ruled the global condiment industry

There was most interestingly, a Mr. Humpherston here at the same time and he too was a sutler, unless the British too were confused with the spelling. On August 22, 1800 (Madras Day!) Humpherston came to grief at camp near Chevittygoondy, being caught while attempting to sell spirits to the sepoys of the army, contrary to orders. His cache of ‘24 dozen of rum shrub, 4 dozen of Jamaican rum and 7 dozen of English claret’ were ordered to be auctioned by Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington no less) and the proceeds remitted to the Male Orphans Asylum. Such a Humpherston was unlikely to have merited a street name. 

Our Corporation must have thought that Umbarson is enough for an obscure coachbuilder or trader depending on whether it was Thomas or James. But what is forgotten is that Umpherston Street was where a great success story of 19^thcentury Madras began. This was where P. Venkatachellum started his business of curry powders, sauces, condiments and built an empire that saw his products being sold from Europe to Australia. He was one of the few Dalit successes from Madras in business and he, like Rao Sahib MC Madurai Pillai. showed that it was sheer diligence and focus on excellence that mattered when it came to business. 

The P. Venkatachellum story would lead to his family becoming significant property owners in Madras, much of it on Greenways Road. He contributed hugely to public events and causes and not once allowed himself to be photographed. The business kept three generations at least in comfort and led to a grand daughter-in-law, Jothi, becoming a freedom fighter, a state minister and finally Governor of Kerala.

Rather than still remembering an unknown Umpherston and mangling his name, we could rename this street after P. Venkatachellum.

(Sriram V. is a writer and historian)