Cox, Josiah

IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0102 WMMS/MMS Biographical Series, Box 637
Held at: School of Oriental and African Studies Library
Domain: archival
Title: Cox, Josiah
Date(s) of contents: 1853-1874
Level of description: Fonds
Extent and medium: 1 box

CONTEXT

Name of creator(s):

Administrative/Biographical history: Josiah Cox was born at Tipton, Devon, England in 1828. He trained for the Methodist ministry at Richmond College. He was one of the first Methodist Missionaries to go out to China where he arrived in 1852. Methodist efforts at that date were located in Canton [Guangzhou] and here Cox laboured together with fellow missionaries Beach and Piercy. During the Taiping rebellion Cox became acquainted with Hung Jin, the brother of the Taiping leader, Hung Hsin Ts?uan. He had hopes that Hung Jin's position could facilitate the opening of a mission in Nanking, [Nanjing] the seat of the rebellion. These hopes were not to be fulfilled and Cox turned his attention to the opening of a mission in the densely populated cities of Hankow [Wuhan] and Wuchang on the Yangtse. In 1863 the first Methodist Mission House in Hankow was opened. Cox was joined first by the medical missionary, Dr F. Porter-Smith and, in 1865, by David Hill and William Scarborough. Following a severe illness Cox left China after twenty-four years and returned to Britain. He died in 1906.

Custodial history: The papers were deposited with the Methodist Missionary Society and form part of the special series of biographical papers of individual missionaries.

Immediate source of acquisition: Deposited on permanent loan with the records of the Methodist Missionary Society in 1978.

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE

Scope and content/abstract: Josiah Cox's journals 1853-1861 and 1861-1876
Account-book 1853-1856
Minutes of meeting of Cox, Beach and Piercy on mission matters, 1853-1858
Carbon copies of letters written by Josiah Cox 1861-1874 (4 vols)
Volume entitled "Looking unto Jesus" with ms notes in English and Chinese

System of arrangement: See Scope and Content

ACCESS AND USE

Language: English Chinese

Conditions governing access: Unrestricted, but only to be viewed on microfiche.

Conditions governing reproduction: No publication without prior permission in writing. Apply to SOAS Archives in first instance.

Finding aids: This description constitutes the only finding aid at present.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Related material: The School of Oriental and African Studies holds the records of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society (Ref: MMS/WMMS), including letters from individual missionaries.

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Archivist's note: This description compiled by Rosemary Seton, Archivist, SOAS with reference to The history of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society by GG Findlay and WW Holdsworth, vol. 5, London: The Epworth Press, 1924.

Date(s) of descriptions: 2005

INDEX ENTRIES

Subjects

Diaries

Missionaries

Taiping Rebellion (1851-1864)

Personal names

Cox | Josiah | 1828-1906 | missionary

Corporate names

Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society

Places

China

East Asia

Guangzhou

Wuhan