* Adam Matthew Publications. Imaginative publishers of research collections.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
News  |  Orders  |  About Us
*
* A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z  
 

SCOTTISH MISSIONARY & PHILANTHROPIC REGISTER, 1821-1842

The Scottish Missionary and Philanthropic Register, 1820-1842, is a major source of information about the activities of a wide variety of missionary groups in the middle of the 19th century.

It was published monthly by the Scottish Missionary Society(1), which was founded in 1818 and represented both the Church of Scotland and the Secession Church. Each volume follows the same format, providing details of:

Home Proceedings – in Scotland, Ireland, and England;
Foreign Intelligence – Accounts of their own missions in the Caucasus, Turkey, Persia, India, South Africa, the West Indies and other areas;
Activities of other missionary societies;
Miscellaneous news.

Each issue runs to approximately 30-40pp and sample articles include:

  • Address from the Directors on the State of Funds.
  • Sultan Katte Ghery’s Visit to Dundee and Cupar.
  • Views of the Directors regarding a Mission to Persia.
  • Intelligence from Astrachan and Orenburg.
  • Cuba – kindness of General Baron Vredo.
  • Madagascar – Renewal of the Mission.
  • Calcutta – Number of Schools – Seminary for Hindostanee Youth.
  • Mediterranean – Tour of Mr Connor.
  • Formation of a Jews’ Society at Frankfort.
  • Proposal respecting the preparation of Native Teachers for Africa.
  • Printing of Tracts – Order from the Russian Bible Society for 200 copies of the Tartar-Turkish Testament.
  • The State of the Druses in Syria.
  • Revision of Arabic Scriptures.
  • Journey into the Timmanee Country, West Africa.
  • Mission of the United Brethren to Labrador.
  • State of the Jews in Northern Africa.
  • Malay converts in Singapore.
  • Account of Radhanath, a Native Teacher in Calcutta.
  • Journal of the Rev. Robert Brooking, Ashantee.
  • Dying words of a Native Christian in Tahiti.
  • View of the progress of the Gospel in New Zealand.
  • Progress of Missionary Activity in South Africa.

The Home Proceedings cover a wide range of topics ranging from accounts of fund-raising, relations with other organisations, the selection of mission fields and of missionaries, visits from overseas dignitaries, accounts of sermons, records of educational work and missionary training and the work of branch organisations throughout Scotland. It is also particularly valuable in showing the activities of British missions such as the Edinburgh Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in Ireland, the Jews’ Society and the London City Mission.

Foreign Intelligence starts with details of their own missions around the world and it is interesting to see how these expand during this period. Initially there is a great deal concerning their work in the Caucasus, Persia and Turkey, with reports from Astrakhan and Karass and items such as ‘A Journal of a visit to the Kirghisians.’ There is also material concerning forays into Madagascar, Batavia, Siberia, India, South Africa and the South Seas. Over time, the Indian and West Indian missions gain increasing prominence and there are regular reports on activities in Bombay, Calcutta, Jamaica and other areas. Towards the end there is also an increased amount of attention paid to missions in Africa and Polynesia.

Activities of other missionary societies are also well documented and these are often the only information that can be found for some of the smaller groups. There is coverage of groups such as:

  • The African and Asiatic Society.
  • The American Baptist Society.
  • Australasian Evangelical Society.
  • The Basle Missionary Institution.
  • The British and Foreign Seaman’s’ Friend Society.
  • The British India Society.
  • The Edinburgh Bible Society.
  • The Edinburgh Society for Promoting Christianity Among the Jews.
  • The Frankfort Jews’ Society.
  • The Netherlands Missionary Society.
  • Paris Bible Society.
  • The St Christopher’s and Nevis Missionary Societies.
  • Society for the Support of Native Preachers in India.
  • Missions of the United Brethren.
  • The United States Colonization Society.
  • The United States Episcopal Missionary Society.
  • The Wesleyan Missionary Society.

They also report the activities of major UK missions such as the CMS, SPCK and SPG(2).

Miscellaneous News encompasses all manner of subjects from births, deaths and marriages, to items such as a ‘Letter from a Protestant Clergyman in France’, ‘Anti-Catholic lectures in Preston’, and ‘Imperial Edict against Christianity issued in China.’

Each volume is well indexed at the front and this will help scholars to mine this material fully. This source will be of interest to all those studying world history, ethnography and missiology.

1 This continued the work of the Glasgow and Edinburgh Missionary Societies, which had been founded in 1796.


2 The Church Missionary Society, Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.



  Highlights
Description
Contents
Digital Guide
 
 
 
 
 
* * *
   
* * *

* *© 2024 Adam Matthew Digital Ltd. All Rights Reserved.