"My mother came to Colwyn Bay from South India in 1920. A contemporary remembers her arrival: 'I was asked to be her friend, as she knew no-one here. I was so excited to meet her - aged four, she was dressed in a bright red coat which had been made for her to keep out the cold. She smiled a lot and never complained.'
Blown to Wales like a seed, uprooted from her original birthplace of Mysore, Manikam Sumetra's story was a mixture of tragedy and luck. In 1916, her Brahmin Hindu parents were on a pilgrimage, to a shrine. They stopped at the Holdsworth Memorial Hospital with their ailing baby girl, just a few hours old, and asked the Methodist missionary to look after her until they came back.
Sister Ethel Tomkinson duly took the baby and nursed her to health. Manikam's parents never returned. Whether the baby girl was just one mouth too many to feed, or one of unlucky twins - a common belief in India - or whether something befell them on their journey, nobody will ever know.
Out of the hundreds of orphaned children Sister Ethel nursed, this one was destined for a very different fate. As she was a Brahmin, or member of the priestly caste, the local priests came to the hospital to ask if they could take Manikam to perform Barat Natyam, the devotional South Indian temple dance.
Fearing that this life would also be one of prostitution and with war raging in Europe, Sister Ethel decided to take Manikam to her own family in Wales.
Travelling under the protection of the British Raj, with a green passport signed with a thumb-print as she was too young to write her own name, Manikam became Monica and made the long journey from South India, by ship. She was never formally adopted.
The Tomkinsons of Colwyn Bay were Methodist printers. Monica flourished in an atmosphere of love and security, looked after by Ethel's younger sister Ida, after Ethel returned to South India to carry on her work. The family enjoyed respect and status in their community and little appeared to be made of their adoption of an Indian child. Monica would have been a rare sight in Colwyn Bay, in the twenties, despite her bobbed haircut and Western dress, but she was popular and happy.
My mother loved North Wales and there she remained, the seed securely planted. She had six children, some of whom have since moved away with their families, some of whom remain. None of us can venture out into a Colwyn Bay street without being recognised as Monica's offspring.
Although it is 82 years since she came to Wales and 14 years since she died, the story of the little Indian girl who found her way into the hearts of both a family and a community, lives on through us, her family, who are proud to call North Wales our home."
Susheela Lourie MBE is chair of North East Wales Racial Equality Network, 11-13 Wynnstay Road, Colwyn Bay LL29 8NB. Tel: 01492 535850.
your comments
M Morris from bangor
Well done Susheela. A lovely story. But I am puzzled:Monica was to all intents and purposes Welsh, as are her children, so why all the publicity about her daughter being Indian in the honours list, and in the Indian papers and the Indian High Commission?
Thu Aug 7 10:19:32 2008
Edna JonesSheffieldS.Yorksformerly ColwynBay
I lived in the West End for many years and remember Mr.& Mrs Howerth so well, our family visited their shop often.We lived in the house behind Francis Garage as it was then, happy memories of your family.
Tue May 29 09:29:55 2007
Gani Sumitri-Mills Datchet Berkshire
Sadly our darling sister died in Australia in June this year. Her husband, her three sons and two grandsons and our middle son came over for a wonderful memorial service in Colwyn Bay in Sept organised by our sister Susheela Lourie. The service was a glorious celebration of her life. Susheela and I went to Australia to be with Suni in April and May which was just before she died. She is so very sadly missed. THank you to all those who attended the service and many of you were our past Pendorlan School pals. We all have loving memories of Suni.
Mon Oct 30 10:04:22 2006
Christine Roberts nee Tina Scott
This is a lovely story and I remember Suna, Gani and Ranee from Pendorlan school. I also remember your mother from Howarth's Newsagents in Brompton Avenue. When I lived in Craig-y-Don Ranee and Alan and their boys came and lived in the same road. I have a picture of them when it was the Queen's Jubilee we had a party in St. John's Church Hall Craig-y-Don and after had races for the children in the road. I have seen Ranee on occasions since but not Suna or Gani.
Fri May 5 15:58:52 2006
Gani Sumitri-Mills
I think I remember you and I knew you as David James, brother of Ann who once lived in Yerbrugh Ave West End. I am delighted to hear that your family remember us and we are all well. I live in London near Windsor with my husband Chris and one of our three sons, Oliver. Suna lives with her family in Perth W. Australia and Susheela lives in a village near Denbigh with her husband Phil who is a very accomplished instrument maker. Ranee lives in Rhos on Sea with her husband Alan. The family actually has mushroomed to many and we are all in touch with each other, our half brothers Stephen and Nicholas have families and live in this country. Good to hear from you and to hear you keep in touch with the goings on in North Wales.
Sat Jan 7 11:40:39 2006
Catrin Dempsey
My recollections of my birthplace, Colwyn Bay, are vague as I left when I was three. But I remember my father, a local teacher David Lewis Iorwerth Davies, and my mother Eiralys used to talk very fondly of an Indian family. The name Gani does ring a bell. Would this be the same family?
Sat Jan 8 03:22:45 2005
Christine Roberts (Glan Conwy)
My mother lived at the West End of Colwyn Bay and your family ran the paper shop. I remember all the girls - they were very pretty. One of you married and went to live in Australia - I can't remember which one. Lovely story.
Sat Aug 21 17:17:29 2004
Dave Owen, formerly Mochdre
Are you the sister of Araganha who lived at the top of the street opposite the garage in Mochdre? Our family remember you. I think you were in school with my sister Ann.
Wed Oct 1 16:39:50 2003
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