Thomas J. Arnold
Encyclopedia
Thomas J. Arnold was an English
Protestant missionary
to China
in the late nineteenth century during the Qing Dynasty
.
he felt beckoned to missionary service after experiencing an enlightening sermon at the West London Tabernacle Church.
Soon after discussing this call with his pastor he sailed for the China frontier with his colleague, William Remfry Hunt, in September 1889. The two young men had built up a close friendship when they studied diligently together at W. L. Moore Bible Institute.
. Here he immersed himself in the Chinese language
and culture for two years. During this arduous education process there must have been times when he questioned leaving London and a hopeful career as a skilled architect
. Yet, in the developing missionary colony his architectural skills were also put to work. He designed and supervised the construction of several missionary houses, schools where thousands of students were educated, and a hospital that saw tens of thousands of patients.
hairpiece. He traveled thousands of miles on foot and by boat on itineraries where he would preach and sell Bible
s and gospel tracts on the road. He also helped to train other missionaries in this method of itinerant evangelism. He worked at many of the large missionary stations and outstations in Nanjing, Lu Hoh, Wuhu, ChuCheu, Wu Wei Cheu, and Fung-yang-fu and occasionally encountered hostility and persecution. He also took itinerant trips to Nanjing and the surrounding areas with A. F. H. Saw, E. P. Hearnden, and E. T. Williams. During these trips, he would sell books and preach.
Arnold married Elizabeth Ince, who was also a missionary. Her study, like that of all early missionaries was with a private language teacher, as there was no language school available. Further accentuating the difficulty of learning the language was the inability of most language teachers to speak English.
During March 1892, Arnold worked in the village of Lieu Chang Hiew, which had not seen a foreign missionary in over ten years. He also worked with the town of Ta Tsung Chao. At first, the people in this village were suspicious of him, but soon became more open and friendly. Arnold had a gift for making people feel comfortable. During this year, he also filled in as a doctor. Although he never received any formal training in medicine, he often received hundreds of patients and did what he could to relieve their suffering. This commitment to helping people in a practical sense drew positive attention from some of the upper class Chinese as well. After filling in temporarily at the hospital, Arnold continued to preach in the villages of Luh Hoh, Sing Tszi, and Kei Keao Ying where he also opened the first boys' school. He often took these trips with his friend and colleague Dr. Butchart. Dr. Butchart was also the man who gave Mr. Arnold some of his instruction on medicine.
Elizabeth’s first station after their marriage was in Luh Hoh. Their first house opened right out into the main street and had a courtyard, several main rooms and guest rooms, and a chapel. In order to dispel mistrust and prejudice against foreigners from the locals, Elizabeth allowed the local women to examine the contents of all her belongings. Thomas and Elizabeth were the first missionaries to move into the village of Luh-Hoh. While Arnold had made several trips there before, Elizabeth was the first Caucasian woman they had seen. Elizabeth, like her husband wore a native garment to blend in. Occasionally the local Chinese referred to her as a "foreign devil"; however she found them to be generally friendly and built more friendships with them. The Arnolds also ministered in Wuhu and Thomas Arnold and worked diligently at attempting to open the village of Lu-chou-fu with his colleague Dr. Butchart. This meant that Elizabeth was alone with their small children; however she remarks that she did not fear because “all the Chinese were her friends.”
The First Sino-Japanese War
occurred in 1895, which many of the missionaries thought would halt all their work. However, Arnold found it to have the opposite effect. He also had several exciting encounters during this period. While on a trip to Lu-chow-fu, he was almost executed as a Japan
ese spy. He was also given a personal escort from the magistrate
to protect him from occasionally unruly crowds.
During 1896 Arnold felt his work was somewhat scattered and he had to waste much of his time traveling on a houseboat. However, he still felt that there were some good results. Arnold and his fellow missionaries were also in the process of opening a chapel in Wu-wei-chow, which was about 200 li (unit)li, (about 100 km or 63 miles) from the nearest missionary station.
Arnold performed several baptism
s during this year, including one with a man who had operated a wine shop. He encouraged him to change his profession as an act of sincerity to his faith. He covered 3,200 li (1,600 km or 1,000 miles) during the 125 days of travel, 1,000 of which were done on foot, the rest by boat. He also worked with the native Muslim
population. In the beginning of 1897, he was extremely busy, taking in hundreds of visitors. During this year, he was so busy that he occasionally was unable to eat. The Arnolds also had a scare when their son became very ill, but he recovered during a temporary relocation to Japan
. By the middle of 1897, the Arnolds went on their first furlough
, which lasted eighteen months through 1898. On their return at the end of December 1898, they resumed their work in Chu-chow.
. They arrived with almost nothing and had much difficulty renting a room. The Arnolds finally acquired one, but it was completely without furniture. They tried to rent some beds, however they were infested with bugs. The Arnolds existed in this unsure state for eight months, after which they were able to return to their post.
of cholera
during 1902 in which not a single native Christian died. This opened many of the non-Christians to question their idol
worship and come to find out more about Christianity.
Arnold eventually died of a disease known as sprue, which slowly crept upon him, and which Elizabeth believed was a result of living in unsanitary conditions during many of his long journeys. In all Arnold had worked a total of 16 years in the mission field. After the death of her husband, Elizabeth took the children back to England and Rugby
for their initial education and then moved to Hiram, Ohio
, where her children went to college. Their home was in the current Hiram Historical Society building.
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...
Protestant missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in the late nineteenth century during the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
.
Decision to go to China
As a young man in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
he felt beckoned to missionary service after experiencing an enlightening sermon at the West London Tabernacle Church.
Soon after discussing this call with his pastor he sailed for the China frontier with his colleague, William Remfry Hunt, in September 1889. The two young men had built up a close friendship when they studied diligently together at W. L. Moore Bible Institute.
Preparation
Arnold recognized the first major task in sharing the Christian faith with the Chinese was scaling the language barrier. He began this critical task in the city of NanjingNanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
. Here he immersed himself in the Chinese language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
and culture for two years. During this arduous education process there must have been times when he questioned leaving London and a hopeful career as a skilled architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. Yet, in the developing missionary colony his architectural skills were also put to work. He designed and supervised the construction of several missionary houses, schools where thousands of students were educated, and a hospital that saw tens of thousands of patients.
Early work
Along with language study, Arnold also tried to blend in with the natives by using Chinese dress and wearing a QueueQueue (hairstyle)
The queue or cue is a hairstyle in which the hair is worn long and gathered up into a ponytail. It was worn traditionally by certain Native American groups and the Manchu of Manchuria.-Manchu Queue:...
hairpiece. He traveled thousands of miles on foot and by boat on itineraries where he would preach and sell Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
s and gospel tracts on the road. He also helped to train other missionaries in this method of itinerant evangelism. He worked at many of the large missionary stations and outstations in Nanjing, Lu Hoh, Wuhu, ChuCheu, Wu Wei Cheu, and Fung-yang-fu and occasionally encountered hostility and persecution. He also took itinerant trips to Nanjing and the surrounding areas with A. F. H. Saw, E. P. Hearnden, and E. T. Williams. During these trips, he would sell books and preach.
Arnold married Elizabeth Ince, who was also a missionary. Her study, like that of all early missionaries was with a private language teacher, as there was no language school available. Further accentuating the difficulty of learning the language was the inability of most language teachers to speak English.
During March 1892, Arnold worked in the village of Lieu Chang Hiew, which had not seen a foreign missionary in over ten years. He also worked with the town of Ta Tsung Chao. At first, the people in this village were suspicious of him, but soon became more open and friendly. Arnold had a gift for making people feel comfortable. During this year, he also filled in as a doctor. Although he never received any formal training in medicine, he often received hundreds of patients and did what he could to relieve their suffering. This commitment to helping people in a practical sense drew positive attention from some of the upper class Chinese as well. After filling in temporarily at the hospital, Arnold continued to preach in the villages of Luh Hoh, Sing Tszi, and Kei Keao Ying where he also opened the first boys' school. He often took these trips with his friend and colleague Dr. Butchart. Dr. Butchart was also the man who gave Mr. Arnold some of his instruction on medicine.
Elizabeth’s first station after their marriage was in Luh Hoh. Their first house opened right out into the main street and had a courtyard, several main rooms and guest rooms, and a chapel. In order to dispel mistrust and prejudice against foreigners from the locals, Elizabeth allowed the local women to examine the contents of all her belongings. Thomas and Elizabeth were the first missionaries to move into the village of Luh-Hoh. While Arnold had made several trips there before, Elizabeth was the first Caucasian woman they had seen. Elizabeth, like her husband wore a native garment to blend in. Occasionally the local Chinese referred to her as a "foreign devil"; however she found them to be generally friendly and built more friendships with them. The Arnolds also ministered in Wuhu and Thomas Arnold and worked diligently at attempting to open the village of Lu-chou-fu with his colleague Dr. Butchart. This meant that Elizabeth was alone with their small children; however she remarks that she did not fear because “all the Chinese were her friends.”
Mission Hospital
The mission hospital construction, which was under the supervision of Thomas J Arnold, was completed in 1893 in Nanjing. It saw over 9,000 patients in less than a year. It was also during this period that Mr. Arnold felt a strong calling towards the people in Wuhu. While in Luh Hoh she attended the Chinese wedding of their landlord and his second wife. This revealed to her a deeper understanding of the plight of the Chinese woman. In 1894, Arnold focused more of his efforts in Wuhu and began plans to open a new church there. The children’s day school he ran had also begun to see some healthy growth.The First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
occurred in 1895, which many of the missionaries thought would halt all their work. However, Arnold found it to have the opposite effect. He also had several exciting encounters during this period. While on a trip to Lu-chow-fu, he was almost executed as a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese spy. He was also given a personal escort from the magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
to protect him from occasionally unruly crowds.
During 1896 Arnold felt his work was somewhat scattered and he had to waste much of his time traveling on a houseboat. However, he still felt that there were some good results. Arnold and his fellow missionaries were also in the process of opening a chapel in Wu-wei-chow, which was about 200 li (unit)li, (about 100 km or 63 miles) from the nearest missionary station.
Arnold performed several baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
s during this year, including one with a man who had operated a wine shop. He encouraged him to change his profession as an act of sincerity to his faith. He covered 3,200 li (1,600 km or 1,000 miles) during the 125 days of travel, 1,000 of which were done on foot, the rest by boat. He also worked with the native Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
population. In the beginning of 1897, he was extremely busy, taking in hundreds of visitors. During this year, he was so busy that he occasionally was unable to eat. The Arnolds also had a scare when their son became very ill, but he recovered during a temporary relocation to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. By the middle of 1897, the Arnolds went on their first furlough
Furlough
In the United States a furlough is a temporary unpaid leave of some employees due to special needs of a company, which may be due to economic conditions at the specific employer or in the economy as a whole...
, which lasted eighteen months through 1898. On their return at the end of December 1898, they resumed their work in Chu-chow.
Boxer Rebellion
The Arnolds were initially in Kuling with their small children during the Boxer Uprising during 1900. After only being there a short while, they received a message that everyone had been ordered to ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. They arrived with almost nothing and had much difficulty renting a room. The Arnolds finally acquired one, but it was completely without furniture. They tried to rent some beds, however they were infested with bugs. The Arnolds existed in this unsure state for eight months, after which they were able to return to their post.
Wuhu
The Arnolds received a joyful welcome from the Chinese Christians upon their return. Mr. Arnold then spent several months overseeing the boy’s school in Nanking, until he was able to return to a more permanent position at Wuhu in 1901. This was excellent for Arnold, who had always had his heart there. However, he remarks that there were new conditions there in the attitude of the people; especially the officials presented him with a peculiar amount of difficulty, but the situation also presented new opportunities. There was also a large increase in the number of natives interested in the church, however some of these inquires desired only to reap the benefits of being associated with the Christians. In order to counter this, Mr. Arnold found it necessary to publicly denounce several Chinese people. There was also an epidemicEpidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
during 1902 in which not a single native Christian died. This opened many of the non-Christians to question their idol
Cult image
In the practice of religion, a cult image is a human-made object that is venerated for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents...
worship and come to find out more about Christianity.
Death
In 1903, Wuhu acquired many new and competent teachers who greatly helped the education work there. Arnold’s health began to deteriorate in 1904 but he continued to work into late 1905.Arnold eventually died of a disease known as sprue, which slowly crept upon him, and which Elizabeth believed was a result of living in unsanitary conditions during many of his long journeys. In all Arnold had worked a total of 16 years in the mission field. After the death of her husband, Elizabeth took the children back to England and Rugby
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
for their initial education and then moved to Hiram, Ohio
Hiram, Ohio
Hiram is a village in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It was formed from portions of Hiram Township in the Connecticut Western Reserve. The population was 1,242 at the 2000 census...
, where her children went to college. Their home was in the current Hiram Historical Society building.