Dr Graham’s Homes ~ Dr Graham’s Homes

It's a fascinating tale of compassion, grit... and a little bit of rebellion. When a young Scot called John Anderson Graham arrived in the Himalayas in 1889, he was sent to primarily to preach and teach. But he soon found another calling that would alter the history of Kalimpong: the heart-breaking plight of the "Tea Garden Children". In this article, DGHUK Trustee Jim Simpson takes us back to the beginning of the Homes, and how a young couple defied the odds to turn a rented cottage into the school and sanctuary we know today.

👉 Interested in discovering more about the rich history of the Homes? You'll find lots of information and historic pictures in the Our Story section of our website.

The man who "saw the need"

Whilst those of us who have been associated with Dr Graham’s Homes over the years have a reasonable knowledge of how The Homes came about, for many of our supporters the story is worthy of the retelling now that DGH has turned 125 years old. Certainly, there are plenty of histories available on the bookshelves written by stalwarts of The Homes, and even more YouTube videos of Kalimpong and surrounding regions – Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal. So we offer here a summary, recalling our true beginnings!

From farmhand to law student

Born in September 1861, John Anderson Graham was raised on a small farm steading, Glenboig, in the then village of Cardross, just to the west of Glasgow on the northern bank of the River Clyde. Not very academic as a youngster, Graham, the boy, was soon taken out of school to help on the farm. However, the teenaged Graham quickly realised the value of an education as being vital to progressing meaningfully through life. So it was that night classes at Glasgow High School led on to starting a Law degree at Edinburgh University.

Three adventures in one week

Very soon, however, Graham felt the call of Christian ministry and quickly switched his course to one leading to a BD (Bachelor of Divinity). His proactive faith soon brought him to the notice of Reverend Dr William Charteris, whose mentoring led to a desire to work with the overseas mission. A memorable week in January 1889 saw Graham setting out upon three linked, and sequential, adventures: ordination as a Church of Scotland minister, marriage to the love of his life, Katherine Maconochie, and setting out enroute for a cross-Europe journey. eventually leading to embarkation at Marseilles, ship-bound for Calcutta and the mission fields of India.

The road to the Himalayas

On arrival in India, the Grahams duly made their way to the mission station in Darjeeling – first stopping off in Calcutta, however, to preach in St Andrew’s Church. Greeted on arrival by the head of the mission, Dr William Sutherland, the Grahams quickly found themselves directed onwards and upwards with the brief to establish a new mission area in the small town of Kalimpong, set at 4,500ft just across the Teesta Valley from Darjeeling. For their first 10 or so years, life as a missionary was as one might expect - spreading the Gospel and bring Christianity to the local populace. The way ahead seemed clear enough.

A tragedy on the doorstep

But Graham was troubled by what he saw in the byways on his travels: destitute mothers and their children, the latter clearly of mixed race. He soon realised that these were the cast-aside remnants of mixed-race liaisons, jettisoned as overseas tours ended and travellers returned to Britain, Europe and beyond. Much to the disapproval of his missionary superiors, Graham started “moonlighting”, working tirelessly to look after these souls in addition to his regular role. However, the greater Church of Scotland recognised that Graham’s extracurricular efforts were addressing a problem - that shame for which the greater Church could see no immediate solution. At last, here was someone to salve their collective conscience! Graham was given the tacit go-ahead!

Inspiration from the Clyde

Gradually, over those closing years of the 19th century, a vision developed in Graham’s mind – a vision spurred on by his recall of the work of a Scottish-based fellow traveller, William Quarrier. Quarrier’s Homes, established and thriving just across the river from Cardross, housed the neediest of children from the city slums in residential cottages under the nurture and care of cottage Aunties and Uncles. The idea of a similar “City in the Hills” here in Kalimpong began to take shape!

The first six children

So, just how did John Anderson Graham implement his Vision - for, by 24th September 1900, the dream had become an embryo of reality! That reality was crystalised in the rental of a bungalow - now renamed “Keirnander Cottage” - on the edge of Kalimpong. The occupant, Mrs Cattell-Jones, a widow with four children of her own, took into her care the first of the children whom Graham had brought into the fold. This was the advance guard of what was to materialise so very quickly in their wake! Within the next year the cottage had been added to in response to the rapid influx of close on 20 children, now looked after by a further two teachers, with a Miss Brownlee as assistant housemother.

The future takes shape!

Always dynamic and persuasive, that very first November Graham oversaw the laying of the foundation stone of the first new cottage of the “Children’s City in the Hills”. Mr James Bourdillon, First Secretary to the Government of Bengal officiated. Graham, forever making his moves shrewdly and quickly, just one year later had Mr Bourdillon return to Kalimpong, accompanied by Sir James Woodburn, President of The Homes, to open that first “home for children”, Woodburn Cottage.

Very soon to be known as “St Andrews’s Colonial Homes”, DGH was on its way! The rest, as they say, has become the history of what today we celebrate globally on 24 September - the founding of “The Homes”!

By Jim Simpson, DGHUK Trustee. An edited version of this article appeared in the DGHUK Annual Newsletter.