BENJAMIN BAILEY CLINIC

The Benjamin Bailey Clinic is known for providing high-quality medical services. Patients can expect to receive personalized and compassionate care from experienced healthcare professionals. Our power of choice is untrammelled and when nothing prevents being able to do what we like best every pleasure. Benjamin Bailey Clinic, located in the heart of Kottayam, is dedicated to delivering high-quality medical care with compassion and integrity. Our team of experienced healthcare professionals offers a wide range of services tailored to meet the individual needs of every patient. We believe in a personalized approach to healthcare—where patients are treated with respect, empathy, and professionalism. At Benjamin Bailey Clinic, we empower our patients with knowledge, uphold their right to choose, and ensure that every treatment journey is guided by trust, excellence, and care.

The Rev. Benjamin Bailey was born in Drewsbury in Yorkshire, England, in November 1791. We do not know much about his early education. But at the young age of twenty one he offered himself for missionary work under the Church Missionary Society. During the years 1812 to 1825 he received theological training for missionary work, and was ordained as deacon in the Church of England on 6 August 1815. On 27 December 1815 he was ordained as a priest by the Archbishop of York. For a brief period he served as a curate in a parish in Yorkshire. Bailey got married to Elizabeth Ella in 1816. Not long afer their marriage they were commissioned as missionaries to India. On 4 May 1816 the Baileys set sail for India in a ship called 'HERO'.

The voyage was difficult. At the Cape of Goodhope they had to wait for three weeks because of stormy weather. After a journey of four months and five days they reached Madras on 9 September 1816. In a letter to CMS, Bailey said that they had a narrow escape from shipwreck. "All expected to perish in a few moments. We lifted our heart to the Lord, and He heard our cry and delivered us from our distress."

From Madras Bailey started with his pregnant wife on 19 Octorber 1816 by land, travelling in palanquins, and reached Cochin on 16 November from where they travelled and joined Thomas Norton. Mrs. Bailey gave birth to a premature son on 3rd December. The baby survived only four days and was buried in Alleppey

On 25 March 1817 the Baileys arrived in Kottayam and started living in the old Seminary of the Orthodox Church, because their original mission was to reform and revive the ancient church in Travancore. Within a few months they moved into a new bungalow which now forms part of C.M.S. College High School buildings.

Benjamin Bailey acquired mastery over the Malayalam language within a couple of years and also studied Sanskirt and Syriac. Of the first things he did was to start the "Cotyam College" in the old seminary campus. This was the beginning of modern education in the state. English was taught for the first time in Kerala in this college along with other subjects like Mathematics, Astronomy and Geography. With the help of local scholars Bailey started translating the Bible and other English books into Malayalam. Printing was unheard of in the state at this time. Bailey imported from England a machine for his printing press. The first Malayalam book he published was a collection of stories for children translated from English. The translation of the bible progressed steadily. Bailey made a wooden press with his own hands and fashioned the round Malayalam scripts that we use today. In 1829 the complete New Testament was published, though parts of the New Testament had been printed earlier.

After fifteen years of strenuous work Bailey and his wife went home on furlough in May 1831. But by that time many tragedies had happened in the family. They had altogether seven children but three of them died while they were young. One is buried in Alleppey, and tombs of the other two are in the Cathedral cemetery.

The Baileys returned to Kottayam in July 1834. By then the collaboration between C.M.S. Missionaries anf orthodox church had ended. The missionaries started to establish a branch of Anglican church here. In all probability the Cathedral congregation had its origion in 1836 and Bailey was its first vicar. We have records of weddings and baptisms from January 1837. The foundation of our church was laid in 1839 and the church was opened for worship in 1842. The college was shifted from the Old seminary to its present site in 1838.

An action taken by Bailey and the other missionaries which had far reaching consequences for social transformation of Travancore was the emancipation of the slaves in the Munroe Island (Munrothuruth) which had been granted to them by the Travancore Government. To understand the full significance of this, we must remember that this was done long before Abraham Lincon secured freedom for the slaves in America.

The Old Testament was published in three instalments and the work was completed in 1841. Bailey also published an English-Malayalam dictionary and Malayalam-English dictionary.

After 33 years of hard labour in Lords vineyard, in his 59th year Bailey returned to England in March 1850. It is said he 'slipped away without allowing the people he loved so much to give him a formal farewell. At home he continued to serve the church as a priest. He was made a honorary Governor of the Church Missionary Society in 1857. Mrs. Bailey died in 1859, and Bailey passed away at the age of eightly, in 1871.

Benjamin Bailey's contribution to the spreading of the gospel in this country, his services to Malayalam printing and literature, the foundation he laid for modern education in the state and social transformation he initiated will long be remembered. The statue of Bailey's that stand on Shastri road was erected by the public in recognition of his invaluable services to the country and as a token of gratitude of the people.