Christian missions in the Telugu country - Uecf.net

Ill
THE S.P.G. MISSION—EARLY PERIOD
Before referring to the history of the S.P.G. Telugu Begin-
Mission, it is necessary to take a brief glance at the first JJJj^ffon.
recorded attempt at Christian work of any kind among ary work,
the Telugu people of the Ceded Districts. Early in the
nineteenth century a Eurasian named WiUiam Howell,
a surveyor of the Department of Public Works, was
stationed at Cuddapah. This good man spent his leisure
in evangelising the people about him. In course of time
he had gathered a small congregation in Cuddapah town.
At the same period the London Missionary Society were
proposing to open a Mission among the Telugu people.
In 1823, therefore, they took over this congregation and
appointed Mr. HoweU to be their resident missionary
in that town, and two years later he was made a regular
minister of the congregation. By 1842 there were
(besides Tamils from other parts) nearly one hundred
Telugu Christians in Cuddapah. About this time there
were several L.M.S. ministers who desired to connect
themselves with the Church of England, of whom the
best known was Dr. CaldweU, an eminent linguist, who
afterwards became Bishop in Tinnevelly. Mr. Howell
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