Alexander Duff Alexander Duff (1806-1878)
The Church of Scotland's first
appointed missionary to India was Alexander Duff. Born in Moulin in
Perthshire his academic career was at St Andrews. He carried off the
top honour for Greek Latin. Logic and moral philosophy. He also
gained the essay prize for best translation into Latin of Plato”
Apology to Socrates. he was indeed a excellent scholar.
He was in debited to the
encouragement of Dr Thomas Chalmers who took up the post of Professor of moral philosophy in
1823. It was Chalmers the most prominent evangelical in Scotland who
later became a national leader that inspired Duff in to the mission
and its work in the Church. It was Doctor Ferrie of St Andrews who
proposed Duff as the first missionary of the Church of Scotland in
Calcutta. Duff felt at this time in 1829 ready to be sent to India.
Before departing for India he was married to Anne Scott Drysdale
(July1829) and ordained on the 12 August of that year. Next month
Duff and his new wife boarded the Lady Holland at Leith for
London and on route the trials started with a ship wreck off Cape
Town with no loss of life. The continued later on the Moira
which also had difficulties after a cyclone, which left them all
having to wade, to shore through the undignified mud of India.
At a little over 24 and two narrow
escapes not to mention the many dangerous escapes as a youth Duff was
obviously being preserved to carry out the mission work. Duff, the
educationalist went on to attract the attention of many including the
governor of the East India company and indeed Gladstone. He was the
founder of the University of Calcutta.
It is unfortunate that his efforts
on education and mission have been neglected in the last 100 years.
He had several travels back to Scotland and it is noted that in 1839
he raised the foreign giving for mission from £1200 to £ 7,538.
On one return to Scotland Duff found himself in the middle of
the debate that would grow into the “Disruption”. In early 1843
he was still silent on how he would act in respect to his loyalty to
the mission, Church and conscience. He in due time sided with the
Free Church and was instrumental in raising the first endowment and
to become the first professor of the Free Church College Edinburgh of
Mission and Education.
In 1871 Lord Shaftesbury wrote to
Duff asking if his name could be added to the list of vice-presidents
of the Bible Society. Duff was highly honoured and accepted. His life
had been a life of many seasons in Scotland in India, married and
widowed early. He also advocated the mission work outside of
Scotland.
It is unfortunate that Alexander
Duffs contribution to the Church, abroad has not been greatly
recognised. At his death the tributes showed what a godly man he was-
Gladstone acknowledged his intelligence energy devotion and
spirituality and likened him to William Carey.
Duff, Unfortunately
his work... not greatly recognised.
