Glen, William

IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0237 Edinburgh University New College Library MSS GLE 1
Held at: Edinburgh University New College Library
Domain:
Title: Glen, William
Date(s) of contents: c 1830; 1865-1871
Level of description: Fonds
Extent and medium: 1 volume

CONTEXT

Name of creator(s): Glen, William (1779-1849)

Administrative/Biographical history: William Glen, Scottish missionary in Russia and translator of the Persian Old Testament, was born in 1779. He spent ten years in Annan, Scotland as a secession minister before going to Astrakhan, Russia as a missionary with the Scottish Missionary Society. His initial role was purely pastoral and Glen concentrated on preaching and attracting converts but he later became interested in Persian and embarked on a translation of the Old Testament. The mission closed in 1834 but the United Association Synod in Scotland funded a return visit by Glen to consult Persian scholars in 1837. The complete Old Testament translation, with a revision of Henry Martin's New Testament, was printed in 1846. Glen returned to Persia to organise distribution and died there in 1849. He was awarded a D.D. by St Andrew's University in 1845.

Custodial history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE

Scope and content/abstract: The volume contains a treatise on Tartar-Turkish grammar [c 1830] with some pages which have been used at a later date for newspapers cuttings (1865-1871) on church and mission questions.

System of arrangement:

ACCESS AND USE

Language: English and Turkish (Tartar).

Conditions governing access: Contact the repository for details.

Conditions governing reproduction: Contact the repository for details.

Finding aids: The volume is mentioned in the Index to Manuscripts and the Inventory of Manuscripts held at New College Library.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Related material: The manuscript of Glen's bible is held by the British and Foreign Bible Society. A sermon given by William Glen before the Edinburgh Missionary Society in 1817 is held by New College (reference A.c.4.9/2). The National Library of Scotland holds an extensive missionary collection including some letters to and concerning Glen.

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Archivist's note: Compiled by Caroline Brown, Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections and Archives.

Note: The biographical history was compiled using: (1) Bibliographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, G.H. Anderson (ed.) (New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 1998).

Date(s) of descriptions: 7 July 2000

INDEX ENTRIES

Subjects

Linguistic work

Missionaries

Missions

Russia

Turkish language

Personal names

Glen | William | 1779-1849

Corporate names

Places