Joan Wales
Encyclopedia
Joan Margaret Wales is a British
protestant missionary
to China with the China Inland Mission
. She was born on 29 November 1916 in Seven Kings, Ilford
, the second daughter of George and Bertha Wales. The family moved to Tunbridge Wells in 1922. Wales was educated at St James Infant School and Tunbridge Wells County School. After the death of her mother in 1926 she attended boarding schools - Tryon School, Steyning, and Edgehill College, Bideford. She trained as a children's nurse at Princess Christian College, Windsor
. She made a Christian
commitment aged 8 at a Children's Special Service Mission
camp in Paignton
.
on 23 September aboard the Chinese Prince, arriving in Chongqing
by plane from Kolkata
on 29 October. Her first assignment was language study at the CIM language school in Leshan
, where she continued to work until October 1948.
Through her association with Alfred James Broomhall
and his wife Janet, Joan joined an initiative to establish a medical clinic amongst the Yi (known as the Nosu at the time) living in the Daliang
mountains of south Sichuan Province, a remote and poverty-stricken region largely independent of the Chinese Nationalist
government. The team, consisting of the Broomhalls, Joan and another British missionary, Ruth Dix, made its base at Xichang
and oversaw the construction of a clinic at Zhaojue. By 1949 all four members of the team were living in Zhaojue.
In January 1951, following the Communist victory over the Nationalist government, the team were forced to leave Zhaojue and made their way to Hong Kong
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
protestant 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...
to China with the China Inland Mission
China Inland Mission
OMF International is an interdenominational Protestant Christian missionary society, founded in Britain by Hudson Taylor on 25 June 1865.-Overview:...
. She was born on 29 November 1916 in Seven Kings, Ilford
Ilford
Ilford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail...
, the second daughter of George and Bertha Wales. The family moved to Tunbridge Wells in 1922. Wales was educated at St James Infant School and Tunbridge Wells County School. After the death of her mother in 1926 she attended boarding schools - Tryon School, Steyning, and Edgehill College, Bideford. She trained as a children's nurse at Princess Christian College, Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
. She made a 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...
commitment aged 8 at a Children's Special Service Mission
Children's Special Service Mission
Children's Special Service Mission was the original name, from 1867, of the organisation now called Scripture Union. Begun by Thomas 'Pious' Hughes and Josiah Spiers in Islington, London, this evangelical Christian movement was less formal than the Sunday Schools of the day and attracted children...
camp in Paignton
Paignton
Paignton is a coastal town in Devon in England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the unitary authority of Torbay which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton's population in the United Kingdom Census of 2001 was 48,251. It has...
.
China
Joan became a member of the China Inland Mission on 5 September 1945 and sailed for MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
on 23 September aboard the Chinese Prince, arriving in Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
by plane from Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
on 29 October. Her first assignment was language study at the CIM language school in Leshan
Leshan
-Administrative divisions:-Transport:There is a passenger rail line that serves the Mianyang–Chengdu–Leshan inter-city area.The Chengdu-Leshan Highway with a total length of 160 kilometers, was finished on January 14th, 2000...
, where she continued to work until October 1948.
Through her association with Alfred James Broomhall
Alfred James Broomhall
Alfred James Broomhall , a.k.a. A. J. Broomhall, was a British Protestant Christian medical missionary to China, and author and historian of the China Inland Mission .-Chinese roots:“Jim” Broomhall was born in Chefoo , Shandong, China, in 1911,...
and his wife Janet, Joan joined an initiative to establish a medical clinic amongst the Yi (known as the Nosu at the time) living in the Daliang
Daliang
Daliang may refer to the following locations in China:*Kaifeng, formerly known as Daliang , prefecture-level city of Henan*Daliang Subdistrict, Foshan , in Shunde District, Foshan, Guangdong...
mountains of south Sichuan Province, a remote and poverty-stricken region largely independent of the Chinese Nationalist
Chinese nationalist
Chinese nationalist can refer to:* Chinese nationalism* Kuomintang - Chinese Nationalist Party in Taiwan....
government. The team, consisting of the Broomhalls, Joan and another British missionary, Ruth Dix, made its base at Xichang
Xichang
Xichang is a city in and the seat of the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, in the south of Sichuan province, People's Republic of China. In 2004 it had a population of 126,700.-Geography:...
and oversaw the construction of a clinic at Zhaojue. By 1949 all four members of the team were living in Zhaojue.
In January 1951, following the Communist victory over the Nationalist government, the team were forced to leave Zhaojue and made their way to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.