Zhayynn James Debuts Novel on Family Legacy at Seven Wells in Madras
Anglo-Indian author Zhayynn James has debuted his historical 'faction' novel, 'The Keeper of the Wells', which explores his family's 125-year custodianship of the historic Seven Wells area in George Town, Madras. Published by Notion Press, the book is the culmination of a 20-year search for truth to preserve a family legend dating back to the Anglo-Mysore War.
The novel follows James's Irish maternal ancestor, John Nicholas, who escaped a murder charge in Ireland and arrived in Madras during the Anglo-Mysore War. In the book, Nicholas becomes entangled in political intrigue and a desperate attempt to save the city as Hyder Ali advances towards Madras.
The Seven Wells, situated in George Town, holds a significant place in the city's history as the oldest piped water supply in India. The East India Company dug the wells in 1772 to supply water to Fort St George and its neighbouring areas. Following the actions of John Nicholas, his family was entrusted with the custodianship of the wells for 125 years.
James, who works as a landscape architect and wildlife photographer, grew up hearing stories about his ancestor being imprisoned in a fort and having a connection to Seven Wells. As large family gatherings became less frequent and oral traditions began to fade, James decided to research his family tree.
His two-decade research journey took him from church archives in Chennai to the British Library in London. To verify the family legends, James consulted late historian S Muthiah, who directed him to books mentioning the stories, and historian V Sriram.
While historical records documented the outcome of Nicholas's exploits and the family's connection to Seven Wells, they contained very little about the man himself. James used these factual events as a foundation and wrote fiction to fill in his ancestor's personality and life before the achievements.
During his research, James also connected with previously unmet relatives in England and Australia through internet records, discovering they had preserved the exact same oral histories through generations. The manuscript was completed and published after James's wife stepped in last year to help publish the book.
