Isabella Thoburn
Encyclopedia
Isabella Thoburn was an American
Christian
missionary
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
best known for her establishment of educational institutions and missionary work
in North India
, subsequent to East India Company
relinquishing power to British government in India.
She was born March 29, 1840, near St. Clairsville, Ohio, U.S. died September 1, 1901, Lucknow, India
She was an American missionary to India whose work in education there, culminated in the founding of an important woman’s college, Isabella Thoburn College in Lucknow
and Methodist High School
in Kanpur. These two educational establishments were amongst the first in colonial India
, catering to educational and religious needs of emergent Anglo Indian population in Awadh
.
Thoburn attended local schools in United States and the Wheeling Female Seminary in Wheeling
, Virginia
(now West Virginia). In 1866, after she had taught for several years, Isabella was invited by her brother James Mills Thoburn
, a [Methodist Episcopal] [missionary in India], to join and assist him, in his educational and missionary work in India. She delayed her departure until 1869, when the formation of the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church
enabled her to undertake missionary work under denominational affiliation and auspices.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
best known for her establishment of educational institutions and missionary work
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
in North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
, subsequent to East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
relinquishing power to British government in India.
She was born March 29, 1840, near St. Clairsville, Ohio, U.S. died September 1, 1901, Lucknow, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
She was an American missionary to India whose work in education there, culminated in the founding of an important woman’s college, Isabella Thoburn College in Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
and Methodist High School
Methodist High School
Methodist High School was established in Kanpur, India in 1874 as the Girls' High School by the American Missionary Educationist Isabella Thoburn, as a sister school with Isabella Thoburn College of Lucknow.-History:...
in Kanpur. These two educational establishments were amongst the first in colonial India
Colonial India
Colonial India refers to areas of the Indian Subcontinent under the control of European colonial powers, through trade and conquest. The first European power to arrive in India was the army of Alexander the Great in 327–326 BC. The satraps he established in the north west of the subcontinent...
, catering to educational and religious needs of emergent Anglo Indian population in Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
.
Thoburn attended local schools in United States and the Wheeling Female Seminary in Wheeling
Wheeling
-Places in the United States of America:*Wheeling, Illinois*Wheeling, Carroll County, Indiana*Wheeling, Delaware County, Indiana*Wheeling, Gibson County, Indiana*Wheeling, Missouri*Wheeling, West Virginia...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
(now West Virginia). In 1866, after she had taught for several years, Isabella was invited by her brother James Mills Thoburn
James Mills Thoburn
James Mills Thoburn was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church best known for his missionary work in India.Thoburn was born on March 7, 1836 in St. Clairsville, Ohio and graduated from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania in 1857, beginning his Methodist preaching ministry...
, a [Methodist Episcopal] [missionary in India], to join and assist him, in his educational and missionary work in India. She delayed her departure until 1869, when the formation of the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
enabled her to undertake missionary work under denominational affiliation and auspices.