Justin Perkins (AC 1829) Papers, ca. 1830-1869
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Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
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collection
Justin Perkins (AC 1829) Papers
Perkins, Justin, 1805-1869
Biographical History for: Justin Perkins (AC 1829) Papers
Biographical Note Justin Perkins (AC 1829), missionary, was born in 1805 near Holyoke, Massachusetts. He spent his childhood on his father's farm and at the age of eighteen responded to a revival that influenced him to enter the ministry. He attended Amherst College and upon graduating, taught for a year at Amherst Academy. He then spent two years at Andover Theological Seminary, tutored for a year at Amherst College, and then returned to Andover to finish his theological course. In 1833, Perkins was married and the American Board of Missions commissioned him to work in Persia among the Nestorians. He traveled to Oroomiah, Persia and set up a mission there. He stayed with this mission for more than thirty years, with intermittent visits home, until he died in 1869.
Scope and Contents of the Collection The collection contains a body of correspondence to Perkins with letters from men well known in his field at the time. Letters are included from Edwin E. Bliss (AC 1837, 4 letters), Harrison Gray Otis Dwight (10), Fidelia Fiske (8), William Goodell (8), Cyrus Hamlin (4), Elias Riggs (AC 1829, 3), William G. Schauffler (10), Benjamin Schneider (AC 1830, 8), Horatio Southgate (7), and William S. Tyler (AC 1830, 8). It also contains eighteen manuscript sermons by Perkins, a few lectures and notes, some newspaper clippings and pamphlets, and some bound manuscripts - mostly letters and journals.
Missions--Iran.
lcsh
Nestorians.
Perkins, Justin, 1805-1869.
lcnaf
Bliss, Edwin Elisha.
Dwight, H. G. O. (Harrison Gray Otis), 1803-1862.
Fiske, Fidelia, 1816-1864.
Goodell, William, 1792-1867.
Hamlin, Cyrus, 1811-1900.
Riggs, Elias, 1810-1901.
Schauffler, William G. (William Gottlieb), 1798-1883.
Schneider, Benjamin, 1807-1877.
Southgate, Horatio, 1812-1894.
Tyler, W. S. (William Seymour), 1810-1897.
Amherst College--Students.
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.
Amherst College. Class of 1829. Perkins.
Amherst College. Class of 1829. Riggs.
Amherst College. Class of 1830. Schneider.
Amherst College. Class of 1830. Tyler.
Amherst College. Class of 1837. Bliss.
series
Series 1: CORRESPONDENCE
Series 1, CORRESPONDENCE, is organized into two sub-series: letters to Perkins (A) and letters from Perkins (B). Within each group the letters are organized alphabetically by correspondent's name.
subseries
Sub-Series A: Incoming Correspondence
Illegible Signatures
A - Bar
Bas - Bz
C - Cooke
Cozzens - Cz
D - F
Haas
Hallock - Harding
I - K
L - M
N - P
Q - R
U - Woods
Worcester - Z
Sub-Series B: Outgoing Correspondence
A - Z
Series 2: SERMONS, LECTURES AND NOTES
Series 2, SERMONS, LECTURES, AND NOTES, consists of sermons, lectures, notes, a private journal and the thesis Perkins wrote at Andover Theological Seminary.
Sermons
Notes on Professor Stewart's lectures.
Notes on Christian Theology No. 4
Notes and dissertations on Christian Theology No.9
Notes taken from Missionary Documents
Syrian newspaper "The Syrian Eagle" (printed in Arabic)
Syrian magazine
Essay: "The Agency of the Pen in the Reformation of the
Nestorians"
Private journal 1857-1863
Thesis written at Andover Theological Seminary ca. 1832
Series 3: PRINTED MATERIALS
Series 3, PRINTED MATERIALS, consists of pamphlets and clippings relating to his missionary work among the Nestorians. It is organized into two sub-series: A. Pamphlets by Justin Perkins B. Newspaper and Magazine Clippings
Sub-Series A: Pamphlets by Justin Perkins
Historical sketch of the Mission to the Nestorians 1862
Nestorian spelling book (printed in Persian)
A sermon occasioned by the death of the Rev. Austin H. Wright
A sermon preached to the members of the Nestorian Mission 1838 Jan 21
A sermon preached to the members and families of the Nestorian Mission 1853 Jul 3
Printed pages from a magazine containing a letter from Mr. Perkins 1864 Jul 1
Sub-Series B: Magazine and Newspaper Clippings
Miscellaneous pages from a magazine n.d.
The Missionary Herald (magazine) - 3 issues 1844-1845
News clippings and photograph of the Missionary Cemetery near Oroomiah, Persia
The American Missionary (magazine) - 2 issues 1857-1858
Journal of Missions and Youth's Dayspring (newspaper) 1861 Jan
Series 4: BOUND MANUSCRIPTS
Series 4, BOUND MANUSCRIPTS, consists of Perkins' books, letters and notes.
Missionary letters and Journal 1833-1838
Journal of a Visit in America 1842-1843
Missionary letters and Journal 1843-1846
Letters and Miscellanies 1863
Book in Syriac interleaved with notes by Perkins 1857-1858
Grammar Rules for Syrian Language n.d.
Notes on Chemistry from Professor Hitchcock's lectures at Amherst College 1827
Commonplace notes in loose packet (found together with other letters to Perkins; may not relate to him) [#2011-011] ca. 1820s-1830s