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Draft:John Henry Budden (missionary)

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John Henry Budden
Born(1813-11-19)November 19, 1813
London, England
DiedMarch 18, 1890(1890-03-18) (aged 76)
Almora, Uttarakhand, India
Cause of deathIllness
Burial placeNarain Tewari Dewal Cemetery
MonumentsBudden Memorial Church, Almora
OccupationMissionary
Years active1841–1887
OrganizationLondon Missionary Society
SpouseS. Odell Newton
Children
  • Mary Budden
  • Hanson Odell
  • Margaret Budden
  • Helen Harriet
ParentWilliam Budden (father) Elizabeth Hanson (mother)

John Henry Budden (1813–1890) was a British missionary who worked in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India, during the 19th century.[1][2] He is known to have established the Almora Mission and was involved in setting up Christian missions, schools, and healthcare facilities in the region as part of the activities of the London Missionary Society.[3]

Early Life

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Budden was born in London, England, to William Budden and Elizabeth Hanson. His family belonged to the Nonconformist tradition, and his father later resided in Kensington. Budden spent his early years in Canterbury, where he became involved in a local church. In 1835, he returned to London and worked at the wholesale firm of Johnson & Bulmer on Cannon Street. During this time, he attended the Weigh House Chapel, where the ministry of Dr. Thomas Binney influenced him to pursue missionary work. After completing his preparation, he was ordained alongside his brother-in-law, Rev. R. Birt, under the London Missionary Society, and later that year, he departed for India.[4][5]

History

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Budden was ordained on Tuesday evening, June 8, 1841, at the Weigh house Chapel, Fish Street Hill.[6] He had been appointed as a missionary to Benares, North India. On June 17, 1841, Budden departed from Portsmouth on the ship Peking, captained by Laing, and sailed to Calcutta before proceeding to his assignment in Benares, and reaching Benares by January 12, 1842. In July 1842, he accompanied Mr. Watt to Futtehgurh, returning at the end of September. In November 1842, he visited Simla for health reasons and returned to Benares in 1843, taking charge of the mission at Mirzapur in the absence of Mr. Mather, arriving November 25.

Budden returned to England in 1845 and married Sarah Odell Newton, a church member from Kensington. They sailed to India together on August 1, 1845, arriving at Calcutta on November 18, and at Mirzapur in January 1846. In 1848, due to ill-health, Budden visited Nynee Tal in the hill sanitarium. He returned to Benares at the close of 1849 and continued his work in the region.

After arriving in India, Budden was stationed at Mirzapur in 1850. [7][8]

Mrs. Budden passed away at Almora on January 31, 1859. In November 1859, Budden returned to England, arriving on January 4, 1860.

During his stay, he published five works in Urdu and Hindi with the aid of the Religious Tract Society for the benefit of Indian converts. Budden returned to India in 1862, resuming his educational and missionary work in Almora. Ill-health forced him to visit England again in 1863, and after another trip to India in 1865, he continued his work in Almora until 1884.

In 1884, Budden returned to England on furlough, arriving on April 20, and after returning to India in 1885, he resigned from active service in July 1887 due to age and ill-health. His resignation was accepted by the London Missionary Society on September 26, 1887. Budden passed away on March 18, 1890, at Almora, North India, at the age of 76.

He visited the Himalayan hills for health reasons and met Captain (later Sir Henry) Ramsay, a Christian officer residing at Nainital. Captain Ramsay, along with Mr. J. H. Batten, offered him a missionary position in the Kumaon Hills. Permission for the new appointment was obtained from the Society, and arrangements for his salary and local expenses, to be funded through subscriptions, took effect from January 1851.

A school and mission work were soon established in Almora, with two buildings dedicated to the mission, including a Mission Chapel where Sunday services were conducted in both Hindustani and English.[9][10][11] In 1850, with Ramsay's support, the London Missionary Society under Budden founded the first English school at Almora. Although initially funded through local subscriptions, these declined after a few years, and the Directors in London resumed payment of Budden’s salary. The Budden family continued their missionary work in the Almora and Pithoragarh areas for over eighty years, first under the London Missionary Society and later under the American Methodist Mission.[12]

Administration

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Budden assumed responsibility for the Almora Leprosy Asylum after Sir Henry Ramsay’s departure to England, administering the facility from 1851 to 1887. Following his retirement, Rev. J. M. Bulloch took over the administration. Miss Mary Budden also contributed her services at the Pithoragarh Leprosy Asylum, supporting the mission's healthcare work.[13][14][15]

When Sir Henry Ramsay returned to England, he entrusted the supervision of the mission hospital to Rev. J. H. Budden. Budden retired from active service in 1887, handing over charge to Rev. J. M. Bulloch, and passed away at Almora on March 18, 1890. In his memory, the church at Almora was later named the Budden Memorial Church. After his death, his daughter Mary Budden took over the supervision of the mission station at Almora. Her dedication was widely acknowledged by fellow missionaries, particularly during times of financial constraint. In 1895, a missionary correspondent praised her support for the economizing measures necessitated by funding difficulties. By 1891, there were 706 Christians in the province of Almora, largely converted through the London Missionary Society’s efforts under Budden’s leadership. By 1909, the number connected with the Almora mission had grown to 455.

Church Support

As pastor of the church, Budden also offered direct assistance to individuals in need. On one occasion, he sold a small piece of land adjacent to the church to a man named Tara Dutt, enabling him to build a residence on the site.

Memorials

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Image of the Budden Memorial Church in Almora
Main article: Budden Memorial Church (Almora)

A church at Almora was built, known as the Budden Memorial Church in remembrance for his services as a missionary in the Kumaon region, Uttarakhand untill his death. After his death, his daughter Mary Budden supervised the mission station at Almora. In 1891, there were 706 Christians in the province of Almora, mostly converted through the London Missionary Society's efforts under John Henry Budden's direction. By 1909, the total number of Christians connected with the Almora mission was 455.

Publications

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During a visit to England in January 1860, Budden published five books in Urdu and Hindi for Indian converts to Christianity, including "Mumuksh Brittant, or Indian Pilgrim".[16] He was described as "an able preacher, educationalist, and writer". Mr. Budden was a distinguished linguist, with expertise in the language that was surpassed by few. He made significant contributions to the field, including his work on the revision of the Hindi New Testament. Budden also authored several notable religious works in the vernacular, distinguished by their idiomatic correctness and expressive beauty. Throughout his life, he remained committed to his work, continuing to revise his writings until his death.

Personal Life

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Spent a week preaching for Rev. J. Budden, of the London Mission, at Almora. He was an earnest Christian gentleman and a grand interpreter in Hindi.[17]

Studied at Western College. Appointed to Benares. Single. Sailed, June 17, 1841. Arrived at Calcutta, November 26, 1841, and at Benares, January 12, 1842, he visited England in 1845, arriving April 27. Married SARAH ODELL NEWTON, Church Member, Kensington (Stoughton). Sailed for India, with Mrs. Budden, August 1, 1845, and arrived at Calcutta, November 18, and at Mirzapur, January, 1846. In January, 1848, on account of ill-health, he left Mirzapur to visit Nynee Tal, one of the Hill sanataria. While residing in the Hill district he carried on literary work, and engaged in other efforts for the benefit of the natives. At the close of 1849 he returned to Benares to take the place of Mr. Kennedy, who was absent in England. In November, 1859, he left India for England, where he arrived January 4, 1860. During his stay in England he carried through the press, with the aid of the Religious Tract Society, five works in Urdu and Hindi, which he had prepared for the benefit of the natives using those languages. Returning to India, he sailed January 20, 1862, and arrived at Almora at the end of March, when he resumed his educational and other efforts in and around Almora. In 1863 ill-health again compelled him to visit England. Leaving Calcutta, December 21, 1863, he arrived in England April 2, 1864. Returning to India, he sailed September 25, 1865, and arrived at Almora February, 1866. In 1884 he returned to England on furlough, arriving April 20. Returning to India, he sailed February 14, 1885. On account of age and ill-health he resigned in July, 1887, which resignation was accepted by the Directors on September 26, 1887.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "QUIET RESTFULNESS - How 'going to the hills' was visually immortalized". Archived from the original on 2019-12-20. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
  2. ^ "Missionaries' Initiative ForThe Public Health In British Kumaun" (PDF).
  3. ^ "The Almora Mission". biblehub.com. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
  4. ^ "BUDDEN missionaries in Almora, - Genealogy.com". www.genealogy.com. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
  5. ^ Luscombe, Stephen. "The British Empire". www.britishempire.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
  6. ^ The Evangelical Magazine and Missionary Chronicle. 1841.
  7. ^ Scott, Benjamin (1890). A State Iniquity: Its Rise, Extension, and Overthrow. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Company. ISBN 978-0-7222-1840-2. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  8. ^ "The Leprosy Mission of Almora" (PDF).
  9. ^ "Making Kumaun Modern: Family and Custom c. 1815–1930" (PDF).
  10. ^ Kennedy, James (1993). Life and Work in Benares and Kumaon, 1839-1877. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 978-81-206-0751-4.
  11. ^ Luscombe, Stephen. "The British Empire". www.britishempire.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  12. ^ Tewari, Kiran; Joshi, Anil K. (2019). "The Humane Face of Colonial Administration: The Leprosy Homes in British Kumaun". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 80: 635–643. ISSN 2249-1937. JSTOR 27192915.
  13. ^ Tewari, Kiran; Joshi, Anil K. (2019). "The Humane Face of Colonial Administration: The Leprosy Homes in British Kumaun". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 80: 635–643. ISSN 2249-1937.
  14. ^ Tewari, Kiran; Joshi, Anil K. (2019). "The Humane Face of Colonial Administration: The Leprosy Homes in British Kumaun". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 80: 635–643. ISSN 2249-1937.
  15. ^ Verma, Raj Gopal Singh (2022-09-26). The Lady of Two Nations: Life and Times of Ra'ana Liaqat Ali Khan. Global Collective Publishers. ISBN 978-1-954021-88-4.
  16. ^ "Catalogues Of The Hindi Panjabi Sindhi And Pushtu Printed Books" (PDF).
  17. ^ Taylor, William (1895). Story of My Life: An Account of what I Have Thought and Said and Done in My Ministry of More Than Fifty-three Years in Christian Lands and Among the Heathen : Written by Myself. Eaton & Mains.
  18. ^ Register of Missionaries, Deputations, Etc., from 1796 to 1896. London Missionary Society. 1896.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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