Henry Martyn Scudder

2021-10-15T16:47:53Z

2409:4072:F:C5C9:0:0:1935:8B0:

'''Henry Martyn Scudder''' (5 February 1822 – 4 June 1895) was a missionary under [[American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions]] and Board of Foreign Missions of the [[Reformed Church in America]] to [[Japan]] and [[South India]]—to ''American Madura Mission'' and ''American Madras Mission''. He established ''American Arcot Mission'', [[North Arcot]] of South India—then under [[Madras Presidency]].<ref name="R1">{{cite book |last= Buckland|first= C. E|author2=Charles E. Buckland |title= Dictionary of Indian Biography|publisher= Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e_dA0RAwd4oC&pg=PA381 |year= 1999|pages= 380–381|isbn= 8170208971 }}</ref><ref name="R2">{{cite book |last= Shavit |first= David |title= The United States in Asia: A Historical Dictionary|publisher= Greenwood Publishing Group|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IWdZTaJdc6UC&pg=PA442 |year= 1990 |page=442|isbn= 031326788X }}</ref><ref name="R4">{{cite book |last= Smith |first= George |title= The Conversion of India, from Pantaenus to the Present Time (Ad 193-1893)|publisher= Gorgias Press LLC|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yG-rOm8O-8AC&pg=PA166 |year= 2004 |pages= 164–167|isbn= 1593331355 }}</ref><ref name="R5">{{cite book |last= Heideman |first= Eugene P. |title= From Mission to Church: The Reformed Church in America Mission to India |publisher= Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=0A6ruPk7-lcC&pg=PA37 |year= 2001 |pages= 9|isbn= 0802849008 }}</ref>

==Biography==
{{expand section|date=July 2012}}
He was born at [[Panditeripo]], [[Sri Lanka|Ceylon]], on 5 February 1822. He was the eldest son of [[John Scudder, Sr.]], the first [[Americans|American]] medical missionary to [[India]] and second missionary to ''American Madras Mission'' at [[Madras]]—Sr.Scudder arrived at ''Madras Mission'' in September 1836, while [[Miron Winslow]] commenced it in August 1836 after [[East India Company]] opened [[India]] in 1833 to missionaries of all lands, including non-[[United Kingdom|British]] missionaries. Henry joined his father as a missionary at Madras in 1844.<ref name="R1"/><ref name="R2"/><ref name="R5"/>

He went to the [[United States]] in 1832, and graduated at the [[New York University|University of the City of New York]] in 1840 and [[Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York|Union Theological Seminary]]. He was [[ordained]] by [[American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions]](ABCFM) in 1843. The following year he was sent as an ABCFM missionary to [[Madurai|Madura]], [[India]], where he labored from 1844 to 1846, and in 1846 to [[Chennai|Madras]], where he labored until 1850. After his arrival to Madras from [[United States]], he studied [[medicine]] at [[Madras Medical College]], in addition to his missionary activity. Later, he received his [[Doctor of Medicine|M.D]] degree from New York University. In 1850, he founded the mission ''American Arcot Mission'' for the board of the Dutch Reformed Church at [[Arcot, Vellore|Arcot]], where he labored until 1864. After being a missionary under ABCM until 1857, he served as a missionary under the Board of Foreign Missions of the [[Reformed Church in America]] after 1857.<ref name="R2"/><ref name="R5"/>

In 1864, his health failing in the climate of India, he returned to [[United States|America]], and he became a [[pastor]] of a church in [[San Francisco]]. He held [[pastorate]]s at [[Jersey City]], [[New Jersey]]; [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|New York]]; and [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. He built churches in [[Brooklyn]] and [[Chicago]], and engaged in pastoral work for nearly 20 years. From 1887 to 1889 he was in the mission field in [[Japan]]. He died on 4 June 1895 in [[Winchester]], [[Massachusetts]].<ref name="R1"/><ref name="R2"/>

==North Arcot Mission==
In 1850, Henry Scudder having toured the neighbouring districts along with John Dulles of Arcot found that the million and a half souls never heard of [[Jesus Christ]]; hence, he sought and obtained the permission from [[British Raj]] to make the city of Arcot as the centre of a new mission in the northern districts of Arcot. The father and son opened a mission in the Arcot district, 80 miles west of Madras, as a chief station of ''North Arcot Mission''. The mission was opened to introduce [[Western world|Western]] medical science among the natives ([[Tamil people]]) of the districts. The then-[[United Kingdom|British]] Madras Government of [[Madras Presidency]] gave him a building, ample land for the construction of hospital, and contributed its expenses. Initially, when no house was available for residence, he took a rented house at Wallajanagar and opened a [[dispensary]] with the purpose of winning a favourable entrance for the [[gospel]]. On 31 May 1853, Henry and William Waterbury Scudder met together in Arcot, and drew up the charter of the ''[[Arcot Mission|American Arcot Mission]]''. Very soon, nine children and nine grandchildren Sr. Scudder were associated with that mission—like W.W. Scudder, E.C. Scudder, J.W. Scudder, John Scudder, S.D. Scudder, and many more. He was among the [[Scudders in India]] who devoted more than 1,100 combined years to Christian mission service by 42 members of four generations of the family. In 1853, he together with his brother and father, requested particular [[Synod]] of [[New York City]] to approve their being organized into the [[Classis (ecclesiastical)|Classis]] of Arcot. This charter was in accord with the action of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Reformed Church General Synod in 1852. Having received the permission of the particular Synod, they formed the Classis in 1854—the first and only classis of the Reformed church outside [[North America]] continent.<ref name="R1"/><ref name="R2"/><ref name="R4"/><ref name="R5"/><ref>{{cite book |last= Corwin |first= Edward Tanjore |title= A manual of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in North America |publisher= Board of Publication of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church |url= https://archive.org/details/amanualreformed01corwgoog|quote= American, Arcot Mission, Henry Martin Scudder. |year= 1859 |page= [https://archive.org/details/amanualreformed01corwgoog/page/n153 145]|work= the New York Public Library}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |authors= American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions |title= The Missionary herald, Volume 61 |publisher= Samuel T. Armstrong|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A5IUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA213 |year= 1865|page= 213|work= Harvard University}}</ref><ref name="Rn1">{{cite book |last= Cordell |first= Bruce R. |author2=Jeff Grubb |author3=David Yu |title= The Reformed Church in America: Structures for Mission, Issues 14-16|publisher= Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Q8uc12AyrEC&pg=PA40 |year= 1985 |pages= 40–45|isbn= 0802800815 }}</ref><ref name="Rn2">{{cite book |last= Shenk |first= Wilbert R. |title= North American Foreign Missions, 1810-1914: Theology, Theory, and Policy |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=az7WbP8IBU8C&pg=PA64 |year= 2004|pages=60–65 |isbn= 0802824854 }}</ref><ref name="Rn3">{{cite book |last= Hoff|first= Marvin D. |title= The Reformed Church in America: Structures for Mission, Issues 14-16|publisher= Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=2Q8uc12AyrEC&pg=PA40 |year= 1985 |pages=40–42 |isbn=9780802800817}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |authors=American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, General Council of the Congregational and Christian Churches of the United States. Missions Council, General Council of the Congregational and Christian Churches of the United States. Board of Home Missions|title= The Missionary herald at home and abroad, Volume 61|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CovNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA213 |year=1865|page=213|work=the University of Michigan}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
{{expand section|date=July 2012}}
He published a number of books in the [[Sanskrit]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]], and [[Telugu language]]s. With excellent command in Tamil language, he published ''Spiritual Teaching'', ''The Bazaar Book'', and ''Jewel Mine of Salvation'' that had become valuable aid to missionaries and [[Indigenous peoples|native]] preachers—These are still used in [[Arcot, Vellore|Arcot]] districts. He also made the translation of [[liturgy]] into Tamil.<ref name="R1"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Protestant missions to India}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scudder, Henry Martyn}}
[[Category:American Protestant missionaries]]
[[Category:Protestant missionaries in India]]
[[Category:New York University School of Medicine alumni]]
[[Category:1822 births]]
[[Category:1895 deaths]]
[[Category:Union Theological Seminary (New York City) alumni]]
[[Category:People from Northern Province, Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan people of American descent]]
[[Category:American expatriates in India]]

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Henry Martyn Scudder