Rachel O. Wingate
Encyclopedia
Rachel Orde Wingate was an English
linguist and missionary to Chinese Turkistan. She served with the Swedish Missionary Society.
Chindits
during World War II
, his memorial stands in Charlton Cemetery, South East London. Many in the family were active members of the Open Brethren
.
and History
at Cambridge University where she obtained her degree in Arabic and History.
where she became a secretary for the Royal Central Asia Society. Several years after she left Chinese Turkestan she assisted Sir Denison Ross in his research into the Eastern Turkish language.
Wingate never married. She died young while in Woking
on 11 June 1953, aged 52. Her burial took place in Charlton where her mortal remains rest among other illustrious members of her family.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
linguist and missionary to Chinese Turkistan. She served with the Swedish Missionary Society.
Family
Wingate was the eldest daughter of Colonel George Wingate, the founder of the Central Asia Mission. Her brother, Brigadier General Orde Wingate, led the BurmeseBamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
Chindits
Chindits
The Chindits were a British India "Special Force" that served in Burma and India in 1943 and 1944 during the Burma Campaign in World War II. They were formed into long range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, his memorial stands in Charlton Cemetery, South East London. Many in the family were active members of the Open Brethren
Open Brethren
The Open Brethren, sometimes called Christian Brethren or "Plymouth Brethren", are a group of Protestant Evangelical Christian churches that arose in the late 1820s as part of the Assembly Movement...
.
Education
Wingate studied Arabic, PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at Cambridge University where she obtained her degree in Arabic and History.
Work
She joined the mission in 1924 as a voluntary worker. At times, especially in the early years, there has been some friction between the missionaries in the field, but the disagreements seemed to be more or less over in the 1920’s. Many of the Swedish missionaries who arrived in the early 1920’s remained in service until ‘the bitter end’ in 1938. The missionary women were a tremendous asset in the whole missionary undertaking in a society marked by male chauvinism and prejudices where their gender-counterparts were segregated and could only be approached by women. In 1928 she returned to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where she became a secretary for the Royal Central Asia Society. Several years after she left Chinese Turkestan she assisted Sir Denison Ross in his research into the Eastern Turkish language.
Wingate never married. She died young while in Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
on 11 June 1953, aged 52. Her burial took place in Charlton where her mortal remains rest among other illustrious members of her family.
See also
- Mission and Change in Eastern Turkestan (English Translation of select chapters of Mission och revolution i Centralasien)