A Parasite in Paradise
Let me begin with my unequivocal statement that this dreadful woman was one of the cruellest, nastiest characters it was my misfortune to come across. Even though my contact with her ceased in 1961, when I reached the age of 9, I can say categorically that the treatment she dished out would have landed her in jail had she been caught. Demonstrably, she can be described as British scum left in India after 15 August 1947. She was not Anglo-Indian or Eurasian but decidedly ‘white British’. It is astonishing to note that the woman had no qualification whatsoever to be on the staff in any capacity. For some reason she was kept on as a ‘steward’ in Prep School. Here, she was in charge of the kitchen and dining room including supervising children at meal times. The food served was South Indian and she, being English, wouldn’t have known anything about such food. All she knew was to ring the bell that was a signal for us to stand up and then recite grace which was simple ‘For What We Are About To Receive, May The Lord Make Us Truly Grateful’! That’s it, that was the extent of skill she possessed but beating 6 year old Indian boys came naturally to her as it did to the one son of hers that I had the misfortune to encounter, Trevor. She had no connection with any culture, particularly not Indian Hindu culture, she knew nothing about the Hindu religion, and her whole life was spent with low grade, low skill, low class Britishers who were in India to rule!
At the time of Independence, this dreadful woman was 36 years old, her only contacts with Hindu Indians would have been as a ruler and beating little Indian children would have been something that she did as a matter of course! After all, it wasn’t because such British scum was nice that India fought for and became Independent! Sadly, Independence didn’t alter her life one bit! She struck gold as those at the receiving end of her beatings were little Indian children and she was still ensconced in what was to all intents and purposes an Anglo-Indian colony!
So here is her History:
Phyllis Edith Fowles’ connection with the Nilgiri Hills go back to her husband’s grandfather Archibald Benjamin Hart, described as a Schoolmaster on the date of his marriage, i.e., 29 January 1879. The schoolmaster thus described was posted to LSL, Lovedale. Her father-in-law William was certainly posted at Lovedale, working as a carpentry instructor in 1913. Clarence, her husband was admitted to the school on 14 October 1927.
In itself, the connection set out above shows the solid, albeit low grade colonial attachment to the school but Lovedale virtually became a Fowles/Neale bastion as evidenced by the following facts:
6 of Phyllis Fowles siblings had their education in Lovedale, paid for by already exploited Indian taxpayers: viz:
- Cyril Neale admitted on 12 August 1913
- Albert Neale admitted on 12 August 1913
- Curtis Neale admitted on 12 August 1913
- Phyllis Neale admitted on 12 July 1921 and 7 June 1923*, yes the same Phyllis Neal who became Mrs Fowles!
- Basil Neale admitted 13 February 1925 and 2 March 1931*
- Lily Neale admitted 2 March 1931
- Hazel Neale admitted 2 March 1931
* The two dates of admission for Phyllis and Basil results from accompanying daddy being posted to other locations.
It is clear that one Lawrencian, Phyllis Neale met another Lawrencian Clarence Fowles while still at school, (the latter happened to be the son of the Lawrence School’s carpentry instructor William Herbert Fowles), married him and the sponging off the State and bullying continued for decades!
See below information relating to Cyril and Albert Neale:
Here is an extract from Glimpses of a Glorious Past written by Prem Rao, who was a year senior to me:
PRESENTATION OF COLOURS
TO THE SCHOOL BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT AND STATHEARN , K. G.
On Saturday , January 15th, 1921.
The colour party now advanced, the Principal handed the King’s colour to H.R.H. from whom Albert Neale
received it kneeling. The school colour was similarly received by Cyril Neale.
H.R.H. then spoke as follows:-
“ It is a great pleasure to me to present these colours to the Lawrence Memorial School for I well know how
close and honourable is the connection that binds you to the British Army.
I congratulate your Principal and your Officers on the distinguished record your school has achieved and on
the very smart and workman like appearance of the cadets whom I see before me now. I trust you will look upon these colours as the emblem of your duty to your school and country and I hope that many of those who are henceforth to serve under these colours will live to serve, The King Emperor with honour and distinction in the larger spheres of life.” Note: Cyril’s son Christopher Neal, born in 1943 (see Birth Certificate attached) also joined the school. He was mentioned in the Old Lawrencian of 1958. It is important to observe the occupation of Cyril: Assistant Collector at Karagoda, which I gather may be in Sri Lanka. Thus exploitation by way of exorbitant tax collections by these colonial exploiters continued!
The mention of connection to the British Army and the fact that the British flag was received on bended knee and the subsequent exhorting of the Duke to serve the King Emperor is proof positive that the whole family’s loyalty was to Britain, not India and that remained so well after Independence!
It is no wonder Phyllis remained at the school! She was living on ‘freebies’ as were her three children.
In summary, monster Phyllis Edith Fowles not only married an Old Lawrencian, Clarence William Fowles, but her father-in-law William Herbert Fowles was also a carpentry master in Lawrence School. It follows that William Herbert Fowles the carpentry instructor was paid, housed and fed by Indian taxpayers through Lawrence School, his son Clarence Fowles was housed, educated and fed by Indian taxpayers through Lawrence School, Clarence’s wife Phyllis and her 6 siblings were paid, accommodated and fed by Indian taxpayers through Lawrence School, three children of this dreadful woman were also accommodated, educated, fed and clothed by Indian taxpayers through Lawrence School and her way of expressing gratitude? Beating little Hindu boys!
Merle Anita Louisa Fowles, daughter of Phyllis was admitted to Lawrence School on 4 February 1953. Two other offspring were also admitted, Terence Ian Fowles on 4 February 1953 and Trevor Alan Fowles on 12 February 1954.
Effectively, Phyllis Edith Fowles had wormed her way into Lawrence School long after she should have been booted out. It is likely that her father-in-law William Herbert Fowles had some lingering influence as he was the carpentry instructor and both, she and her husband were Old Lawrencians as were her 6 siblings. In the time I was in Lovedale, I never ever heard what happened to Clarence William; it is entirely possible he had died, or had abandoned his wife and children.
K.I. Thomas was the Headmaster of Lawrence School and in the great churn when unskilled Anglo-Indians such as Gonzaga were got rid of, he should have got rid of Phyllis Edith Fowles. She wasn’t Indian, she wasn’t even an Anglo-Indian, she had no qualifications, either in child care or catering, she had no experience of managing a kitchen catering for mainly Hindu Indian boys and girls but for some reason, he kept her on. Thus, for over a decade after Independence, this dreadful woman, acting as if the British still ruled India continued the sponging tradition laid down by her ancestors and passed on the tradition to her children.
As well as latching on to Lawrence School like a limpet mine, she was ensconced in what can only be described as paradise in that the school premises were beautiful, the Nilgiri Hills were beautiful, the climate totally agreeable and all this merely for being a white woman! K.I. Thomas could have and should have got someone far better qualified. He made the hardship faced by a single white woman in Independent India the school’s problem as a result of which I and many others suffered a harsh life when we were mere urchins!
She often slapped me claiming such nonsense as I was laughing during grace which she supervised, she made me eat porridge into which a fly had dropped dead, she tried to make me eat meat even though she knew I was a vegetarian (even as a 6 year old, I was just about able to avoid that notwithstanding threats of a severe beating), and she was generally so unpleasant as to put the fear of God merely on meeting her even accidentally!
I met one or two ‘older’ Old Lawrencians who were classmates of Merle who I understand emigrated to Canada but seems to be back in Britain now. I was also reliably informed that Terence boarded a ship SS Strahaird sailing from Bombay to England, to avoid the long arm of the law!
Her last offspring, Trevor followed in his mother’s footsteps. He should have been in Senior School but, as his mother was accommodated in Prep School, and he being a ‘day scholar’ was also in that accommodation. This enabled Trevor to simply turn up within Prep School and ‘beat the crap’ out of anybody he felt like, knowing full well that he had his mother’s protection! I know; I was at the receiving end of his beatings and that was shortly after I had arrived as a 6 year old!
The last I heard about Phyllis Edith Fowles was that she was leading a quite life at a seaside town in England and in the mid 90s was reaching a century in age. Her children had left school and therefore she had no reason to stay on. Having no skill and with advancing age, I have no reason to doubt that she was living on Social Security financed by British taxpayers such as myself!
Below is the letter Phyllis Edith Fowles wrote to my father when she had taken charge of us youngsters during the June Holidays when all other staff had also left on holiday. Phyllis Edith Fowles had nowhere to go, the school accommodation being her only abode. The letter gives the completely misleading impression that I was happy ; I wasn’t! How, though, does a 6 year old communicate unhappiness to one’s parents?
Death Certificate of Archibald Benjamin Hart, grandfather-in-law of Phyllis Fowles. Died of cancer on 19 October 1902 and buried in Coonoor
Birth/Baptism details of Christopher Howard Neal, nephew of Phyllis Fowles, mentioned in the ‘Old Lawrencian’ 1958 the year I joined.