Missionary Worthies, Being Brief Memorial Sketches of Ministers Sent Forth By the Wesleyan Missionary Society Who Have Died In the Work From the Beginning

London: T. Woolmer, 1885. Hardcover. Very Good. Hardcover. VERY SCARCE. William Moister (1808-1891) was a Methodist minister and missionary. According to Methodist church history, he was appointed to the Gambia in 1831, but left in 1833 due to ill health. He was then appointed to the West Indies, where he served in Demerara, Barbados, Grenada, Tobago, St Vincent and Trinidad (1834-46). Later, he again offered for overseas assignment and was General Superintendent of the Cape of Good Hope District, South Africa 1850-60, where he was associated with Moffat and Livingstone. In later years he wrote a number of books, including a biography of Thomas Coke, a History of Wesleyan Missions (1871), Missionary Pioneers (1871) and Missionary Worthies (1885); and The Story of my Life and Missionary Labours in Europe, Africa, America and the West Indies (1886). Missionary Worthies is dedicated by the author to 15 missionaries whose biographical sketches are included in the work. According to the author's preface, he had previously published a small volume, titled Heralds of Salvation, of sketches of Wesleyan missionaries who had died in service through 1860. Missionary Worthies continues with these sketches, including some that had previously been missed up to 1860, and then chronologically those others who had died from 1861-1885. This is a rare and invaluable documentation of the Wesleyan missionary movement in the 1800s.

Small octavo. Brown cloth-covered boards with gilt title to front cover and spine, patterns on both covers and spine, and a gilt imprint of two globes to front cover, with the inscription, "The Field Is the World, the World Is My Parish." Front joint is starting at top and bottom. Minor scuffing to edges. Minor spots to top and bottom edges of text block. Pages are slightly yellowed, but bright and clean. 438 pages, including index. REL/051625.