Trichinopoly Rayalu Arakiaswamy Thumboo Chetty was born of Catholic parents in April 1837. His father, Desayi Royalu Chetti Garu, was the head of his caste. He was an honourable and upright man, well versed in accounts and highly respected by the Native Christian community in Madras. His mother, whose maiden name was Kitheri Ummah (or Catherine), was a woman of great piety; mildness, courtesy and serenity marked her life ; and to her care and prayers in his tender years, Thumboo owed the correction of the froward propensities peculiar to childhood.

He was the sixth child in his family; he had three elder sisters and one younger brother and a sister, all of whom lived long enough to see his progress and advancement and to realise the prediction of his beloved mother made at his birth, namely, " The sixth, being male, will rise to be a great man and rule over people? He had, however, the misfortune to lose both his parents at the very early age of twelve, but he was brought up, with great care and attention, by no less than five executors to whom the probate of his mother's Will was granted by the Madras High Court, the principal of whom afterwards became his father-in-law. (page 1; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Thumboo’s marriage

Thumboo’s marriage was celebrated (~ 1861), with great éclat, in the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Refuge in Pophan’s Broadway, Madras, of which the young couple were special benefactors and in which the exceedingly beautiful golden alter (their subsequent gift) stands to this day admired for its excellent workmanship. After returning from the church in a grand procession, accompanied by a large number of relations and friends and residents of the town of Madras, the ceremonies and festivities at home were performed and kept up as usual for seven days, terminating with the feeding of the poor and the presentation of cloths—two of the largest items of expenditure in a Hindu marriage – which generally entail a large cost and considered unavoidable even in poor families, tradition enjoining the same as a work of exemplary charity on such joyous occasions. (page 13; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Father and mother of T. R. A. Thumboo chetty

Rayel Chetty and kitteriammalle

Brother and Sisters of T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty

T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty had three elder sisters and one younger brother and sister, all of whom lived long enough to see his progress and advancement.

1. Condammalle married Savarirayal Chetty

2. Sinnammalle married Ponouchetty

3. Peria Ammahy married Arokiassamy Chetty

4. Girl

5. Girl

6. T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty married Rajamma

7. Sinna Ammahy married Arokiassamy Chetty

8. Girl

9. T. R. Dannassammy Chetty married Tayammalle

Children of T.R. A. Thumboo Chetty

While employed in the Legislative Department Thumboo Chetty's eldest son was born and was called after the grandfather's name, Royalu Chetty, at whose christening there was great rejoicing. (page 17; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Thumboo Chetty’s advent into Mysore was also contemporaneous with the birth of his eldest daughter named Amarapathy, who bore a remarkable resemblance to her mother. (page 23; T. Royaloo Chetty)

In June 1868, Mr. Thumboo Chetty's second son, Dharma Raj, was born. An addition of sons to a family is generally preferred to an increase in the number of daughters. Hence, there was great rejoicing on the occasion of the birth of the second son in the family. (page 32; T. Royaloo Chetty)

While in Kolar, Mr. Thumboo Chetty was blessed with a third son, who was named Sathya Raj, and whose birth was, in a couple of years, followed by the accession to the family of two more daughters, named Sathiavathy and Dhanavathy, thereby enhancing the cares and responsibilities of their loving parents. (page 42; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Subsequent to his appointment as Assistant Secretary to Government, Mr. Thumboo Chetty was blessed with a fourth son, who received his father's name. He took the B.A. degree of the Madras University, taking Sanskrit as his second language. (page 51; T. Royaloo Chetty). Trichinopoly Thumboo Chetty, T. Thumboo Chetty entered the service under the Mysore Government in the year 1904 as an Assistant Commissioner. He rose in the service and in 1914 joined the Palace Administration, in 1922 occupied the high office of Huzur Secretary to His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore, and later occupied the High office of Private Secretary to His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore (1942 - 49). https://sites.google.com/site/thumboochetty/t-thumboo-chetty

In January 1882 Mr. Thumboo Chetty was blessed with a fourth daughter, Baghavathy, who, by her accomplishments in music, contributed materially to his domestic happiness and recreation during leisure hours. (page 69; T. Royaloo Chetty)

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One feature of Telugu names, they often affix the termination "Amma", even for Male names. Ethnographic notes in southern India (1906), Author: Thurston, Edgar, 1855-1935, http://archive.org/stream/ethnographicnot00edgagoog#page/n634/mode/2up/search/telugu

Source : The book "A brief sketch of the life of Raja Dharma Pravina, T.R.A. Thumboo Chetty" by T. Royaloo Chetty