Rev James T Hartwell autobiography

Manuscript autobiography by J T Hartwell. Concentrates on his 35 years as a Wesleyan Methodist missionary in the West Indies Districts. With a few inserts including a newspaper obituary for him dated 10th July 1902.


Order number: MMS/Special Series/Biographical/West Indies/FBN 2 (fiche 48-52)
Date(s) of creation: 1878 - 1902
Level: Sub-series
Format: Archive           
Main author: Hartwell; James T (1817-1902); ordained missionary

collection SOAS Archive
id MMS.17.02.02.07
recordtype archive
scb_item_location Archive & Special Collections
item_location Archive & Special Collections
scb_loan_type Reference only
scb_order_with MMS/Special Series/Biographical/West Indies/FBN 2 (fiche 48-52)
callnumber MMS/17/02/02/07
callnumber_txt MMS/17/02/02/07
callnumber-sort MMS/17/02/02/07
prefix_number 07
title Rev James T Hartwell autobiography
scb_date_creation 1878 - 1902
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 309 pages
author Hartwell; James T (1817-1902); ordained missionary
author_facet Hartwell; James T (1817-1902); ordained missionary
authorStr Hartwell; James T (1817-1902); ordained missionary
author_letter Hartwell; James T (1817-1902); ordained missionary
format Archive
scb_admin_history James Hartwell was born on 28th November 1817 at Ashbourne, Derbyshire. He became a Methodist in 1836 and was accepted as a candidate for the ministry in 1839, having been a local preacher in the Banbury circuit. The Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society had planned to send him to India (Hartwell had even begun to learn Tamil) but as no position was available it was decided that his knowledge of French should be put to good use in Haiti. He and his newly wed bride left for Haiti in October 1840. He remained in Haiti for twelve years witnessing the devastating earthquake of 1842 and the revolution in 1843 that founded Santo Domingo [Dominican Republic]. During his tenure the mission expanded with new chapels being built in Port-au-Prince (1842) and at Cap Haitien. In 1853 he transferred to the Bahamas District remaining there until 1862 when he relocated to the Antigua District where he was involved in founding the High School. For part of his service in the Antigua District he served as Chairman; an office he also held in his last posting in the British Guiana District from 1873. Whilst resident in the Caribbean he was also involved in a number of public positions relating to health, education and libraries. Hartwell returned to England in 1875 and served initially in Gloucester at the time that Northgate chapel was built. Later he served in Rawtenstall [Lancashire], Wath-on-Dearne [Yorkshire] and Merthyr Tydfil Glamorgan]. In 1887 he returned to Gloucester as a supernumerary, dying there on 24th June 1902. Hartwell married twice. Firstly, to Anne Lewis at Bramham Church, Yorkshire, on 30th September 1840. She died, after complications caused by the birth of her daughter, on 18th November 1841. His second marriage in 1847 was to the sister of the Rev Joseph A Heureaux, his missionary colleague in Haiti. Further Reading: Findlay & Holdsworth, The History of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society, (vol 2, 1921)
scb_custodial_history Given to the Methodist Missionary Society by Hartwell's grand-daughter Edith Heureaux Hartwell of Exmouth
description Manuscript autobiography by J T Hartwell. Concentrates on his 35 years as a Wesleyan Methodist missionary in the West Indies Districts. With a few inserts including a newspaper obituary for him dated 10th July 1902.
scb_related_name_code GB/SOASNAF/P886
scb_related_name_relationship Subject of
scb_place_code 3723988
3508796
3576396
3572887
3378535
6255150
7729891
scb_access_status Open
scb_conditions_gov_access Only to be viewed on microfiche
scb_copyright Copyright held by Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes
scb_use_restrictions For permission to publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections, SOAS Library in the first instance
language English
language_search English
scb_related_material Also within the records of the (Wesleyan) Methodist Missionary Society is the official correspondence (with journal extracts) for James Hartwell (MMS/West Indies/Correspondence/Haiti/FBN 41; MMS/West Indies/Correspondence/Bahamas/FBN 28; MMS/West Indies/Correspondence/Antigua/FBN 23-25; MMS/West Indies/Correspondence/British Guiana/FBN 38-39). Furthermore, the synod minutes will detail his work, and that of his colleagues, in the West Indies districts (MMS/West Indies/Synod Minutes/FBN 2-7).
hierarchy_top_id_raw MMS
hierarchy_sequence MMS.0017.0002.0002.0007