Futsing Medical Mission near Foochow China.
China: Ca. 1895 - 1927. A wonderful missionary family archive of materials from China, sent by Mrs. Henry. W. Worley (Zela) in the early 1900s to a financial supporter of the mission. Henry Westcott Worley and wife Zela W. Worley were missionaries with the Board of Foreign Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Henry Worley was born in Foochow China 1886 to American parents. Rev. Worley served as the Missionary in Charge for the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1918-19 for the Bintang District, Futsing, (near Foochow), China. His wife, Zela Cyrena Wiltsie was born in Upper Sandusky Ohio. The Worleys had 3 children, Claragene, Henry "Wiltsie" and James Roger all born in Foochow. Claragene died at 25 of chronic nephritis (Ancestry.com), and is buried in China along with her father and brother Wiltsie who was killed in action and received the Navy Cross as a U.S. Naval Pilot in the East China Sea in W.W.I.I.
The archive includes b&w real photos of Chinese pastors, teachers and missionaries, Worley family photographs, correspondence including Chinese hand painted greeting cards & postcards, Joss paper including printed hell money, a teacher's letter (in Chinese) dated 1895, printed Episcopal prayer sheet in Chinese, Bible extracts in Chinese, a group of approx. 22 canceled stamps removed from their envelopes, a Foochow Conference District map of China, and a manuscript report of Episcopal workers' proselytizing accomplishments. This report, titled "translation of enclosed report of your workers", includes the notation, "walked 750 miles through about 110 villages in spreading the news".
A printed brochure titled 'Annual Report of the Alden Speare Memorial Hospital Yenping, Fukien China, dated 1923, includes a folding map titled "Yenping Conference, Medical Work", marked with red crosses denoting 6 hospitals and dispensaries recently established. It also includes a printed b&w portrait of Dr. J. E. Skinner, the founder of Alden Speare, dedicated to educating Chinese doctors. (8vo, 28pp. In the original printed paper wrappers. Not recorded in World Cat).
Many of the real b&w photographs of Chinese and American missionaries and medical staff are captioned on the back in ink in a period hand. The largest photograph is group shot of two white men and approximately 78 Chinese men, presumably all students at the teaching hospitals, the Futsing Hospital and Futsing Woman's Hospital (8x11"). Other photos are much smaller and include the Rev. Ding Chiong Sing and family; Dr. T. and some of the medical students; Miss Huffaker and a class of student nurses; Ung Sing Chuang and family, 1912; Yenping Hospital Women's Ward; Famous Futsing City Pagoda; and an image of American mother and child, "taken in the W. F. M. S. House in Lungtien (12 miles from Futsing where our nearest American neighbors live). The largest photograph is group shot of two white men and approximately 78 Chinese men, presumably all students at the teaching hospitals, the Futsing Hospital and Futsing Woman's Hospital.
The Joss paper includes "hell money" with paper labels bearing the name Mrs. L. F. Watson of Richmond, Virginia, affixed to them. Mrs. Watson was a major contributor to the Episcopal cause - there is a receipt from the Board of Foreign Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church in NYC for $50 donated by her in December 1927.
The correspondence includes Christmas cards from Mr. and Mrs. Henry V. Lacy and Mr. & Mrs. Hugh C. Morgan Futsing, Fukien, China. According to Ancestry.com, Mr. Lacy was registered by the State Department as being born in Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin, and arrived in Foochow China on Feb. 29th (leap year) 1912 for his missionary work. He was unmarried at that time.
A remarkable archive recording a life of work and dedication to China, of an American Episcopal mission family. Item #25015
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