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 2

Part 2 completes the coverage of the Mission Books for North India, 1844-1880 and also includes the Individual Letter Books, 1852-1886.

The Mission Books, 1844-1880 contain hand written copies of the Original Papers sent by the missionaries to the Secretary in London and the papers are numbered in the order they arrived. The letters and journals from 1844–May 1849 are copied out in full and a note of receipt is made for the financial and printed papers. From 1849 onwards the letters only are copied. Annual Letters are not copied out but those from 1875 onwards are printed at the back of the volumes. Each volume contains a name index. A wide variety of material is included as can be seen from the extracts below.

Letters to and from missionaries and Bishops

Rev William Smith to Rev James Innes re his missionary tour in Oude, 1843 with a description of Lucknow and breakfast with the King:

We started from Jaunpoor in the beginning of January and entered the Oude territory on our second day’s march. We found the country populous and apparently in a flourishing condition….During the months I spent in the country I had, of course, most intimate intercourse with all classes in their houses or at their doors – from the Nawab and Rajah to the common day labourer - and I never, with one exception, heard a wish expressed for a change of Government. A Zemindar whose estate adjoined the Company’s territories formed that exception.

The city of Lucknow is a splendid place as to size much larger than Benares and in reference to gaiety and display of wealth and luxury (and I suppose in vice and wickedness also) far surpasses it, or Delhi, or Agra or any city I have seen in India, barring perhaps Calcutta. Native Gentlemen, gold and silver houdahs and palanquins, also splendid horses and elephants crowd the streets and the whole presents a scene of activity, prosperity and happiness I have never seen equalled in this country. The buildings, Emambaras etc are superior to any I have seen in this country with the exception of the Taj at Agra….We had the honor, through the kindness of the Resident, of breakfasting with his Majesty. The occasion was not interesting, as Europeans are not expected to converse with natives before the King and he himself speaks to no one but the Resident or the Gentleman next to him. I suppose some 60 or 80 natives and about the same number of Europeans sat down to breakfast. After breakfast Elephant and Ram fights were exhibited. It is very well to go to such a place once but I should have no wish to repeat the visit had I the opportunity….

Letters from: Rev J Innes to the Lay Secretary re finances; letters from various missionaries to the Lay Secretary on a variety of subjects; extract of a letter from Archdeacon Dealtry to the Bishop of Calcutta re his visit to the district of Krishnagur; letter from Rev J J Weitbrecht to Rev H Venn re the death of Mr Coates, CMS Secretary in London; first letter from Rev E C Stuart to Rev Venn on arrival in Agra; Bishop of Calcutta to Rev H Venn; letter from the new missionary Rev W Rebsch telling of his journey by ship and arrival in the mission in Jabalpur in 1854:

The ship was crowded with people and besides the cattle for the use of the passengers we had 14 horses, 7 of them were near our cabins which was not at all agreeable. The stench of the horses troubled us greatly in the rough weather, when we could have the scuttles of our cabin but seldom open. Among the passengers there were only some ladies who manifested pleasure in godliness, the rest of them spent their time in all kinds of amusements, as dancing, playing etc. The Captain encouraged in the beginning these plays, but when he found a number of passengers made too much of it he seemed to be sorry for having them indulged so much; the consequence was dissatisfaction and grumbling. In this situation we felt rather lonely and kept ourselves a great part of the time in our cabin, enjoying there the communion of Our Blessed Lord in prayer and reading, but sometimes even there we were disturbed by the dancing of some ladies and the noise they made…that we felt uneasy among such people you will easily believe….

Letters from Rev H C L Kruckeberg to Rev H Venn asking for his son to be allowed to attend the CMS school in England; Rev C F Cobb to Rev H Venn re the bishop’s visit to the mission, Benares 1854; ; Rev T H Fitzpatrick to Rev H Venn regarding his wife’s lack of work among the native women and the work of the native assistants:

….My wife has not attempted any efforts amongst the heathen women, but confined her attention to the three Christian women, the wives of our native helpers – her health would not allow her more in the hot (very hot) season. Mr Ball has made fair progress in Hindustani – he has not been able to study as laboriously as some, but he had good abilities for the acquisition of languages and his progress upon the whole is encouraging. He has from the beginning made it his habit to accompany me, or one of our helpers, to the Bazaars and for the last month has given short addresses, which with slight imperfections, have received attentions from the people and been generally well understood and further he has given instruction on alternate days to the Native Christians. He is now in fact approaching the time when he will be able to take an efficient share in all our duties and I feel thankful that he and I can cooperate heartily in everything and that the exercise of brotherly love is never checked in either. Our native Assistants have made good progress in their studies and I trust upon the whole, in Christian experience….

There is much on the Indian Mutiny and its after effects. The following letter is from Rev Dr C G Pfander to Rev G G Cuthbert re the Mutiny written at Peshawar, August 1857:

We are still all quiet here, tho’, not without apprehension and alarm from time to time. We have four disarmed and three undisarmed native Regiments in Cantonments, who are all considered as enemies and besides there is the City and the mountain tribes around us, all ready to come upon us, whenever a favourable opportunity should present itself and against these we have only about 1500 European troops fit for duty and their number is daily diminishing in consequence of the increasing sickness at this season. We have, it is true, besides these, a newly raised Regiment of Sikhs and Mussulmans from the mountain tribes and a number of Multanee horsemen, but these cannot altogether be relied upon…. The Sepoys here, as well as the Mussulmans of Delhi had calculated upon the mountaineers rising in mass against us and are consequently put out at their having not only remained quiet but some even having entered our service…..

Our school is kept up regularly though the number of boys has somewhat diminished in consequence of the present troubles. I too have been going on regularly with preaching, both in the City and in the Cantonments, only that I do not go quite so often as formerly and am more careful in avoiding discussion.

A letter from Rev A Strawbridge discusses the admission of native Christians to public employment after the Mutiny:

Everyday the political horizon is becoming more clear. Things are assuming their ordinary appearance – at the same time we trust that the great and solemn lessons to be learnt by us as a nation from the events of the past year are not forgotten. I have not heard what are the views entertained by our Govt in Calcutta or in the North West but at Lahore there is evidently a bold profession of Christianity and a determination on the part of all holding the highest Civil Appointments – no longer to heed the claims of caste as such. To adopt the language of one with whom I was conversing a few days since; “We begin all things anew”. Employment for Christians of every grade is now to be found and while we cannot but rejoice in this, as removing a blot, that has long been our shame we “rejoice with trembling”…. The new movement has unsettled their [the native converts] minds and many of them…have given us no rest till we gave them leave to go and seek Govt employ. The Evils we fear are 1st , a neglect of the means of grace, owing to their absence from a Mission Station; 2nd , adopting the evil practices of servants in Govt employ, especially the taking of bribes….

Included also are: a letter from Mr W Wright to the Secretary, Agra May 1858 describing how the students at the CMS School reacted during the Mutiny and from Rev C B Leupolt to Rev H Venn, September 1858 describing a visit to Cawnpore, the site of a massacre during the Mutiny with a statement by Eliza Bradshaw and Elizabeth Letts on the massacre of women, men and children:

I, my two sons, John and Robert who were musicians of the 56th Regiment N I and their wives and a child each, also Elizabeth Letts, her son John musician of the same Regiment with his wife and two children, went with them into the Entrenchment. This was on the 5th . On the 6th of June the enemy began to fire upon us, numbers were killed or died otherwise. Several went out and were killed outside the entrenchment. Mr Shepherd went also out to obtain news. The General sent him, but he, Mr Shepherd did not return. He is alive. Mr Haycock died of a sun stroke, he died in his mother’s arms.

On the 27th June early we were marched to the boats, soldiers before and behind and on the sides. We were ordered to get into the boats. In the boat in which I was to have gone were the School Mistress (Mrs Harkness) and 22 misses (schoolgirls). General Wheeler came last in a Palki. They carried him into the water near the boat. I stood close by….As the General got out of the Palki, head foremost the Sowar gave him a cut with his sword into his neck and he fell into the water. They then set fire to all the boats, except those who got off….The people jumped out of the boats and were killed right and left. The boatmen set the boats on fire. My son was killed close to General Wheeler. Some were stabbed with bayonets, others cut down with swords, little infants were torn to pieces. How were they torn? The men seized them and stood with one foot on the Babes leg, seized the other leg and tore the Infant asunder. Did you see this? I did! ….Mr Moncrieff stood in the water near the boat and said if we (English ) take Prisoners we do not put them to death, but imprison them….He received a cut into his neck and fell on his face into the water. My second son received a cut into his face and he fell on his side near Mr Moncrieff….The story about Mrs Wheeler I was told is credited by all the natives of Cawnpore. A Sowar carried her off to his house. At night she got up, took the man’s sword, cut off his head and killed his wife and two children also. She then set off towards Allahabad and was killed some 8 or 10 miles from Cawnpore.

Other letters cover a wide range of topics: Rev C B Leupoldt tells of his daughter’s death from smallpox one month after her marriage and his decision to have a sabbatical in Europe after fourteen years in India; Rev William Briggs of Multan writes to Rev H Wright in June 1876 re the huge increase in native assistants from one to twelve in just a few years; Rev T J Mayer to Rev C C Fenn about the arrest of a Colporteur for falsifying the bookshop accounts.

Missionary Journals

These journals give vivid and interesting descriptions of the missionaries’ work and experiences. Rev J P Menge’s journal for Jan-Sept 1843 describes his tour from Gorakhpur to Juanpoor:

Accompanied by Mrs M I left Gorruckpore on the 4th of Jan 1843 and reached in the course of a few hours Belipaar, 10 miles from Gorruckpore where our tent was pitched.

4th Jan Belipaar is a very beautiful and romantic spot. The Tope under which our tent was spread consisted of immense trees, which in consequence of their innumerable branches and thick foliage afford a very gratifying shelter in the middle of the day from the heat of the sun. In other respects too this spot was highly interesting; every tree, in fact everything about us appeared to teem with life. A variety of birds tuned their voices to the praise of the Almighty; and delightful and instructive was it to perceive the busy ant employed in providing for its maintenance and secure housing…. Towards evening I went with the Reader into the village, but unfortunately not being aware that there were several small villages in different directions, which all belong to Belipaar, we did not choose the one where the greater number of peasants resided. However the whole of the male part of the village, to which we had gone, soon made their appearance; and then desiring the Reader to read through the Catechism, I took the opportunity of directing the minds of these poor benighted creatures to the One True God and Jesus…

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Included also are: Rev C G Pfander’s journal Jan-March 1843; Rev P L Sandberg’s journal for August-December 1844; Rev J Long and Rev W Smith’s journals for 1845-1846; journal of Rev R Clark, January–March 1852; extract from Rev C B Leupolt’s journal, February-March 1855; extracts from Rev C F Cobb’s diary, 1858 and a description of his visit to Lucknow in January 1859.

Annual Letters from the missionaries to the Secretary in London for 1875 onwards are printed at the back of the volumes. Among those included are from Miss H J Neale, 1875, Rev Thomas John Lee Mayer, 1877 and Rev C G Daeuble, 1879.

Miss Henrietta J Neale, in her Annual Letter for 1876 describes the work in the schools for the year:

Our Normal class has produced fruit this year, as it has supplied two zenana teachers to other stations and one of the pupils has been appointed as teacher here; besides this, some of our girls from the orphanage… are acting as teachers in the localities where they have settled…. One of the most interesting events of the year was the visit of the Bishop of Madras on the occasion of the confirmation of twenty of our girls…. Our Hindu day-schools are all now going on satisfactorily, though two of them at out-stations (Rajahat and Bon Hooghly) have been causes of anxiety during the year. In both instances the teachers, principally through ill-health, having let the attendance go down so sadly that I feared whether we should ever get up the numbers again...Almost all the schools have had a low average attendance during the past two or three months, in consequence of the very great prevalence of malarious fever….

Minutes of Meetings and Conferences

There are regular copies of minutes of the Calcutta Corresponding Committee detailing progress in the missions: The following is an extract from the minutes for Sept 3 1846:

Burdwan

Letter from the Rev J J Weitbrecht, dated August 21st requesting a grant of books for the English School, of which he forwards the bill amounting to Rs 20, and also another set for prizes at the ensuing examination in September, amounting to the same sum.

Resolved: That one set of these books be granted for the English School, but that in the present state of their finances, the Committee must leave the books for prizes in the School to be provided from private sources.

Krishnaghur
Sudder station

Letter from Rev C H Blumhardt, dated August 26th forwarding a plan of a substantial house which he proposes to build on the Mission Premises for a Native Catechist, but stating that he cannot build it under Rs 300 and requesting the Committee to make a grant of 200 instead of 100 rupees as sanctioned at the last meeting for this purpose.

Resolved. That an additional grant of 100 rupees be made for the erection of a Catechist’s house at Krishnaghur….

Resolved: That this Committee...desire to record their sense of obligation to Dr Archer (Civil Assistant Surgeon at Krishnaghur) for the professional aid he has so generously afforded to members of the Mission and beg to tender him their grateful thanks for these services.

Rotanpore
Letter from Rev C W Lipp, dated August 27th stating that the present allowance for his boys’ School is insufficient and begging that a further grant of 20 shillings a month be made to him, also requesting a grant of some medicines to the Mission….

There are also minutes of meetings of the missionaries of Agra; minute on the proposition of ordaining several European and East Indian catechists and teachers, 1853; minutes of the Benares Conference, April 1853; minute regarding the Bengal Training School; minutes of the missionary conference held at Amritsar, January 1855; minutes of the Punjab missionaries regarding the ordination of native converts and the salaries of native pastors; minutes of a special meeting of the Peshawar CM Association, March 1862; minutes of the proceedings of the Punjab CMS Native Church Council.

Missionary Reports

Interesting reports are included such as: Rev J Hoernle’s report on the Orphan Institution at Agra and notes on the Solo Mission by Rev G G Cuthbert with details on preaching in the villages, 1847:

….It has been a source of much distress to me that the circumstances of my position almost entirely prevented me doing anything for these. About the end of May or beginning of June last (1846) I began to visit the villages in the evenings and preach by an interpreter to the people assembled by notice of my coming previously given. I found them very ready to assemble and very attentive to what was said; the rains however soon stopped me, as well as the unsatisfactoriness of preaching to Christian people by a Heathen interpreter. But I went far enough to see the necessity of the Missionary cultivating the village field himself. He can do a good deal for it by carefully teaching, and training, and watching the Readers; but I do not think the utmost care in that department can supersede his own frequent personal visits and instructions to the people in their own Villages….

Other reports include those by Mr A Acheson to Rev H Venn, January 1848 on the orphan boys rescued during the great famine with statistics showing their educational proficiency; report on education in the Boys’ School, 1855; Rev J Long’s Annual Report, 1859; report by Mr A H Wright on the Hindu Girls’ School for girls of the lower caste.

Included also is a report of the work of the two Colporteurs working for Rev Seal at Kidderpur with a list of villages visited, number of books sold and amount of money raised. Rev J Erhardt’s report on the Colportage Return for 1879, in contrast, is rather gloomy:

I send the … Colportage Return. It is very poor this year though we have tried our best – what can I do? We have passed a year which has not its equal the last 100 years. Hunger and sickness united has done its fearful works…. Though we had little sickness in Sikandra the towns and villages round about us for hundreds of miles have suffered much. Those of our Colporteurs and preachers had to return after a month’s work and be put to rights again with Quinine before they could start again.

The state of the heathen villages is something beyond description. Fancy 9 houses full of fever stricken people and only one little girl to bring in town a little water to wash. Thousands and thousands have died, whole villages empty. Thank God it is getting a little better now. The harvest looks fair and sickness getting less. The people hope again and that is a great thing….

More reports cover: a meeting proposing to amalgamate the missionary colleges in Calcutta and the following describing three weeks itineration in the Jhelum district, 1874 by Rev G M Gordon:

I have just returned from a 3 weeks itineration in the Jhelum district with French who is wonderfully vigorous and in every way better than he was last year. The preachings were decidedly encouraging, as well as the private conversations that followed….But our district is too far from headquarters to be traversed slowly in three weeks. The tour round Jhelum, Pind Dadan Khan and Shahpool (which are our three proposed centres for Evangelists) cannot be less than 300 miles. ….We found that at Jhelum an American Missionary Society….have a native agent at work already (since my last visit at Easter) and have begun baptising a few converts. Pind Dadan Khan is the most important place in the District. It has 20,000 inhabitants and appears to me in every way suited for a centre….

Included also is: a report by Rev A P Neele on the Lucknow Mission School and his travels in the mission including an update on the CMS School for Hindu boys and the difficulties in travelling due to the floods; report of Rev F Abel’s work at the CMS school in 1874; report of Rev A P Neele on his travels in the mission; report from Rev G M Gordon to Rev D Barry about his work at Multan; report by Rev J Erhardt to Rev W Gray on his arrival at the Sikandra Orphanage, April 1879 describing the huge influx of sick and starving children; the secretary of the mission’s report on Anglo-Vernacular Schools.

Finance

Finance minutes are included together with a note on the expenditure of the Simla mission, October 1846-September 1848; details of missionary travel expenses; a list of the Christian teachers in the mission with details of their salaries and regulations for the salaries of native assistants; Rev J Innes’s minute on funds in July 1846 showing expenditure on mission buildings and salaries.

Miscellaneous items

These include: circulars; proposal for an institution at Agra to educate natives; a certificate on the health of Rev J C Wendnagel; address from the CMS missionaries at Calcutta to Rev J Long re a publication by a native worker and his indictment on a charge of libel; translation of a letter from four of the dismissed pupils of the Santipur Training School; circular re founding a mission at Mhou and Indore; rules for a Native Church Council, 1876; resolutions passed at the conference of the Bishops in Calcutta, 1877; details on the CMS institutions in the area– staff, educational agencies and CMS buildings; and the following description of the Tezpore Mission by Mr John Bayle Barry in 1850 giving reason for its suitability as a mission station:

The Tezpore Mission is situated about 90 miles eastward of Gowhatty, which is the principal station in the province of Assam; it is on the Bareilly, an inlet of the Burrampooter. It is the Zillah Station of the district of Durroug and is the residence of the Civil Authorities; it possesses many advantages for the establishment of a mission. The climate is considered salubrious, as the land is high and more free from inundations than any station in Assam.

Mission premises have been purchased by subscribers in every way suitable for the purpose. The Bungalow, although small is punkah throughout, with convenient out offices and about 15 acres of cultiable land. Tezpore is distant about 25 miles from the lower range of the Bootan Hills, to the South and the district is divided into 5 Muhals….The population at present amounts to 180,667 souls….Of the above amount, 59,321 are Cocharees, an interesting race….they evidently were a Hill tribe, who settled in Assam….They speak a distinct language, totally different from the Assamese….they worship the Supreme Being in the shape of a plant, called the “Seegoo” by the Hindoos and by them “Battoo Goohaeen”. They are an extremely illiterate but athletic race of men, possessing far more energy of character than any of the races who dwell in the plains. Their language has no written character and they are extremely ignorant and simple in their habits, far less addicted to the ordinary vices than either the Hindoos or Mahommedans….many circumstances have led me to suppose that they would more readily embrace the blessed doctrines of Christianity, than their more civilised and far more superstitious neighbours, the Hindoos….

The Individual Letter Books for 1852-1886 contain private and confidential letters to individual missionaries from the Secretary in London. Rev Christopher Fenn was the last Secretary to be appointed specifically to write these letters and he continued until his retirement in 1894. The letters cover a wide variety of topics and in his letters for the 1860’s there is much about the development of the local church into a body independent of European support. Each volume has a name index.

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