Edlin J W, Missionary and Colporteur

[midmum]

Hello,

I have a relative, James W Edlin, born Lancs but lived in Nether Broughton Leics who went to India as a "Joyful News" Evangelist and Colporteur. He died about 1889 aged 27 years. I am searching the consular death returns with little success. Can anyone advise me on how to find out when / where he died and suggest any other avenues of research to shed more light on his life.

All advice gratefully received.

Heather

[behindthefrogs]

The Methodist Missionary Records seem to be in two places.

The School of Oriental and African Studies at London University seems to hold the library of the Methodist Missionary Society which consists of some 6500 books and pamphlets with a card index.  Nothing immediately relevant came to light online.

The Methodist Archives and Research Centre at John Rylands University Library Manchester.

David

[midmum]

Many thanks David, John Rylands is fairly accessible so will try that in a couple of weeks. Will also look at the Oriental musuem.
Heather.

[midmum]

 :(have just checked out the John Rylands and they are currently closed for restoration work but have e-mailed the archivist for the Methodist papers for advice. The London Uni site looks interesting. Thanks
Heather

[Tnog]

I imagine that this is an old thread with not much activity. But in 2010 I cycled across Indian, from Bombay to Chennai and stumbled on a watermelon seller at a crossroads near Shimoga. While I was snacking on some watermelon, I discovered that the vendor was selling his wares on top of an old Christian cemetery. I took a snapshot.

The other day, a friend and I were looking through my old albums and he went and googled the name J.W. Edlin and Evangelist, and this thread came up.

In any case Heather, I stumbled across your relative; he's buried ouside the Dak Bungalow in Honnali.

An anthropologist has compiled information about old colonial graves where he mentions the location and inscription well: https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/blewis/www/shimoga.htm

Best,

Tak

[midmum]

Hi Tak

I am absolutely stunned by this, thank you so much! It is amazing to know that his grave is still about. It adds the finishing touch to my history of his life, there has been so much documented about him but I never dreamt I would see a picture of his grave. I have pictures of him along with school books he wrote in, testamonials and now this. I only wish his neice was still alive so I could show her, sadly she died earlier this year.
My mum will be very pleased as will other members of the family and I will see if the schoolroom built in his memory would like a copy of this.
Thank you for doing this, it really is fantastic
have a fabulous christmas and a very happy new year
Midmum x

[avm228]

How amazing! Welcome to Rootschat, Tak

[midmum]

The kindness of people never ceases to amaze me. It has made my year! The family all assumed that he would have been in an unmarked grave, there are only 2 other gravestones for this family as they didnt believe it necessary so this is a real turn up.
Sounds like a trip of a lifetime cycling across the continent, I may have to consider where I go next holiday, (after my Marrakech trip!)

[GrahamSimons]

There is a gateway site to the archives of missionaries: http://www.mundus.ac.uk/ though I haven't found a link to a collection on your man.