CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY ARCHIVE

Section VI: Missions to India

Part 1: India General, 1811-1815 and North India Mission, 1815-1881

Part 2: North India Mission, 1844-1886

Introduction to Part 1

Part 1 begins with the Early Correspondence for India General, 1811-1815. However the main body of this part covers the papers for North India - Early Correspondence, 1815-1820; Letter Books, 1820-1881 and Mission Books, 1820-1844.

The Early Correspondence for India General, 1811-1815 contains incoming and outgoing correspondence between the Secretaries and the missionaries, agents and government officials.

There is a wide variety of material including: letters from Rev Daniel Corrie who arrived in India in 1806 describing the teaching of Abdul Masih, native catechist in 1813:

He had for his discourse the Sermon from Burder entitled – Universal Good News. Great attention was excited and many came from time to time during his stay to his Boat to enquire and to beg Copies of the Scripture…. The Qazee or Native Justice of the Peace took away a Copy of Genesis….

On Tuesday 23rd . At Mirzapore a Young Man came on Board, said he had followed from Chunar on purpose to hear more from Abdool and to beg a copy of the Translation. He is the Son of a Zemindar, appeared Serious and full of enquiries….Above Mirzapore is a hindoo temple where multitudes of Sheep and Goats are daily offered in sacrifice before an Idol. The Custom is to cut off the head of the Animal at a stroke with a Sword, to present the blood with some Money to the Idol and to carry the Carcass home to eat.

On Friday January 23rd in the Morning we arrived at Allahabad. The concourse of people assembled to celebrate the annual bathing Season was unusually great. Every one that bathes at the junction of the Ganges and Jumna pays to Government a Rupee and from a Calculation made two days before the Close of the Festival it was expected 250,000 Rupees would be collected. Those who drown themselves pay an additional sum to Government. One poor wretch had drowned himself with the usual ceremonies before our arrival. Several more had signified their intention of doing so at the Eclipse of the Sun on February 1st and many it was expected as is annually the case would, from the pressure of the crowd be thrust beyond their depth and perish in the waters.

Included also are journals written by Abdul Masih himself describing his preaching. Letters and diaries from Rev C T E Rhenius and Rev J C Scharre describe their arrival in the mission and detail their experiences.

There are printed extracts of private letters from missionaries describing the rituals and customs they witnessed. The following gives details of the Juggernauth festival and the tradition of Suttee:

Juggernauth: June 22, 1814 The sights here beggar all description. Though Juggernauth made some progress on the 19th and has travelled daily ever since he has not yet reached his country-house, which is about a mile from the temple – he may perhaps, however arrive there tonight. His brother is ahead of him and the lady in the rear. One woman only has devoted herself under the wheels – and a shocking sight it was. Another (intending, I believe, also to devote herself) missed the wheels with her body, but had her arm broken. Three have lost their lives by the pressure of the crowd, one of them in the temple and two of them in the street.

The place swarms with fakeers and mendicants, whose devices to attract attentions are in many instances really ingenuous. You see some standing for half the day on their heads, bawling out all the while for alms; some, with their heads entirely covered with earth; some having their eyes filled with mud, and their mouths with straw; some lying in puddles of water; one man with his foot tied to his neck, another with a pot of fire on his belly and a third enveloped in a net-work made of rope.

Yesterday evening we witnessed a Suttee. The acting Magistrate alighted and spoke to the woman but she said that she had loved her husband and was determined to burn with him. The man had died only about seven hours before and his body was in a pit, a short distance away, filled with burning faggots. She proceeded towards the spot, supported by her two sons and several Brahmins, music playing, during the ceremony. When she came near the pit she received a vessel ( containing offerings I suppose) from one of the sons and then advancing from the rest, passed round the place until she came opposite to her husband, when she threw in the vessel and presently sprang forward with open arms, embraced the dead body and soon afterwards expired. The remains of both were subsequently taken up and the sons having first performed certain ceremonies for each, they were placed on separate piles and consumed to ashes….

Information is given regarding schools: such as an account of salaries of school teachers and a list of English and Tamil Free Schools with names of the masters and the number of scholars. Included also are the proceedings of the CMS Committee in Calcutta.

The Early Correspondence for North India, 1815 -1820 contains incoming and outgoing correspondence between the Secretaries and the missionaries, agents and government officials and contains a wide range of material for the early period of the mission.

It includes: letters from Rev G Schroeter describing his journey to India and his experiences on arrival with later letters giving news on his travels in the mission from which the following extract is taken:

….From the 2nd of July to the 8th of Sept 1816 I resided at Kidderpore about five miles from Calcutta, together with my brother Greenwood. My chief employment was then the learning of the Bengalee language. But on that day I was called on by our friends to go up to Titilya, Capt. Latter having requested them to establish a Mission there for Bootan. They had hired a great boat, called Pootschero, for that purpose, in which I made my abode on the day following. ….The sudden separation from my brother Greenwood at first rather dejected me, especially as mutual love had subsisted between us and as I was never of opinion that a Missionary ought to be sent alone to a place. Eccles. 4, 9. 10 On our journey which proved very tedious, as the wind in this season of the year blew the greater part against us, nothing peculiarly remarkable happened, except that I for the second time witnessed several of the heathen abominations – As the floating of the dead bodies in the river Hoogly and the burning of a widow with the corpse of her husband. One sick woman I saw sitting at the river-side for the end of whom two men were waiting. At the right hand she had the river, at the left hand the wood where with her body should be burnt, immediately she had breathed her last….This journey was in so far pleasant to me, as it afforded me an opportunity of seeing a good part of the Province of Bengal. It is indeed a fine country; but I think the continent of Europe excels it in natural sceneries. The windings of the Tellinghy and Mahanuddy Rivers are very extensive and frequent, which renders the distance from one place to another very great…..The land cultivated is chiefly planted with indigo and rice and the towns and villages are built of mud and straw. The natives have very seldom a chair or a table in their huts, but are sitting on the ground. They use neither knife nor fork, nor spoon at their meals but eat with the fingers like the monkies.

Other items included are: letters from Rev Thomas Thomason to the Secretary and to Daniel Corrie, Archdeacon of Calcutta; reports of meetings of the CMS Committee in Calcutta and circular letters issued by them which give details on the establishment of schools, the printing of books, the establishment of new mission stations, descriptions of the new missionaries, news of the lay reader, Abdul Masih.

Also to be found are: the journal of Rev W Bowley for 1818 and 1819; report of the Calcuttan Diocesan Committee; some pages from “The Calcutta Journal”; a report by Rev J Adlington on the school at Benares; a letter from the inhabitants of Benares to Rev D Corrie; CMS Committee minutes.

The Letter Books, 1820-1881 contain copies of outgoing correspondence from the Secretary to missionaries (mainly the mission secretary). Each contains an alphabetical index of missionaries with dates and page numbers.

Some topics covered are: discussions re a proposed college; grants to the bishop; concern that a box of Idols had not been received in London; discussions on who should succeed the present bishop; complaints that Annual Letters are not being sent by the missionaries; discussions on the possibility of sending a lady missionary out to educate the female children.

There are many interesting letters to missionaries regarding all manner of mission business: a letter to Rev R Eteson regarding his good work preaching in the Bazaar and the surrounding villages; letters to Rev G G Cuthbert re the increase in missionary salaries and health of missionaries. In a letter dated 23 September 1866 Rev E C Stuart urges the Committee to increase the missionary salaries at the stations of the North India Mission:

There are one or two stations in the North–West Provinces which might perhaps be excepted, such as Benares and Agra, but a single bad season, another year such as the present threatens to be and the Missionaries there would feel the same pressure of prices as in other Stations. I would also here remark….that better food and more home comfort might have obviated the necessity for those frequent changes by the Missionaries being obliged repeatedly to send their families, in bad health, to the Hills at a very heavy expense to the Society.

Other letters detail the success of the Sikandra Orphan Press and the finance of the mission with details about the compensation fund after the destruction of the Agra printing press during the 1857 Mutiny.

There are also many letters of instructions to new missionaries going out to India such as to Rev W Smith, Rev W Morse, Rev J C G Knorpp, Rev C B Leupolt, Rev J Haberlin and Rev J T Lincke. The Secretary advises self-denial and not to expect too much success in the first few years. He also advises them to acquire the native language as soon as possible, not to get involved in political disputes, reminds them of the importance of sending Annual Letters to London and not to undertake unsuitable marriages:

….It must be remembered, however, that should an unsuitable marriage be made by a missionary it will become a question with the Committee whether it does not indicate unfitness in the missionary himself and there has been one case in which this question was raised and the missionary recalled. The Committee therefore though they do not require the previous notice of a marriage are always gratified by receiving it and by being furnished with some testimony to the suitableness of the lady for a missionary’s wife….

Included also are: discussions re conferences to be held and travelling allowances to be paid to missionaries; a list of suggestions for the improvement of the Krishnagur mission; yearly estimates for the mission; letters re the opening of a new college in Calcutta; letters to the Baptist Missionary Society re the work in Mulliana; proposals for enlarging the system of management in North India; discussions on the Cathedral Mission College; regulations for Native Church Councils in North India; a letter re the setting up of the Punjab and Sind Corresponding Committee for the area of the new Lahore diocese; a report on native catechists and readers in India.

The Mission Books contain hand written copies of the Original Papers sent by the missionaries to the Secretary in London. The papers are numbered in the order they arrived in London. The letters and journals from 1820-1848 are copied out in full and a note of receipt is made for the financial and printed papers. Each volume has an alphabetical index of missionaries and some subjects.

They contain letters on a wide variety of subjects: supplies received, progress of schools, expenses, difficulty in raising subscriptions; letters from the Corresponding Committee to the Bishop of Calcutta; news from missionaries re conversions, preaching, new churches and the learning of the language; journals by missionaries including Rev T Morris and Rev W Bowley. There are balance sheets showing expenses and receipts and Committee minutes.

Included also are: a list of schools at Burdwan with the number of students and those who had received the Gospel; minutes of the Calcutta Auxiliary Committee; a list of mission stations with the number of labourers and salaries; report for Allahabad, 1828-1829; private letters from Rev Charles Friend to his relations and friends; a letter from Rev T Morris re suttee; an account of the Benares Mission in 1845 by Rev R Eteson; minutes of a quarterly meeting of the Agra School Committee.

There is an interesting letter from Rev J T Reichardt describing the floods at Burdwan in 1824:

….Whilst at Burdwan I beheld a truly singular and awful scene. Two days after our arrival it began to rain and continued without interruption for two days and two nights. The Rivers which were already high, overflowed their banks so that the whole of the district of Burdwan, as far as the eye could reach, was inundated. All the houses of the poor Bengalees fell in and the people were obliged to climb up the trees in order to save their lives. There they sat for four days without sustenance, crying to their Gods, “Hori, Hori, save us we are lost”. Brethren Deerr and Maisch and myself were together in one house and if the water had risen but one inch higher, it would have entered our rooms and we should have been obliged to have fled to the roof, for which purpose we kept a ladder ready…..Many idols and particularly those which they had prepared to celebrate the Pujah of the Goddess Doorga were broken to pieces or floated away….the impotency of these idols was greatly exposed and many of the Bengalees began to ridicule them saying, “ Our gods are dead, they could not prevent the flood”….

Also to be found are journals of missionaries such as Rev T Sandys, Rev J T Lincke, Rev J J Weitbrecht, Rev T Morris, Rev A H Alexander, Rev W Bowley, Rev W Smith, Rev C B Leupolt and Rev M Wilkinson, detailing their experiences teaching and preaching and giving interesting descriptions of local customs. The extract following from the journal of Rev Morris written in 1824 tells of his teaching:

June 3, 1824 A Brahmin told the Teacher of one of the Hindu Schools that it was unlawful for boys of an inferior caste to read any book in the Deva Nagari character, a little discussion took place, when it was determined by the Brahmins themselves, that such children might be allowed to read. This appeared quite a triumph for the boys and the next morning, a number of them came requesting to read the Gospels in Hindee in preference to the Fables which had been put into their hands as a preparatory lesson.

June 18 1824 Was happy to find the boys had increased in number to 185 and that several in each School were reading the Scriptures….

June 27 1824 Went to the Mela in the evening and had a shocking sight of the grim idol richly decorated and elevated in state in a splendid Car drawn by hundreds of the infatuated multitude….

The following is an extract from Rev W Bowley’s journal for 1834 describing his preaching:

March 7 1834 Set out early and two miles in my way came to Shikargunge, where the Rajah has some buildings to lodge in, when he comes here to hunt wild beasts. Gave his people Hinduwee and Oordoo tracts and went on 4 miles further to Urhowra. This is an extensive trading place, whence people pass to and from the hill country. During the whole day curiosity drew crowds to me, besides the most respectable inhabitants of the place called for Persian and Hinduwee books; anticipating this great demand I received a timely supply from Chunar of Hinduwee Gospels and some copies of Genesis in Oordoo. In the evening walked into the market place, where we read and addressed the people and gave away some books….

March 8 1834 Finding that the people did not call according to promise this morning walked into the Bazaar and both read and distributed books. After 8am left Urhowra on my return toward home and went to Puteta, a large village where there is a police officer, upon whom I called and presented him with a copy of the New Testament in Persian and a tract….

March 10 1834 At a shop in the Bazaar met several intelligent men of different sects whom I tried to draw out to discuss their different systems of religion which they did not seem willing to do….

March 12 1834 This afternoon, by some Hindoo temples, visited an old devotee, 70 years of age, residing in a wooden house upon wheels, which he brought from the opposite side of the river and was in hope of seeing him somewhat open to friendly conversation on religious topics; but at first he raved at me and said everything bad and aggravating eg that I was going about like a cutthroat, destroying people by drawing them aside from caste….

The next extract is taken from Rev J J Weitbrecht’s journal for April 1839-May 1840:

May 15 1839 The Magistrate of Burdwan attended my preaching to the natives in the Bazaar Chapel of Burdwan. He expressed himself much gratified with the attention of the people and put a number of questions to me regarding the success of our work in the conversion of natives. He kindly offered his assistance in any way. I might stand in need of it.

May 18 1839 This week several Hindoos who heard the Gospel in the Bazaar Chapel came to the mission premises requesting to receive instruction; one of them is a coolin Brahmin….

Our Christian friends at home have every reason to rejoice in the establishment of our Orphan Schools, which are now multiplying in every part of this country and those who are engaged in this labour of love deserve particular encouragement. In the course of some years a new generation will rise up in various places, consisting of Native Christians who enjoyed all the benefit of a sound Christian education. Every thought, every habit connected with heathenism will be erased from their minds: they will form the nucleus of newly rising Churches and if divine grace change their hearts will become a great blessing to their fellow countrymen….

At the Kali temple the priests demanded of me to put off my shoes, before I ventured to enter the sacred court of the temple, which I declined, saying with a smile, what a demand of you; surely you are not in earnest. I was now allowed to go in, one saying, come then and see our Mother Kali. I spoke for half an hour earnestly against idolatry and returned home before it became hot…. The Rajah of Burdwan visited our infant school with a number of Baboos belonging to his retinue and was highly gratified with the singing…. he fully admitted that this was a very excellent way of instructing little children.

….The Brahmins are usually in possession of the choicest spot in the village….. I was struck with the neat cottages to which I received introduction; one or two large stores of rice are generally found in the courtyard; a little door leads to a second division of the large enclosure and here are the stables with a number of cattle and piles of provender for them. Another separate department contains the women’s dwelling. The wife of one of the Brahmins was laying in a room with her head close by a large fire, which is always done after child-birth with the mother and infant, in order as they say, to draw the water out of the head….

May 12 1840 At daybreak went 4 miles to Chota Belun, a fine village. An old venerable looking guroo was sitting in a veranda, surrounded by some of his disciples. On the other side of the door a barber was shaving the Brahmins, previous to their bathing and morning devotions (called pratokreea). I had a small supply of medicines with me which soon afforded me an entrance among them, though at first they cast a suspicious eye on me….Two insolent Brahmins nevertheless shewed a disposition to cavil and the hackneyed subject of the cause and origin of sin and the responsibility of man was discussed with great passion….

Other papers included are: minutes of a Special Meeting of the Calcutta Corresponding Committee; letters re the estimated expenditure of the North India mission for 1840 and the conduct of recent converts.

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