To make up for a whole bunch of blog posts, I am publishing in post format the biographies I compiled for my world-famous “The Chronicle of the London Missionary Society for all articles relating to their Central Africa Mission from 1876-1905.” I appreciate your patience!

Arthur Brooks
Born: October 5, 1860, at Edgware
Died: January 21, 1889, at Mkange [Mar 1889]

Mr. Brooks was appointed as an artisan missionary, slated to form an industrial station at the south end of Lake Tanganyika [Jun 1882] alongside his friend James Dunn [Mar 1889]. He departed England on May 17, 1882 [Jul 1882], arriving at Zanzibar on Jun 19 [Sep 1882]. He assisted in the construction of the steamer Good News at Liendwe. On the way to his return to England, he was shot at Mkange [Mar 1889].

Alexander Carson, B.Sc.
Born: February 26, 1850, at Stirling, Scotland [Aug 1896]
Died: February 28, 1896, at Fwambo [Aug 1896]

Mr. Carson studied at Glasgow. Appointed as an engineer to the Central Africa Mission, he departed England on February 19, 1886 [Apr 1886] and arrived at Quelimane on March 28, 1886 [Jul 1886]. He arrived at Kavala Island on July 4, 1886 [Dec 1886]. He returned to England on furlough, arriving April 15, 1891 [Jun 1891]. He departed England again on April 30, 1892, returning to Central Africa for more general missionary work [Aug 1896]. He arrived at Fwambo in August 1892 [Jan 1893]. He had intended to resign [Aug 1896], but before he could depart he died of malaria. He was noted as a hard and honest worker, taking a special interest in teaching [Aug 1896].

Harriet Emily Clark, née Thom

Ms. Thom trained as a nurse and departed England on April 21, 1904 [Jun 1904]. She married Rev. Ernest H. Clark on July 23, 1904, first at the Mbala (then Abercorn) Registry and then the Kawimbe Church [Nov 1904]. She later took additional training in Midwifery and worked in the Central Africa Mission until 1936†.

Elbert Sills Clarke
Born: 1850, at St. Mary Cray, Kent

E.S. Clarke studied at the East London Institute and had joined a mission in South Africa. Invited to join the Central Africa Mission, he departed directly for Zanzibar while his wife and family went to England [Sep 1877]. After making it to Kirasa with the Mission he suffered from fever and returned to Zanzibar on January 2, 1878. He resigned from the London Missionary Society and returned to South Africa [Apr 1878]. His wife was born Emma Forthergill and did not join him in Central Africa.

Notes:

Unless otherwise noted, missionary biographies are derived firstly from London Missionary Society: A Register of Missionaries, Deputations, Etc. From 1796 to 1923, prepared by James Sibree, D.D., Fourth Edition, published by the London Missionary Society, London, 1923. Brackets with [Month Year] indicate the issue of The Chronicle of the London Missionary Society which records the preceding event. Information denoted by a dagger (†) is from Christian Missionaries and the Creation of Northern Rhodesia 1880-1924, by Robert I. Rotberg, published by Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1965. Other sources are denoted by a footnote.