Marshall Broomhall

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Marshall B. Broomhall ( July 17, 1866 – October 24, 1937), was a British Protestant Christian missionary to China with the China Inland Mission. He also authored many books on the subject of Chinese missionary work. He was the most famous son (the fifth of ten children) of the anti-opium trade activist and General Secretary of the C.I.M. Benjamin Broomhall and Amelia Hudson Taylor. Thus he was also the nephew of the founder of the mission James Hudson Taylor.

Contents

[edit] Youth In London

In 1875 the Broomhall family, including 9 year old Marshall moved from Bayswater to Newington Green, London. His father, Benjamin began 20 years service as the China Inland Mission's General Secretary at the London headquarters. In 1887 Marshall went to classical studies at Jesus College, University of Cambridge. After his graduation (B.A.) in 1890, he became engaged to Florence Corderoy , the daughter of his father's close friend, John Corderoy. In the same year Marshall was accepted as a missionary by the C.I.M. London Council.

[edit] Missionary Life

Marshall Broomhall sailed for China on October 2,1890 on the S.S. Shannon. He attended a year at the CIM's Chinese Language School at Anqing, Anhui, and then he was appointed to the work in Taiyuan, Shanxi. Three of his siblings (Hudson, Marshall and Edith) had all contracted typhus there, but all three recovered.

[edit] Marriage and Family

Florence Corderoy followed him to China in 1894, but mission regulations required that they could not marry until both had served for two years on the field. Marshall and Florence were finally married on March 17, 1897. They had 2 children: Honor Irene and Dorothea Broomhall. Marshall had been transferred to Hongdong, Shanxi in 1896, to work with Dixon Edward Hoste, his brother-in-law, and with Gilbert Ritchie, who later married his sister, Edith. The famous Pastor Hsi (Xi Shengmo) had recently died. The area that Marshall worked in was 40 miles north and south, and 70 miles wide. In 1897 there was a church membership of 490 in 17 villages , with 14 opium refuges. The churches were largely self-supporting, led by an ordained native pastor, three elders, and 17 deacons. Broomhall worked here for three years.

[edit] Further Work and the Boxer Crisis

Florence's poor health necessitated their leaving for Britain in 1899. In 1900, the Boxer Rebellion broke out in China. The China Inland Mission had the greatest loss of all of the mission agencies; seventy-nine people were massacred, including children. As the tragedy unfolded and news was cabled to London, Marshall spent days and nights diligently sorting out information gathered from various sources and verifying rumors that were quickly circulating. His hard work led to the compilation of two memorial books that documented the harrowing stories of both the martyrs and the survivors.

[edit] Writing and Teaching Career

That same year Marshall Broomhall had been appointed the Editorial Secretary for the mission in London. This career lasted for 27 years. He also gave preliminary Chinese language lessons to the missionary candidates preparing to go to China.

Marshall became an expert in writing biographies. He wrote biographies of Hudson Taylor as well as several other members of the China Inland Mission, as well as several books that addressed overall issues and the history of the C.I.M. He accomplished much considering his eyesight was impaired at an early age. He did all of his research, writing and editorial work despite being able to see with only one eye.

Marshall took part in the Edinburgh Missionary Conference of 1910. After the 1911/12 founding of the Republic of China he visited China again, and traveled extensively to obtain first-hand and up to date information. He was a member of the commission on "Carrying the Gospel to all the Non-Christian World". In this commission constant reference was made to his important work “The Chinese Empire: A General and Missionary Survey”, and to the statistics in it.

In 1927 he retired as Editorial Secretary. But he continued to do his literary work.

In 1936, when the Rev. Frank Houghton returned to China to be Bishop of East China, Marshall took over briefly the editorship of China's Millions, but ill health forced his complete withdrawal from the work.

He died on October 24,1937, aged 71, at Northchurch, England and was buried on October 28 in Abney Park Cemetery, London. Florence Broomhall lived on until 1957.

[edit] Published Works

  • Martyred Missionaries of the China Inland Mission, with a Record of the Perils and Suffering of Some Who Escaped (London: Morgan & Scott and CIM, 1901).
  • Last Letters and Further Records of Martyred Missionaries of the China Inland Mission (London: Morgan & Scott and CIM, 1901).
  • In Memoriam: Hudson Taylor's Legacy (London: Morgan & Scott and CIM, 1905).
  • Pioneer Work in Hunan by Adam Dorward and Other Missionaries of the China Inland Mission (London: Morgan & Scott and CIM, 1906).
  • The Chinese Empire: A General and Missionary Survey (London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott and CIM, 1907).
  • Faith and Facts, as Illustrated in the History of the China Inland Mission (Marshall, Morgan & Scott and CIM, 1909).
  • Islam in China, A Neglected Problem (London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott and CIM, 1918).
  • The Jubiliee Story of the China Inland Mission (London: Morgan & Scott and CIM, 1915).
  • Heirs Together of the Grace of Life: Benjamin Broomhall and Amelia Hudson Broomhall (London: Morgan & Scott and CIM, 1918).
  • John Whiteford Stevenson, One of Christ's Stalwarts (London: Morgan & Scott and CIM, 1919).
  • Selling All to Buy The Field (bef 1920?)
  • F. W. Baller, a Master of the Pencil (London: CIM, 1923). Frederick W. Baller
  • Marshall Feng: A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ (London: CIM and Religious Tract Society, 1923).
  • Robert Morrison, A Master Builder (London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1924).
  • W. W. Cassells, First Bishop in Western China (London: CIM, 1926). William Wharton Cassells
  • Hudson Taylor, the Man Who Believed God (London: CIM, 1929).
  • Archibald Orr Ewing, That Faithful and Wise Steward (London: CIM, 1930).
  • Hudson Taylor's Legacy (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1931).
  • Our Seal: The Witness of the China Inland Mission to the Faithfulness of God (London: CIM and Religious Tract Society, 1933).
  • To What Purpose? (bio of Emil Fischbacher) (London: CIM 1933)
  • The Bible in China (London: CIM and Religious Tract Society, 1934).
  • By Love Compelled: The Call of the China Inland Mission (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1936).

[edit] Reference

[edit] See also

[edit] Further Reading

[edit] External links

Persondata
NAME Broomhall, Marshall B.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hai-en-bo
SHORT DESCRIPTION Missionary in China and author
DATE OF BIRTH July 17, 1866
PLACE OF BIRTH Bayswater, London, England
DATE OF DEATH October 24, 1937),
PLACE OF DEATH Northchurch, England
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