CHRONOLOGICAL OUTLINE

CHRONOLOGICAL OUTLINE

1832, May 21. James Hudson Taylor born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, England.

1849, June. Conversion, followed by call to life service.

1850, May. Beginning medical studies in Hull as assistant to Dr. Robert Hardey.

1853, September 19. Sailed for China, as an agent of the Chinese Evangelization Society.

1850-1864. The Taiping Rebellion.

1854, March 1. Hudson Taylor landed in Shanghai.

1854-1855. Ten evangelistic journeys.

1855, Oct.-Nov. First home "inland": six weeks on the island of Tsungming.

1855-1856. Seven months with the Rev. William C. Burns.

1856, October. Settlement at Ningpo.

1857, June. Resignation from the Chinese Evangelization Society.

1858, January 20. Marriage to Miss Maria J. Dyer.

1859, September. Undertook charge of Dr. Parker’s hospital, Ningpo.

1860, Summer. Return to England on first furlough.

1860-1865. Hidden years.

1865, June 25. Surrender at Brighton, and prayer for twenty-four fellow-workers for inland China.

1866, December. Settlement of the Lammermuir Party in Hangchow.

1867, August 23. Death of little Gracie.

1868, August 22. The Yangchow Riot.

1869, September 4. Entered into The Exchanged Life: "God has made me a new man!"

1870, July 23. Death of Mrs. Hudson Taylor (néeDyer).

1872, March. Retirement of Mr. W. Berger.

1872, August 6. Formation of the London Council of the China Inland Mission.

1872, October 9. Return to China with Mrs. Taylor (néeFaulding).

1874, January 27. Recorded prayer for pioneer missionaries for the nine unevangelized provinces.

1874, June. Opening, with Mr. Judd, the western branch of the Mission in Wuchang.

1874, July 26. Death of Miss Emily Blatchley.

1874-1875, Winter. The Lowest Ebb: Mr. Taylor laid aside in England, paralyzed.

1875, January. Appeal for prayer for eighteen pioneers for the nine unevangelized provinces.

1876, September 13. Signing of the Chefoo Convention.

1876-1878. Widespread evangelistic journeys throughout inland China.

1878, Autumn. Mrs. Taylor leads the advance of women missionaries to the far interior.

1879, Autumn. Mrs. George Nicoll and Mrs. G. W. Clarke pioneer the way for women’s work in western China.

1881, May. Death of Mrs. George King, at Hanchung.

1881, November. The appeal for The Seventy (Wuchang).

1885, February 5. Going out of The Cambridge Party.

1886, November 13-26. First meeting of the China Council, and appeal for The Hundred (Anking).

1887, December. Visit to England of Mr. Henry W. Frost, inviting Mr. Taylor to the United States.

1888, Summer. Mr. Taylor’s first visit to North America.

1889, October. The widest outlook of his life:To Every Creature.

1889, November. First visits to Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.

1890, August. First visit to Australia.

1900, May. Beginning of the "Boxer" outbreak.

1900, August. Mr. D. E. Hoste appointed as Acting General Director.

1902, November. Mr. Taylor resigned Directorate to Mr. D. E. Hoste.

1904, July 30. Mrs. Hudson Taylor’s death in Switzerland.

1905, February. Mr. Taylor’s return to China on last visit.

1905, June 3. Home-call, from Hunan.

1.About the value of a dollar, at that time.

2.This was Rev. F. J. Roberts of the American Baptist Missionary Union. Hung Siu-ts’uen, founder and leader of the Taiping movement, first learned the Truth from a tract given him during a literary examination in Canton by Liang A-fah, one of Morrison’s converts. Subsequently he returned to Canton to hear more of the new Doctrine, and spent two or three months in studying the Scriptures under the direction of Mr. Roberts. Though he did not remain long enough to be baptized and received into church fellowship, he had learned enough of the spirit and teaching of Christianity to make him a missionary to his own people on his return to Kwangsi, the province in which his fervent propaganda began. It was not until bitter persecution from the Chinese authorities had driven his followers to arms, that the movement took on a revolutionary character.

3.Secretary of the Chinese Evangelization Society, with Mr. Bird.

4.Rev. J. S. Burdon of the Church Missionary Society, afterwards Bishop of Hong Kong, for nearly fifty years a devoted and successful missionary in China.

5.Long years after, on another journey, the last he ever took up the great Yangtze River, pacing the deck of the steamer in company with the writers he paused again and again, looking with misty eyes toward the hills on the southern shore. It was somewhere near Green Grass Island that he said at length: "I wish I could tell you about it. It was over there, but I cannot remember just the spot." Seeing him moved by some recollection we waited to hear more. But fifty years had passed since that day, the remembrance of which brought so deep a joy and awe. He could not put it into words. He tried but could not tell us what had been between his soul and God. But there, over there on those more distant heights it had come to him - some revelation of his future work, some call to utmost surrender for the life to which the Lord was leading - and its influence remained.

6.Mr. Taylor was then dealing specially with the question of a call to missionary work, the consent of one or both parents being withheld.

7.This was the same valued servant who had been with Mr. Taylor in Shanghai, Tsungming and elsewhere and who was now a bright Christian.

8.Mr. James Meadows sailed for China in 1862, three years before the inauguration of the China Inland Mission, of which he was for more than fifty years an honored member.

9.Bayswater in the west end of London, was at this time the home of Mr. Taylor’s sister Amelia, recently married to Mr. B. Broomhall. The Rev. W. G. Lewis was the minister of the Baptist church of which Mr. Taylor had become a member.

10.Laedjun was one of the Ningpo Christians who had volunteered to come to England, without salary, to help Mr. and Mrs. Taylor in their work. This association had not a little to do with his subsequent usefulness as the first and for thirty years one of the most devoted pastors in the China Inland Mission.

11.The Rev. E. C. Lord of Ningpo, though connected with the American Baptist Mission, found time to replace Mr. J. Jones in the care of the Bridge Street Church, and to give much help to Mr. and Mrs. Meadows. Mr. Jones had been obliged to leave China on account of illness, and did not live to reach England.

12.This startling though prophetic suggestion was accompanied by a generous gift of $500. Lord Radstock lived to see the time when Mr. Taylor did ask for a hundred workersin one year , and when in answer to prayer they were given.

13.Details of these experiences will be found in the first volume of Mr. Taylor’s larger biography, especially pages 429-492

14.From the first it was made perfectly clear that Mr. Taylor never drew for himself or his family upon the funds of the Mission. He had the joy, however, as the Lord enabled him, of contributing largely to its support. "As poor, yet making many rich."

15.From verses by the Rev. H. Grattan Guinness, on the sailing of the first party of the China Inland Mission, May 26, 1866.

16.Wang Lae-djun was the Ningpo friend who had accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Taylor to England.

17.It was shortly after the death of little Gracie that Mr. George Stott, who had already been some years in China, planted in the city and prefecture of Wenchow the church which now numbers (including all communicants) eight thousand adult members.

18.Mr. Müller’s donations for the next few years amounted to nearly ten thousand dollars annually - just the sum by which the income of the Mission had fallen off after the Yangchow riot.

19.One little one only remained with Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, their fourth son, born soon after the Yangchow riot.

20."Never in my lifetime has any year witnessed such events." Mr. Berger wrote, "whether in relation to our Mission or the world at large. Rome is now, I suppose, the capital of free Italy. France lies humiliated in the last degree. The Pope’s temporal power is no more. China seems to be rising to expel foreigners, the heralds of the Cross among them, and we personally have suffered the loss of the most devoted laborer for China’s millions that could be found, as well as of a most beloved friend. ’Be still, and know that I am God’ is a word appropriate at such a juncture. May we all have grace to give heed to it."

21. Then equal to about four thousand dollars, gold.

22.SeeMy Utmost for His Highest , by Oswald Chambers, page 47.

23.Rev. Andrew Murray, inThe Secret of Adoration , from the Introduction.

24.The Rev. Robert Hall Glover, MD, assumed at the close of 1929 the responsibilities which the Rev. Henry W. Frost, DD laid down after forty-two years of devoted and successful leadership. Dr. Frost, to the thankfulness of all concerned, continues his invaluable connection with the Mission as Home Director Emeritus.

25.An additional gift from a retired American member of the Mission supplied admirable premises, also greatly needed, for Chinese workers and guests.