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Albert Leslie Pacey was born in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, on 14 September 1910 although he grew up and was educated in Spalding, Lincolnshire. In the late 1920s he passed his civil service exam and was employed in 1929 at the Ministry of Pensions in Bradford, Yorkshire. He applied to be a minister in the United Methodist Church and having been accepted he began his training at Victoria Park, Manchester, Lancashire in August 1930. By the time his training was completed Methodist Union had taken place and the Methodist Missionary Society decided to send him in August 1933 to their South-west China District to work in a well established former United Methodist mission field. After a brief period studying at the College of Chinese Studies in Peiping [Beijing] he began his evangelical work in Tungchwan [Jinzhong] as well as teaching English to children. In April 1935 he relocated to Kunming where the mission's work was sometimes disrupted by the ongoing civil war (forcing a brief exodus for mission staff to Hanoi in French Indo-China [Vietnam]). Pacey's work here also included the occasional visit to the well established indigenous churches amongst the Miao [A-Hmao], Nosu [I-chia] and Kopu [Go-p'u] in Yunnan and Kweichow [Guizhou] provinces. On 1 August 1936 Pacey married his colleague Mildred Button in Chaotung [Zhaotong].
Mildred Button was born in Kessingland, Suffolk, on 7 November 1907 and was educated in local village schools and was active both with the Methodist Church and the Girls' Light Brigade. At 15 she was working in embroidery and needlework in Southwold, Suffolk, but two years later was employed in a department store in Acton, Middlesex. She began training as a nurse in 1927 at East Suffolk Hospital in Ipswich becoming an SRN in 1930. Having expressed a desire to serve the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society they encouraged her to qualify as a midwife which she achieved in 1932 having worked in Woking, Surrey, for a while. She also gained some brief experience working amongst lepers in East Hanningfield, Essex. She was accepted as a candidate for the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society but was asked to forego her missionary training at Kingsmead, Birmingham, to fill an urgent vacancy in Chaotung [Zhaotong] in China for the United Methodist Missionary Society. She arrived in December 1932 and was initially restricted to administrative and light duties until she had learnt some Chinese. By March 1933 she was on full duties (including midwifery) in the local hospital but also occasionally accompanied the Rev Ken May in his work amongst the Nosu [I-chia] in Si-fang-ching. Ill health, caused by working at altitude (c2000m), forced a relocation to Kunming in the autumn of 1934. In addition to her medical work she also undertook evangelical work amongst women and girls but all of this was impacted by the ongoing civil war, requiring relocation in May 1935 to Wenchow [Wenzhou] where she continued her medical work including a period as acting matron in Blythe Memorial Hospital. Upon marrying she resigned.
The Paceys work continued in Kunming before relocating to Chaotung [Zhaotong] where they had their first child in 1937. Lesley Pacey continued his evangelical work, provided some assistance to the British and Foreign Bible Society as well as some work amongst the Miao [A-Hmao], Nosu [I-chia] and Kopu [Go-p'u]. Along with child care Mildred Pacey supported her husband's work and started a local Girls' Light Brigade. After briefly relocating to Tungchwan [Jinzhong] ill health forced the couple to return to England in January 1939 of the firm view that more should be done to train local preachers, teachers and medical staff.
Their first posting on return was to Skegness, Lincolnshire, with in the following years appointments predominately in Yorkshire but also Hertfordshire, Cheshire and Lancashire. Mildred Pacey also undertook some nursing as well as raising a family. Leslie Pacey became a supernumerary in 1975 residing in the Grassington and Ilkey circuit in Yorkshire and in retirement Mildred took up painting as well as organising a couple of local exhibitions on China whilst Leslie undertook some preaching duties as well teaching Vietnamese refugees English. Leslie Pacey died on 30 April 1987 with Mildred dying six years later on 26 July 1993.
Further reading:
Pacey, A, ed, A Small Link: 1932-1939, memoirs and diaries of Mildred Button (Mrs MIldred Pacey) (2005);
Pacey A L, Yunnan Service (1983). |
Albert Leslie Pacey was born in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, on 14 September 1910 although he grew up and was educated in Spalding, Lincolnshire. In the late 1920s he passed his civil service exam and was employed in 1929 at the Ministry of Pensions in Bradford, Yorkshire. He applied to be a minister in the United Methodist Church and having been accepted he began his training at Victoria Park, Manchester, Lancashire in August 1930. By the time his training was completed Methodist Union had taken place and the Methodist Missionary Society decide ... View more |
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Also within the records of the Methodist Missionary Society is the official correspondence for A L Pacey (MMS/China/Correspondence/FBN 15-16). Furthermore, the synod minutes will detail the work of Pacey and his colleagues (MMS/China/Synod Minutes/FBN 5-6).
Any extant correspondence by Mildred Button whilst a missionary nurse will be amongst the Women's Work South-west China District correspondence (MMS Box 1318).
An overview by Mildred Pacey of her and her husband's work is also available (MMS/Special Series/Celebrate Together/Box 1207).
The University of Huddersfield holds a small amount of China material in their Arnold Leslie Pacey Sermons Archive (ALP), including his diary from September 1933 to February 1935. |
Also within the records of the Methodist Missionary Society is the official correspondence for A L Pacey (MMS/China/Correspondence/FBN 15-16). Furthermore, the synod minutes will detail the work of Pacey and his colleagues (MMS/China/Synod Minutes/FBN 5-6).
Any extant correspondence by Mildred Button whilst a missionary nurse will be amongst the Women's Work South-west China District correspondence (MMS Box 1318).
An overview by Mildred Pacey of her and her husband's work is also available (MMS/Special Series/Celebrate Together/Box 1 ... View more |
