James Eagan Moulton

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James Eagan Moulton was born on 4 January 1841 in North Shields, Northumberland. He died in Sydney on 9 May 1909 at Lindfield. He was a Methodist minister, as were many members of his family. He attended the Wesleyan school Kingswood in Bath. In the 1860's he moved to Australia, where he was headmaster of Newington College for a time before leaving for Tonga. Before leaving, he married Emma Knight, who had three sons and three daughters together. In Tonga he presided over the Methodist church there and setting up the Tupou College, patronised by King George Tupou. During his time in Tonga, a schism formed within the chuch, probably leading to the creation of the Free Church of Tonga. Throughout the dispute, Moulton managed to stay on good terms with the new movement.

He returned to Sydney in 1893 and took up the presidency of Newington College. During this time, he completed translating the Bible into Tongan, which is still in use today in Tonga. He died in 1909 and is buried in Gore Hill cemetery.