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eager to have marriage alliance with the Placherils. Kurian settled in Kaipuzha along with
Mariam. They had one son and two daughters. One of the daughters was given in
marriage to Kunjumathan of Vanchipurackal; however she died early, and without
children. The other daughter was married to Methredathu. The only son, born in 1858,
was named Kochokan. (Kochokan is a name seemingly derived from Augon which is the
Greek name for Eugene, meaning " well-born". Most Christian names in Kerala can be
traced to Aramaic, Greek, or Armenian roots. Biblical and Evangelical names were most
common. Thus Kurian probably comes from the Greek word Kyrios - Lord-) Kochokan
married Ilachi of Erikatt in Kudallore. They had two daughters and three sons. Kochokan
was a very capable person, a hard taskmaster and a harsh disciplinarian. His property, as
in the case of landlords of the time, extended beyond the lands and fields to animals and
chattels among which were counted bonded servants, tenants, and the women, including
his own wife and daughters in law. The landlords had absolute powers over their property
and people.

A devout Catholic (as were others in his time) he did not see any contradiction in his
behavior towards his chattels and his religion. Stories abound of his short temper. His
wife had to heat a hot plate of herbal ointment for Kochokan and massage him using the
warm oil. . In the midst of all her other preoccupations, she did not realize that the oil
was a bit too hot for his comfort. As she gently massaged him with the hot oil, he was
infuriated at the excessive heat, picked up the hot oil pan, and placed it on her back. Her
back burned and she was branded forever.

Kochokan would not allow anything to be consumed without his sanction. His sons
lovingly nurtured a banana tree and kept the banana bunch in the smoke room to ripen.
One of them ate a banana from the bunch and the father whipped all three boys for the
transgression. He would get under the blanket at the first sight of the dark clouds which
presaged rains.

Ilachi’s children remembered their mother with great fondness and the grandchildren
thought the world of her too. The eldest of the girls was Mariamma, born in 1895. She
joined the visitation Convent and assumed the name of Sr. Nicholas. At the early age of
23, on January 1, 1918, she died. Achamma and her twin were born in 1900. At the age
of two, the twin sister went looking for her mother, and accidentally drowned in the
Tharayil canal. Achamma, grew up to be a beauty, with red lips, and was given in
marriage to Kunjurula Tharayil. She had four children: Kunjeppu, Luka, Chacko and
Achamma, (born Mary). Chacko died at the age of one. Achamma (senior) was the
darling of her brothers. It was said that the Chevalier (Tharayil Madambi) once asked her
to sit on the floor as one of the other daughters-in-law had brought a bigger dowry than
Achamma. One had given only Rs.500, whereas the other had given double that as
dowry. Achamma went home to Pathyil, a short walk away, crying about the demeaning
treatment. Thereupon her father and brothers, upset over the humiliation to their darling
sister, looked around for enough money to match whatever was given by others. Since Sr.
Nicholas had died before her perpetual profession in the Visitation Convent, the
Visitation Convent authorities had asked Kochokan to collect the money and articles
given to the Congregation. Kochokan had refused to take back what was given to the

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