| Administrative History | The Foreign and Candidates Secretary was responsible for corresponding with the missionaries and churches overseas. They also arranged conferences of missionaries on furlough. As Secretary to the Candidates Committee they were responsible for recruitment and training, including the running of the Home Preparation Union whose Secretary was appointed by the Candidates Committee.
Archives as Candidates Secretary:
The Candidates Committee dealt with the appointment and location of missionaries. Applicants were expected to answer a series of questions covering biographical and theological matters. These answers were kept with subsequent correspondence in individual packets. Information on the outside of the packets gives name, home address, age, occupation, date of application, list of referees and medical report. Following her acceptance, the missionary was given her location and signed a form accepting the Society's regulations. There was usually a public meeting to bid farewell to missionaries when leaving Great Britain and at these meetings a Farewell Charge was given, usually in general terms. On arrival overseas a missionary was considered on probation until after she had passed her language exams. The exam results and probation forms commenting on her ability to settle in to her work were signed by the senior missionary or mission secretary.
India:
When CEZMS was established in 1880 it inherited from IFNS ten major mission stations in India, comprising Calcutta (1851), Barrackpore (1871) and Krishnagar (1878) in Bengal, Amritsar (1872) and Batala (1875) in Punjab and Sindh, Trivandrum (1862) in Travancore, Palamcottah (1874) in Tinnevelly, Jabalpur (1875) in Central Provinces and Masulipatam [Machilipatnam] (1875) and Madras (1876) in South India.
In Bengal CEZMS began in Calcutta (1880-1957), Barrackpore (1880-1948) and Krishnagur (1880-1953). In 1882 the work spread to Bhagalpur (1882-1957) and Burdwan (1882-1913). Other stations included Baranagore (1892-1957), Jamalpur (1894-1948), Mankar (1895-1947) and Ratnapur (1890-1948).
In Punjab and Sindh CEZMS began in Amritsar (1880-1950) and Batala (1880-1931). It spread in the Punjab to Jandiala (1881-1950), Peshawar (1882-1950), Dera Ismail Khan (1884-1940), Narowal (1885-1948), Tarn Taran (1888-1952) and Srinagar (1888-1931). It also worked in Asrapur (1890-1947), Quetta (1895-1943) and Tank (1930-1952). It had three stations in Sindh, Karachi (1880-1957), Hyderabad (1885-1950) and Sukkur (1888-1944).
In Travancore and Cochin the main stations were Trivandrum (1880-1957), Kottayam (1882-1931), Mavelikara (1893-1931) and Olesha (1895-1940) in Travancore and Trichur (1881-1943) and Ernakulam (1902-1937) in Cochin.
In Tinnevelly the work spread from Palamcottah (1880-1957) to Sachiapuram (1881-1957) and Nallur (1930-1945).
In Central Provinces there was work at Jabalpur (1880-1957), Penagar (1886-1931) and Katni (1897-1931).
In the Madras area the work spread from Madras (1880-1957) to Chintadrepettah (1888-1950) and Mylapore (1931-1957).
In the Telegu area the main stations were Masulipatam [Machilipatnam] (1880-1954), Bezwada (1881-1945), Ellore (1881-1946), Dummagudem (1885-1939) and Khammamett (1889-1957).
In Mysore there was work at Bangalore (1887-1957) and Channapatna (1906-1950). In the Nilgiries there was work at Ootacamund and Coonoor (1885-1957).
Ceylon [Sri lanka]:
CEZMS work in Ceylon began at Kandy (1889-1944). There was also work at Gampola (1896-1957), Talawa (1911-1957), Mount Lavinia (1912-1943) and Peradeniya (1917-1937).
China:
Work in China was in Fukien and Kwangsi-Hunan. It began in Fukien at Foochow (1884-1950), and spread to Kutien (Kucheng) (1889-1944), Loyuan (Lo-Nguong) (1893-1950), Shanyang (1894-1938), Ciongbau (1897-1915 when school moved to Kienning), Dongkau (1902-1939), Kienning (Kienow 1939) (1902-1944), Sungki (1907-1938), Pucheng (1908-1944). In Kwangsi-Hunan the main stations were Kweilin (1915-1950), Yungchow (1916-1950) and Hengchow (1917-1939).
Japan:
Work began in Japan at Nagasaki (1885-1888). In 1888 it moved to Osaka and then spread to Matsue in 1889. CEZMS decided to withdraw from Japan in 1892 and the work and staff were taken over by CMS.
Malaya:
CEZMS left China 1944-1945 following the Japanese invasion. As with CMS they transferred after the war to Malaya and worked in Penang and Yong Peng (1952-1957).
Singapore:
The Female Education Society which had begun work in Singapore in 1836 still had a Chinese Girls' Boarding School when the Society closed in 1900. Responsibility for the school was taken over by CEZMS who continued to run it until 1957 when it was passed on to CMS on the amalgamation of the two societies. |