| Administrative History | Montgomerywala covered 3000 acres: 'The land was allotted by Government, at the instance of Colonel Montgomery, ... Settlement Commissioner and member of CMS Punjab Corresponding Committee, for Christian settlers only.' It was divided into 120 squares which were shared amongst 'colonists' on the understanding that they would acquire tenant-right over the land if they managed to cultivate it successfully within five years. In 1899, a student of the Divinity School at Lahore left to assume quasi-pastoral care of the area (CMS Annual Report 1899, pp 216-218). He was succeeded by Rev Thomas Howell.
Thomas Howell was a CMS missionary of Indian and European descent, from Bahawalpur, Punjab, India [now Pakistan]. He was sent to be educated at the Mission School, Multan in 1866 and studied at the Divinity College, Lahore in 1872 before being appointed CMS catechist in 1875 (honorary until 1877). He was ordained deacon 28 May 1882 and priest 18 December 1892. Originally based at Pind Dadan Khan as an evangelist and later as pastor, in early 1892 he began work at Clarkabad and went on to become missionary in charge of Montgomerywala mission station from July 1900-c 1904. In 1905, he was appointed pastor of Holy Trinity Church, Lahore a post he held for 10 years until his death at Amritsar 22 November 1914. A tribute by Rev Dr Weitbrecht published in the 'Punjab Mission News' of February 1914, notes: 'Few Indian clergy have gained more general esteem and affection from all races, and none have deserved them more.'
Sources: 'Register of missionaries (clerical, lay & female) and native clergy from 1804 to 1904', CMS, 1905 (annotated copy); CMS printed Annual Reports; the records; CMS Gazette, June 1915. |
| Custodial History | The records were offered to the General Synod Archives of the Anglican Church of Canada by a public library in Canada. No information is available regarding how the records came to be in Canada. |