 The Rt Rev Jack L Iker, SSC, Bishop The Rev Mark A Stockstill, SSC, Vicar Office 325.356.2997 Vicarage 325.356.2198 Cell 325.330.2411 mastockstill@yahoo.com |
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Henry Martyn
was born in 1781, studied at Cambridge, and became Senior Wrangler. (That
is, he won the Cambridge University annual mathematics problem-solving
competition, and was accordingly recognized as the University's best
undergraduate mathematician. "Wrangling" is a British University expression
for solving mathematical problems.) He had, moreover, a considerable
facility in languages. Under the encouragement of Charles Simeon (see 12 Nov
1836), he abandoned his intention of going into law and instead went to
India as a chaplain in 1806. In the six remaining years of his life, he
translated the New Testament into Hindi and Persian, revised an Arabic
translation of the New Testament, and translated the Psalter into Persian
and the Prayer Book into Hindi. In 1811 he left India for Persia, hoping to
do further translations and to improve his existing ones, there and in
Arabia. But travel in those days was not a healthy occupation, and he fell
ill and eventually died at Tokat on October 16, 1812. (The American Calendar
commemorates him on 19 October.) He was buried by the Armenian church there,
with the honors ordinarily reserved for one of their own bishops. His diary
has been called "one of the most precious treasures of Anglican devotion."