Incoming Correspondence: Amboyna [Amboine]

The main correspondent from the LMS mission in Amboyna was Joseph Kam (1769-1833). Kam received his training at Rotterdam (Dutch Missionary Society), Zeist (Hernhutt) and Gosport (England). Having spent some time working with the native Christians at Surabaya in Batavia, he removed to Amboyna, arriv...

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Order number: CWM/LMS/Ultra Ganges. Amboyna & Rangoon/Incoming correspondence/Box 1 Amboyna, 1814-1831 Box 1
Date(s) of creation: 1809-1831
Level: Sub-series
Format: Archive           
URL: https://digital.soas.ac.uk/AA00001359/00019

collection SOAS Archive
id CWM.LMS.14.02.04
recordtype archive
scb_item_location Archive & Special Collections
item_location Archive & Special Collections
scb_loan_type Reference only
scb_order_with CWM/LMS/Ultra Ganges. Amboyna & Rangoon/Incoming correspondence/Box 1 Amboyna, 1814-1831 Box 1
callnumber CWM/LMS/14/02/04
callnumber_txt CWM/LMS/14/02/04
callnumber-sort CWM/LMS/14/02/04
prefix_number 04
title Incoming Correspondence: Amboyna [Amboine]
scb_date_creation 1809-1831
scb_level Sub-series
level_sort 7/Collection/Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Sub-Collection/Series/Sub-Series/Sub-Sub-Series/File
scb_extent 1 box (part)
format Archive
description The main correspondent from the LMS mission in Amboyna was Joseph Kam (1769-1833). Kam received his training at Rotterdam (Dutch Missionary Society), Zeist (Hernhutt) and Gosport (England). Having spent some time working with the native Christians at Surabaya in Batavia, he removed to Amboyna, arriving at Ambon on 3 Mar 1815. His importance lay in the rebuilding of the indigenous section of the Protestant Church, whose members inhabited an area stretching from N. Celebes to the South Eastern and South Western Islands. At Ambon, he established a printing press, founded a Bible Society, a training college for preachers and schoolmasters, and translated Dutch pietistic writings into Malay. Kam trained local Christians to become Christian teachers and stationed them around the South Moluccan islands. He was assisted by dozens of missionaries from the Netherlands. He toured the islands of the Banda Sea and went as far as East Timor on missionary journeys and school inspections, travelling either by courtesy of the Dutch governor or in a schooner he commissioned. He translated into the local language Christian writings including the Village Sermons of George Burder (LMS Foreign Secretary 1803-1827) and had them printed for distribution. Kam did not receive any pecuniary assistance from the Society, merely corresponding, and in 1828 the a resolution passed by the Directors ceased to recognise his connection with the Society as a missionary. However, he continued in the mission at Ambon after 1828, until his death in 1833, sending letters and reports to Mission House until 1831. Full reports of some of his island tours are translated into English by C F Grenier from the Dutch edition, which Kam had sent to the Netherlands Missionary Society.
scb_access_status Open
language English
language_search English
scb_finding_aids A detailed list of Incoming Correspondence for Amboyna, 1814-1831 (G1), is available for consultation in the Special Collections Reading Room, SOAS Library. A digitised copy of this list is available on SOAS Digital Collections - URL link in this catalogue record.
scb_copies Amboyna Letters have been digitised. Digital copies can be seen on the SOAS Digital Library. See URL links in item-level records.
scb_url https://digital.soas.ac.uk/AA00001359/00019
hierarchy_top_id_raw CWM
hierarchy_sequence CWM.00LMS.0014.0002.0004