To study his work at Serampore go to 'The Centre for the Study of the Life and Work of William Carey D.D., 1761-1834'. Portrait of William Carey from the 'Story of Serampore and its College', printed by Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta. Reproduced with the kind permission of Serampore College.
William Carey was born in the village of Paulerspury, Northamptonshire on 17th August, 1761. His grandfather was the parish clerk and his father was the village schoolmaster.
William's early interests were scientific. His room was crowded with a collection of insects which he collected to note their development. When he walked in the countryside he carefully observed the hedges and minutely examined the structure of every plant he gathered. Whatever he began he completed and never allowed himself to be checked by difficulties.
At the age of 12 he obtained a copy of 'Dyches Latin Vocabulary' and committed nearly all of it to memory.
William Carey's Birthplace. Courtesy 'The Centre for the Study of the Life and Work of William Carey D.D., 1761 - 1834'. His parents could not afford to help him in his education, so, at 14 he was apprenticed to Clarke Nichols, a shoemaker of Hackleton. In the little collection of books in the shoemaker's shop he found a commentary on the New Testament interspersed with Greek words. Unable to understand them he copied them and took them to a neighbour who had received some education, and from him he obtained a translation.
Two years into his apprenticeship Mr Nichols died and Carey joined Mr Old, another shoemaker, as a journeyman.
William was brought up an Anglican as befits the grandson of a parish clerk, and disliked all dissent. He became conscious of his own misdemeanours and became concerned about the danger he was in as a sinner. He made a closer examination of the Scriptures and resolved to attend three church services on a Sunday and attended a prayer meeting at the dissenter's chapel during the week. He could not resolve conflicting religious issues until he read 'Help to Zion's Travellers' by Mr. Hall, which he read with rapture, and he now felt the ground of his Christian faith firm and stable.
His first appearance in the pulpit was at Hackleton at the age of 18. He was approached by some friends from the neighbouring village of Earls Barton to preach to them, which he did, every Sunday for three and a half years. He was now living at Hackleton, but his native village of Paulerspury asked him to preach to them, which he did once a month. It was during this period that he became convinced that baptism by total immersion was scriptural. He was accordingly baptised by Dr. John Ryland, on 5th October 1783, in the River Nen, at Northampton.
The group of friends at Earls Barton decided to form a church and took advice from Rev. John Sutcliffe at Olney. When the question of Carey being called to the ministry was raised there was some hesitation among the group as they doubted his abilities. John Sutcliffe disagreed and exerted all the influence he could muster to carry the day. Carey received the call and was accepted.
John Sutcliffe placed a Latin Grammar in his hands and advised him to study it assiduously. Although pinched with poverty Carey managed to acquire a few books which became the basis of his library. To improve his acquaintance with languages he resolved each morning to study a portion of Scripture in Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
His employer, Mr Old, died and Carey took over the stock and the business. He also married Mr. Old's sister. He was not yet 20.
Carey's Cottage and School, Piddington. Courtesy 'The Centre for the Study of the Life and Work of William Carey D.D., 1761 - 1834'. Carey rented a neat cottage, with a garden, in Hackleton. He cultivated the garden with great dedication and it flourished far more vigorously than his business. Trade fell off and he was forced to sell the stock to buy bread. At the same time he contracted a fever which hung on for 18 months, but he still had to travel about to sell his goods. The congregation at Earl's Barton could not help. He was in great distress and was only helped by the aid of his brother who gave him as much financial help as he was able. With his help, and a collection in his native village of Paulerspury, Carey moved to another cottage, also with a garden, at Piddington. Unfortunately the cottage was in marshy ground and his fever returned.
In 1786 Carey left the Earls Barton Church and with John Sutcliffe's advice took charge of the Baptist Dissenting Chapel at Moulton. Carey was 24. The appeal of the position at Moulton was that it had a good school attached and the previous schoolmaster had just left. John Clark Marshman remarks 'few men have been less fitted by nature for such a profession than Mr. Carey'. He could not keep discipline and the school dwindled giving Carey very little income. The Baptist Church could not contribute much financially and he was reduced to subsistence. He had to fall back on his former trade of shoemaker. The opinion on his skills of those who knew him was not flattering and he always had the humblest opinion of his own abilities.
However, notwithstanding his own personal difficulties, the opportunities for broadening his knowledge and advancing his ministerial skills at Moulton were increasing. The congregation was expanding, he preached 4 times a week and he developed a regular approach to biblical study. He also developed a rewarding friendship with Robert Hall, the son of the writer of 'Help to Zion's Travellers' that had so influenced his early religious life. But the most important friend he made was the Rev. Andrew Fuller, the minister at Kettering.
The first meeting between Carey and Fuller was at Northampton. Carey had been invited to preach at a meeting of ministers. On descending from the pulpit he was greeted by the outstretched hand of Andrew Fuller, expressing delight that their views were so alike, and insisting that they become more acquainted. Fuller, as Secretary of the Particular Baptist Missionary Society, would be the bedrock in England, on whom the 'Serampore Trio' could unfailingly rely.
The development of Carey's concept of a Worldwide Mission. It was from reading 'Cookes Voyages round the World' and giving lessons in Geography to his pupils at Moulton that notions of spreading Christianity throughout the world began to develop. Even after relinquishing the school and returning to shoemaking he could not get the idea out of his mind. He could talk of little else. He had a map of the world pinned to the wall of his workshop, composed of several sheets pasted together, with notes on the characteristics, population and religion of every country as then known. As he looked up from making or mending shoes his mind would travel from country to country imagining how they could be evangelised. He met with little encouragement from his fellow Baptist ministers.
Carey had occasion to travel to Birmingham and met Mr. Potts, a wealthy church member. He outlined to him the concept of Missions and proposed that 'if anyone were prepared to support me for a twelvemonth I would go immediately'. Mr. Potts was not supportive of this idea. Carey stated that he had written a pamphlet on the subject but was unable to afford to publish it. Mr Potts offered £10 towards the cost, which was immediately accepted.
On his return to Northamptonshire he met Andrew Fuller, John Ryland and Dr. Sutcliffe, and suggested they rouse the denomination to action. They expressed great reluctance. He mentioned the pamphlet and they suggested he prepare it for publication, which he proceeded to do though his own circumstances were at the level of subsistence, bordering on starvation.
The small church at Moulton was too confining. In 1789 Carey accepted an invitation from Harvey Lane Baptist Church, Leicester, to join them. He was 28. His financial position was somewhat improved, but he still had to go back to teaching. He made a second attempt to keep a school.
William Carey's House in Leicester. Courtesy 'The Centre for the Study of the Life and Work of William Carey D.D., 1761 - 1834'. Carey was introduced to Dr. Arnold who gave him free use of his library. Carey took full advantage of this opportunity to broaden his knowledge. A letter from Leicester gives us a good illustration of his ability to strictly organise his time. This self discipline would later enable him to produce prodigious feats of translation in India.
Carey writes: 'On Monday I confine myself to the study of the learned languages, and oblige myself to translate something. On Tuesday, the study of science, history and composition. On Wednesday I preach a lecture, and have been more than a twelvemonth on the book of Revelations. On Thursday I visit my friends. Friday and Saturday are spent in preparing for the Lord's day; and the Lord's day in preaching the word of God. Once a fortnight I preach three times at home, and once a fortnight I visit neighbouring villages in the evening. My school begins at nine in the morning, and continues till four in winter and five in the summer'.
He never gave up on the concept of Missions and pressed it again in 1791 at an Easter meeting of ministers at Clipstone, Nottinghamshire, without success. For 4 years he had pressed it on his colleagues on every occasion. It was an unknown path, the enterprise was too vast and ambitious for their own obscure position and limited resources. He would be doomed to disappointment for a further 16 months. To gain time, and to avoid wounding his feelings they urged him to print the pamphlet. He revised it and sent it to press. It was entitled 'The Enquiry on Missions'(1) and would become the basis for the start of the modern missionary movement.
A New Plan of the Town of Nottingham, 1744, showing Friar Lane Baptist Chapel. Courtesy Nottingham City Libraries, Local Studies Library. Click here to see a more detailed version of the map.
Friar Lane Baptist Chapel, Nottingham, exterior. From 'A History of Friar Lane Baptist Church',by Godfrey and Ward, 1903. Courtesy Nottingham City Libraries, Local Studies Library. The next meeting of ministers was held at Friar Lane Particular Baptist Chapel, Nottingham, on Wednesday, 30th May 1792.
At six o'clock in the morning a prayer meeting was held, led by deacon George Cox. William Carey had been invited to preach and he started at half-past ten on the text from Isaiah I iv., 2, 3, "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited," the subject being "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God."
Friar Lane Baptist Chapel, Nottingham, interior. From 'A History of Friar Lane Baptist Church',by Godfrey and Ward, 1903. Courtesy Nottingham City Libraries, Local Studies Library. The sermon was animated and eloquent. The pent up emotions of so many years of work and struggle to get over his profound convictions made him the more eager to persuade his listeners. He denounced, with vigour, the indifference with which the cause of Missions was treated.
But, when the assembled ministers debated the subject, the old doubts and hesitations predominated. They were about to leave the meeting when Carey, in an agony of distress, seized Andrew Fuller's hand and enquired whether 'they were again going away without doing anything?' His intervention was successful and, to his delight, he saw recorded in the Minutes: "That a plan be prepared against the next ministers' meeting at Kettering for the establishment of a Society for the propagation of the Gospel among the heathen."(2)
On 2nd October, 1792, the historic ministers' meeting took place at Kettering. After the services of the day the 12 ministers who were attending, withdrew to Mrs. Wallace's house. She was the wife of one of the deacons whose ancestor had established the first Baptist Church in Kettering a century before.
They debated long and hard about the practicalities of forming an association. There was no model to follow, they didn't know how to form a Missionary Association, or how to work its machinery. They knew of no favourable opening in a foreign land, they were without funds, or influence, and their inland position was not favourable to such activities. All these arguments were countered with vigour by Carey and, through his irresistible influence, ministers were prevailed on to pledge themselves to make, at least an attempt, to spread the Gospel to some portion of the heathen.
A Society was constituted, a Committee of 5 appointed, consisting of Andrew Fuller, John Ryland, John Sutcliff, Reynold Hogg and William Carey. Andrew Fuller was nominated Secretary. A subscription was collected amounting to £13 2s 6d. As soon as the subscription paper was filled up Carey offered to leave for any country they chose. He was eager to leave at once.
On hearing the news Rev. Samuel Pearce in Birmingham immediately raised £70. Other churches followed and the Committee were soon in the possession of considerable funds.
The churches in London, however, stayed aloof. Dr. Stennett, one of the most influential ministers there, though courteous to Carey, would have nothing to do with the Mission. Other denominations were even more contemptuous.
A decision on the direction the new-born Society should take was suggested by a letter from a former resident of Bengal called Mr. Thomas. He had written to the Society requesting funds to establish a Mission in Bengal.
There had been considerable efforts by a Bengal resident called Mr. Grant, over a period of 30 years, to establish a Mission through the Church of England; with written and personal representations to the Governor-General, Lord Hastings, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London and William Wilberforce. All had finally come to nought (3).
It was just at this time that the fledgling Baptist Missionary Society was coming into existence. They had been completely unaware of these activities.
Mr. Thomas had previously persuaded Mr. Grant to employ him to itinerate on his indigo plantation at Malda. While in India he had corresponded with Mr. Booth and Dr. Stennett, of the London Baptists, with regard to establishing an Indian Mission, but had received a discouraging response.
In 1792 he had returned to England and was one day at the house of Mr. Booth when he heard of the establishment of the Baptist Missionary Society. He wrote to Carey describing in glowing terms the prospects of success at Malda. At the third meeting of the Committee the letter was read and Carey proposed joining Mr. Thomas at Malda. Fuller, who was about to visit London, decided to make enquiries about Mr. Thomas. The outcome was satisfactory.
At a meeting of 9th January 1793 it was resolved that 'a door appeared to be open in India' and it was suggested that Mr. Thomas should 'unite with the Society, who would endeavour to procure an assistant to accompany him'. Carey immediately rose to offer his services. While the Committee were deliberating Mr. Thomas was unexpectedly announced. Carey sprang from his seat, eager to meet his future colleague and 'they fell on each other's neck and wept'. It was resolved that Thomas and Carey should proceed to Bengal in the Spring.
To send two missionaries to India was beyond the resources of the Society. Mr. Thomas travelled the country to raise subscriptions and 'received many rebuffs'. Andrew Fuller came to London and canvassed members of the Baptist churches from door to door. 'He frequently retired from the more public streets into back lanes, that he might not be seen to weep over his want of success'.
Mrs. Carey refused to entertain the idea of going to India with her 4 sons and it was agreed that she should stay behind until a later date and Carey should take one son.
The funds needed were eventually collected, and on 20th March, at Harvey Street Baptist Church, Leicester, the farewell service was held. Andrew Fuller delivered an address to Carey and Thomas that was so fervid that it helped to sustain them in the difficult early years of their Mission.
On 31st May, 1793, William Ward attended Rippon's Chapel at Walnut Tree Alley, Carter Lane where William Carey was preaching. After the service, Ward walked with Carey from Walnut Tree Alley to near the Monument. It is while they were walking that a conversation took place that would change both their lives. Laying his hand on Ward's shoulder as they parted, he said, "I hope, by God's blessing, to have the Bible translated and ready for press in four or five years. You must come and print it for us." Neither ever forgot this.
The arrangements to sail could not have caused greater difficulties.
The East India Company would not allow anyone, not in the Company's employ, to enter India without a special license. This was only granted at the discretion of the Company. Anyone caught in India without a license would be guilty of a high crime and misdemeanour and the sentence would be deportation at the expense of the captain who had taken them out. European residents in India all knew of those who had entered India without a license, and against whom no action had been taken, but missionaries were regarded in a different light, as it was almost universally accepted that their activities would jeopardise British interests in India. This problem would dog succeeding missionaries for the next 20 years.
A Company sailing ship called the 'Oxford' had been found whose Captain was willing to take them without a license, but serious problems over Mr. Thomas's bad debts caused creditors to follow him with writs. These eventually reached the Captain after they had embarked at Ryde, Isle of White. He absolutely refused to carry them and they had to disembark. It meant the loss of the fare of £250 and Carey was brought to tears by the sight of the fleet (of which the 'Oxford' was a part) setting sail for India without them.
Carey and Thomas returned to London and Thomas went round various coffee houses in the City looking for passages. After a long and fruitless search, one of the waiters at the Jerusalem Coffee House put a card in his hand stating that a Danish East Indiaman was to be heard of at 10 Cannon Street. He hastened to the office and found that the vessel had already left Copenhagen. Carey quickly returned to Northamptonshire to raise funds and tried again to persuade his wife to accompany them. His wife agreed, but only on the condition that her sister should accompany them. This would add an extra financial burden as the total fare now required was £600. The captain of the 'Oxford' had returned £150 and Carey proceeded to realise all his worldly assets, which came to £18 10s. With other help the total figure came to £300. They proceeded to negotiate with the agent offering to use just two cabins, with some of the party eating in the servant's mess, etc. These were accepted and on 13th June, 1793, the party embarked on the 'Cron Princessa Maria', a Danish vessel with a Danish and Norwegian crew, and an English captain called Captain Christmas. (4)
From the first day the Captain treated them as if they had paid the full fare and the voyage proved uneventful. Carey learnt Bengali under the tuition of Mr. Thomas and, as the ship sailed up the Bay of Bengal, 'his mind seemed to expand with the prospect of the great missionary field which was presented on all sides'.
(1) For a PDF of the whole pamphlet go to 'The Centre for the Study of the Life and Work of William Carey D.D. 1761-1834' Digital Library Page.
(2). The collection amounted to £4 17s 10d. The assembled ministers were entertained to dinner at the expense of the Friar Lane Church at which ale, wine and tobacco were consumed to a total value of £1 3s 6d. Tips to the waiters came to 3s. (From 'A History of Friar Lane Baptist Church',by Godfrey and Ward, 1903)
There is no record of this historic occasion in the newspapers of either Nottingham, or Derby, but the Friar Lane Chapel has ever since been associated with Carey's sermon. The pulpit from which he preached was replaced in 1796. The Chapel disappeared beneath an inner ring road in the 1960's. A plaque commemorated the spot on the steps of a pedestrian subway until recently. It has been moved to a rather unsatisfactory position, on a tree protector on the eastern side of Maid Marion Way, just south of the junction with Friar Lane.
(3) John Clark Marshman in 'The Life and Times of Carey, Marshman and Ward', 1859, describes these efforts in detail and they can be read on the Digital Library Page.
(4) Margaret Williams, Curator of the Carey Heritage Museum at Moulton, (whose family name is Ward, comes from Derby, and is a former member of Trinity Baptist Church, Green Lane, Derby; the successor to the Agard Street Particular Baptist Chapel to which William Ward belonged) has kindly provided me with the following information. In the Centenary Book of Trinity Baptist Church, the author quotes the following article from a 'Derby Mercury' of 1793 or 1794. 'The Rev Mr Carey of Leicester and Mr Thomas are about to embark from England upon a mission to Bengal. From the known peacable and inquisitive disposition of the natives, we have reason to hope that the benign influence of Christianity will be extended to that part of the globe.' I have every reason to believe that William Ward, as editor, was responsible for this article.
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