Barclay Godfrey Buxton MC (7 January 1895 –1986) was a casualty of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, who compensated for his inability to follow the family tradition of missionary service by founding and running missionary training colleges. Buxton was the son of Reverend Barclay Buxton, a missionary who co-founded the Japan Evangelical Band, and Margaret Maria Amelia Railton. He was the great-grandson of

Sir Thomas Buxton, 1st Baronet Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, 1st Baronet (1 April 1786Olwyn Mary Blouet, "Buxton, Sir Thomas Fowell, first baronet (1786–1845)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online ed., May 201accessed 25 April 20 ...

the abolitionist and social reformer. He was educated at

Repton School Repton School is a 13–18 Mixed-sex education, co-educational, Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Day school, day and boarding school in the English Public school (United Kingdom), public school tradition, in Repton, Derbyshire, ...

, and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

. In

, he fought in the

Duke of Wellington's Regiment The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division. In 1702, Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he di ...

, gaining the rank of captain. When a shell fell on his billet, he was severely wounded with shrapnel damage to both legs. He was invalided out and walked with two sticks for the rest of his life. Unable to fulfil his lifelong dream of becoming a missionary himself, he asked his brothers - "What can God do with this bag of bones?" The answer was that if he could not go himself, he should stay behind to train those who could. He took over what was left of Harley College, dissipated due to the war, and, using the post-war Army billets and camps, founded the Missionary Training Colony in 1923, based in

Upper Norwood Upper Norwood is an area of south London, England, within the London Boroughs of Bromley, Croydon, Lambeth and Southwark. It is north of Croydon and the eastern part of it is better known as the Crystal Palace area. Upper Norwood is situated ...

in south-east London. In 1962, the Missionary Training Colony merged with another South London seminary, the All Nations Bible College (formerly the All Nations Missionary Union), to form the All Nations Missionary College and in 1964, Buxton, then a member of the college council, suggested that the college move to the Easneye estate, the Buxton ancestral property. By another merger in 1971 the college became the

All Nations Christian College All Nations Christian College is an English missions college, located on the Easneye estate near Ware, Hertfordshire, and validated by the Open University. Aims Unlike some Bible colleges, the focus of All Nations Christian College is prim ...

. After the death of his father in 1946, Buxton succeeded him in his role at the Japanese Evangelical Band as Chairman of the British Home Council, the parent body Buxton married Dorothea Reader Harris, younger daughter of Richard Reader Harris, in 1922 and they had a daughter and son.

Publications

* The Reward of Faith

External links

The PeerageMembers of JEBImperial War Museum Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buxton, Godfrey People educated at Repton School Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Founders of English schools and colleges British evangelicals 1895 births 1986 deaths

Godfrey Godfrey may refer to: People * Godfrey (name), a given name and surname * Godfrey (comedian), American comedian, actor Places In the United States * Godfrey, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Godfrey, Illinois, a village * Godfrey, Kansas, an ...

British Army personnel of World War I 20th-century philanthropists Duke of Wellington's Regiment officers