text Documenta Indica XI (1970). 17th century Fr. Antonio De Gouvea:In 1602-1603, Augustinian priest Fr. Antonio De Gouvea visited Kerala and took upon the role of secretary to Archbishop Alexio De Menezes of Goa. Gouvea recorded the journey of the Archbishop in India and documented information on the Christians of Kerala. Gouvea noted that Knai Thoma was an "Armenian" merchant who was also called "Marthoma" or Lord Thomas by the Christians of Kerala and that he procured for them privileges in the form of his copper plate grant. Gouvea gives information on the plates and states that they were entrusted to the Portuguese by Mar Jacob in the following citation: "As he (Thomas of Cana) was noble and rich, and carried on a great trade, he was shown much favour and hospitality by the king of Cranganor, who, as we saw above, was the most powerful of Malavar. From him he received many privileges and honours for the Christians among whom he lived, and a very spacious ground where to found a big Church, in keeping with the founder's power and wealth, all which he caused to write on copper-plates. One Mar Jacob, Bishop of these Christians, fearing they might be lost, entrusted them to the Factor of Cochin when the Portuguese made the factory there, in order that, when necessary to them, the Christians might from there make use of them, and they were for many years in the factory, to be kept in the house, until through carelessness they disappeared, which these Christians greatly chafe at, not having writings whereby to defend themselves before the infidel kings..." Gouvea also writes on the ethnic division of the St. Thomas Christians into Northist and Southist (Knanaya). Gouvea states that because Knai Thoma was powerful and had businesses in many parts of Malabar he had two wives and families, one on the northern side of Kodungallur and the other on the southern. According to Gouvea, Knai Thoma had his own wife and children on the southern side while on the northern side he had a family from a Nayar woman converted Christian as slave. Furthermore, Gouvea notes that Northist and Southist did not ally in marriage and that they had separate churches and priests. Gouvea explains the division further in the following citation: "This Marthoma who received these last mentioned privileges lived among these same Christians, and as he was very