Edgar Wesley THOMPSON

See also

Edgar THOMPSON's parents: Thomas THOMPSON (1830-1901) and Jane FULLER (1845-1921)

Edgar THOMPSON's siblings: John Vickers THOMPSON (1867-1935), Alfred Fuller THOMPSON (1868-1905), Emily Marion THOMPSON (1870- ), Ellen Edith THOMPSON (1873- ), Thomas Percy THOMPSON (1875-1940), Arthur Wilfrid THOMPSON (1878-1972), Margaret G THOMPSON (1882- ) and Hilda Featherstone THOMPSON (1888- )

Edgar Wesley THOMPSON (1871-1963)


	Edgar Wesley THOMPSON, Edgar Wesley Thompson 1962 aged

Name:	Edgar Wesley THOMPSON ^1,2
Sex:	Male
Father:	Thomas THOMPSON (1830-1901)
Mother:	Jane FULLER (1845-1921)

Individual Events and Attributes

Birth	Jun 1871	Glastonbury, Somerset ²
Residence (1)	1881 (age 9-10)	High Street Alton Hampshire ³
Residence (2)	1891 (age 19)	Newcastle Lower, Nr Bridgend, Wales ¹
Death	1963 (age 91-92)	Nottingham ⁴
Occupation		Methodist Missionary

Marriage

Spouse	Ruth Barbara BRIGHOUSE (1871-1947?)
Children	Barbara Innes THOMPSON (1902-1986)
	Averill Fuller THOMPSON (1907-1972)
	Thomas Stephen THOMPSON (1909- )
Marriage	18 Apr 1900 (age 28)	York, Yorkshire

Individual Note 1 (shared)

Edgar Wesley Thompson(1871-1963) was born in Glastonbury, the son of a Wesleyan minister. He was educated at Woodhouse Grove, Kingswood, Aberystwyth and London University.

Thompson trained for the ministry at Richmond and served as a missionary in India for twenty-five years from 1894. He proved an able and well-known protagonist of Christianity and his public debates with the Theosophist Annie Beasant attracted a great deal of attention. He also acted as the editor of the weekly Christian newspaper Vrittanta Patrike. During the Conference of 1911, while on furlough, he made representations that led to changes in the constitution and administration of the Missionary Society.

Thompson returned to England in 1919 and was appointed General Secretary of the Missionary Society, in which post he displayed considerable administrative ability. The 1950 Conference Declaration of Racial Policy was largely his work. Thompson superannuated in 1934.

While serving in India, Thompson wrote a two-volume history of the sub-continent that remained in wide use for many years. He also wrote acclaimed biographies of John Wesley and Nicholas Gilbert.

Source: Minutes of Conference 1963 and Methodist Recorder7 Feb.1963 and Harold Burgoyne Rattenbury papers (MARC)

5470) Thompson, Edgar W; THE METHODIST DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH; Epworth; 1939; 48pp; Hardback in chipped dustjacket; () £5.00

5471) Thompson, Edgar W; THE METHODIST DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH; Epworth; 1939; 48pp; Hardback, insc.; () £4.00

5644) Thompson, Edgar W; WESLEY: APOSTOLIC MAN - SOME REFLECTIONS ON WESLEY'S CONSECRATION OF DR. THOMAS COKE; Epworth; 1957; 84pp; Hardback in dustjacket; () £6.00

5645) Thompson, Edgar W; WESLEY; APOSTOLIC MAN - SOME REFLECTIONS ON WESLEY'S CONSECRATION OF DR. THOMAS COKE; Epworth; 1957; 84pp; Hardback in dustjacket, sl. foxing; () £8.00

Author Thompson, Edgar W. (Edgar Wesley), 1871-1963 Other titles by Author(s)

Title The church, catholic and free : Reflections of a Methodist upon the south Indian scheme

Publisher London : Epworth Press, (1944)

Control Number m398619x

Subject India

Copies:Location Shelfmark Loan Type Availability Copies Loans

Deansgate Meth.Arch. /MAB,CO191

REFERENCE Available 1 0

Individual Note 2

Name: Rev Edgar W Thompson

Birth Date: abt 1871

Age: 59

Port of Departure: Port Limón, Costa Rica

Arrival Date: 26 May 1930

Port of Arrival: Plymouth, England

Ports of Voyage: Port Colombia, Curacao, La Guaira, Trinidad, Port of Spain, Bridgetown

Ship Name: Stuyvesant

Search Ship Database: View the 'Stuyvesant' in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database

Shipping Line: Royal Netherlands Steamship Company

Official Number: 1174

address given as 24 Bishopsgate, London EC2. Country of last permanent residence British Guiana ???

Also on the same boat was "His Lordship Bishop parry of 21 Westbourne Square, London W" also from British Guiana ???

Individual Note 3

Name: Edgar Wesley Thompson

Birth Date: abt 1871

Age: 57

Port of Departure: Africa

Arrival Date: 8 Apr 1928

Port of Arrival: Liverpool, England

Ports of Voyage: Lagos, Sekondi, Monrovia, Las Palmas, Seirra Leone, Takoradi, Bathurst, Accra, Plymouth

Ship Name: Aba

Search Ship Database: View the 'Aba' in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database

Shipping Line: British and African Steam Navigation Company Ltd

Official Number: 141887

Travelled alone and First Class - image of travel record in family history folder - gave address as 24 Bishopsgate, London

Individual Note 4

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=newo

rleans358&h=974122&ti=0&indiv=try

Actual text: Name: Edgar Wesley Thompson

Birth Date: abt 1871

Birth Place: England,Glastenbury

Origin Date:

Origin Place: England

Arrival Date: 26 Mar 1929

Arrival Place: New Orleans, Louisiana

Departure Date:

Departure Place: Belize, Belize

Web address: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=newo

rleans358&h=974122&ti=0&indiv=try

Individual Note 5

Year: 1928; Arrival: , ; Microfilm serial: T715; Microfilm roll: T715_4396; Line: ; List number: .

Date:

Notes: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=nypl

&h=2005603907&ti=0&indiv=try

Actual text: Name: Edgar Wesley Thompson

Birth Date: abt 1871

Birth Place: England

Arrival Date: 9 Dec 1928

Arrival Place: New York, New York

Departure Date:

Departure Place: Liverpool, England

Web address: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=nypl

&h=2005603907&ti=0&indiv=try

Individual Note 6

in 1911 Edgar Wesley was a visitor at 1 College Road, ripon in the house of Georginana Senior

SENIOR, GEORGIANA WIFE MARRIED 35 F 58 YORKSHIRE GOOLE

SENIOR, FLORENCE EMILY DAUGHTER SINGLE F 31 YORKSHIRE BURLEY IN WHDALE

SENIOR, WILLIAM ERNEST SON SINGLE M 29 CHEMIST BURLEY - IN - WHDALE

THOMPSON, EDGAR WESLEY VISITOR MARRIED M 39 WESLEYAN MINISTER SOMERSET: GLASTONBURY

Individual Note 7

Title: Special Series

Biographical Papers

West Africa

Level Sub-Sub-Series

Requisition MMS/Special Series/Biographical/West Africa/FBN 8 (fiche 327-328)

RefNo MMS/17/02/03/21

Title Rev Edgar Wesley Thompson

Date c1921

Extent 1 volume

AdminHistory Thompson was born in Glastonbury, Somerset, to Wesleyan Methodist parents (the Rev & Mrs Thomas Thompson) on 8th May 1871. After being educated at Woodhouse Grove and Kingswood he graduated from Aberystwyth. He attended Richmond in 1893 but his training was cut sort in 1894 due to an urgent need for missionaries in India. For the next 25 years he worked in the Mysore District developing a reputation as an evangelist, debater and effective administrator as well as cultivating a keen interest in Indian history and Hinduism. He was superintendent of the Mysore Press for a number of years as well as editing 'The Harvest Field' (c1900-1904) and Dr Haigh's weekly newspaper, 'Vrittanta Patrike' (contributing regularly to both of these in addition to other mainly missionary publications). Knowledgeable in both Canarese and Sanskrit his evangelical work included being involved with the mass movements in Hyderabad and Trichinopoly as well as a period of residency at the United Theological College in Bangalore. He was also an ardent opponent of Theosophy and in particular the form espoused by Mrs Annie Besant.

In 1911, whilst on furlough in England, he suggested changes to the constitution and administration of the missionary society which were accepted and remained in place up to and beyond Methodist Union. In 1919 he became one of the general secretaries of the WMMS, initially having responsibility for Home Organisation but later being responsible for India, West Africa and the West Indies districts. Whilst at the Mission House he served for four years as Chairman of the Officers' meetings. In 1934 Thompson became a supernumerary but remained active in Church affairs, most notably playing a key part in the creation of the Methodist Church's conference declaration on racial policy in 1950. He died in London on 28th January 1963.

Further Reading (selective):

Thompson, E W, The Methodist Mission House: its history and its treasures

Thompson, E W, A history of India for high schools and colleges (1908);

Thompson, E W, The call of India: a study in conditions, methods and opportunities of missionary work among Hindus (1912);

Thompson, E W, The theosophy of Mrs. Besant: being a statement upon the teaching of Mrs. Besant and Mr. Leadbeater with an account of the recent law-suits and a foreword by the Bishop of Madras and others (1913);

Thompson, E W, The word of the Cross to Hindus (1933);

Thompson, E W, The Methodist doctrine of the Church (1939).

Description Notebook recording a deputation tour to West Africa and specifically Sierra Leone.

Language English

AccessStatus Unrestricted

AccessConditions Only to be viewed on microfiche.

RelatedMaterial A few of Rev Edgar Thompson's deputation or visitation reports were published including a 'Report of West African Visitation by Rev. Edgar W. Thompson, and Dr A.W. Hooker. January 18th to April 7th 1928' (MMSL AF-WE1425) & 'The West Indies, 1929-1930: the report of two tours by the Rev. E.W. Thompson' (MMSL AM-CR19). Further works by him can be found within the Methodist Missionary Society Library.

Also within the records of the (Wesleyan) Methodist Missionary Society is the official correspondence for Edgar Wesley Thompson whilst stationed in India (MMS/India/Correspondence/Mysore/FBN 34-36). Furthermore, the synod minutes will detail his work, and that of his colleagues, in the Mysore District (MMS/India/Synod Minutes/FBN 4-8 & MMS/India/Synod Minutes/South India/FBN 12-13). Correspondence written by Thompson whilst a General Secretary of the WMMS can be found within outgoing correspondence.

Finally, there is also an article on Governor MacLean and Thomas Birch Freeman by Thompson available (MMS/Special Series/Notes and Transcripts/FBN 1, item 22) and a memorandum on the name 'Methodist Missionary Society' (MMS/Special Series/Notes and Transcripts/FBN 5, item 51).

Searching for (RefNo='MMS')⁵

Individual Note 8

Was acreditted in 1962 with being the oldest "old boy" at Kingswood School!

Sources

1	"1891 Wales Census".

"England & Wales, FreeBMD Index: 1837-1983". Text From Source: FreeBMD. England & Wales, Free BMD Index: 1837-1983 [database online]. Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2005. Original data: Microfilm and microfiche of the England and Wales, Civil Registration Indexes created by the General Register Office, in London, England.

© Crown copyright. Published by permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Office for National Statistics. You must not copy on, transfer or reproduce records without the prior permission of ONS. Database Copyright © 1998-2003 Graham Hart, Ben Laurie, Camilla von Massenbach and David Mayall.

3	"1881 England Census". RG11 Folio 1245 / 64 Page Number 7.

4	"John Bevis Thompson".

5	"http://squirrel.soas.ac.uk/dserve/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archi ve&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqPos=360&dsqSearch=(RefNo='MM S')".