![John_Ross_(missionary)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/John_Ross_%28missionary%29.jpg)
John Ross (1842–1915), (his Chinese name: ) was a Scottish
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
to
Northeast China
Northeast China or Northeastern China () is a geographical region of China, which is often referred to as "Manchuria" or "Inner Manchuria" by surrounding countries and the West. It usually corresponds specifically to the three provinces east of t ...
who established
Dongguan Church Donguang Church (), located in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China, is one of the largest and oldest Protestant churches in Northeast China. It is also known as the cradle of Christianity of the Koreans in China and in the Korean Peninsula.
...
in
Shenyang
Shenyang (, ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly known as Fengtian () or by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a major China, Chinese sub-provincial city and the List of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Lia ...
. He is also known for translating the first
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
Bible.
Life
John Ross was born at Rarichie in
Easter Ross
Easter Ross ( gd, Ros an Ear) is a loosely defined area in the east of Ross, Highland, Scotland.
The name is used in the constituency name Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which is the name of both a British House of Commons constituenc ...
where
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
was his native language. He received his education at Fearn School,
Glasgow University
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
and Theological Hall,
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
.
In 1872 he was sent by the
Scottish United Presbyterian Mission () to
Northeast China
Northeast China or Northeastern China () is a geographical region of China, which is often referred to as "Manchuria" or "Inner Manchuria" by surrounding countries and the West. It usually corresponds specifically to the three provinces east of t ...
, known at that time as
Manchuria
Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...
. John Ross, called in , went first to
Yingkou
Yingkou () is a coastal prefecture-level city of central southern Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, on the northeastern shore of Liaodong Bay. It is the third-smallest city in Liaoning with a total area of , and the ninth most populo ...
, then moved to
Mukden
Shenyang (, ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly known as Fengtian () or by its Manchu name Mukden, is a major Chinese sub-provincial city and the provincial capital of Liaoning province. Located in central-north Liaoning, it is the provi ...
(the present-day
Shenyang
Shenyang (, ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly known as Fengtian () or by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a major China, Chinese sub-provincial city and the List of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Lia ...
) and established a church there in 1889. This church was called
Dongguan Church Donguang Church (), located in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China, is one of the largest and oldest Protestant churches in Northeast China. It is also known as the cradle of Christianity of the Koreans in China and in the Korean Peninsula.
...
(East Gate Church) because it was built just outside East Gate, as Christian churches were not allowed within the city wall. It was rebuilt after the
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...
, and is now still used as a Protestant church. He also started a
mission in Fushun.
While in China, John Ross met traders from Korea one day, and decided to make a Korean translation of the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
, which was completed in 1887 and brought to Korea. This was the first
Korean version In 1892 he was visited from Korea by
James Scarth Gale James S. Gale (February 19, 1863 – January 31, 1937; in modern Korean 제임스 스카스 게일, in old Sino-Korean characters 奇一 (기일)) was a Canadian Presbyterian missionary, educator and Bible translator in Korea.
Early life
Gale was ...
.
Ross returned to Scotland in 1910, but continued to help the Scotland-China Society. He died in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
and is buried there mid-way along the east side of the main north-south path in
Newington Cemetery
Newington Cemetery is a cemetery in Edinburgh, Scotland. Technically it lies beyond Newington itself, standing on an awkward elongated kite-shaped site between a railway line and Dalkeith Road, between Prestonfield and Peffermill.
History ...
. There is a plaque commemorating John Ross on the sea front at Balintore in Easter Ross.
Family
He was married to Isabella Strapp McFadyen (d.1930) who travelled with him in China.
Recognition
In 1877,
John Gilbert Baker
John Gilbert Baker (13 January 1834 – 16 August 1920) was an English botanist. His son was the botanist Edmund Gilbert Baker (1864–1949).
Biography
Baker was born in Guisborough in North Yorkshire, the son of John and Mary (née Gilber ...
named ''
Iris rossii
''Iris rossii'', the long-tail iris, is a beardless iris in the genus ''Iris'', in the subgenus '' Limniris'' and in the series '' Chinenses'' of the genus. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial from Japan, Korea and China. It has narrow, gras ...
'' in his honour.
Ray Desmond (Editor).
Works
''Corean primer: being lessons in Corean on all ordinary subjects, transliterated on the principles of the "Mandarin primer", by the same author'' (1877)The Manchus, or The reigning dynasty of China: their rise and progress (1891)History of Corea, Ancient and Modern; with Description of Manners and Customs, Language and Geography (1891)
See also
*
Christianity in China
Christianity in China has been present since at least the 3rd century, and it has gained a significant amount of influence during the last 200 years.
While Christianity may have existed in China before the 3rd century, evidence of its exist ...
*
Christianity in Korea
The practice of Christianity in Korea is marginal in North Korea, but significant in South Korea, where it revolves around two of its largest branches, Protestantism and Catholicism, accounting for 8.6 millionAccording to figures compiled by ...
*
Korean Bible Until the 1990s, most Korean Bible translations used old-fashioned, antiquated language. This made it difficult for Christians that preferred colloquial terms to comprehend what the Bible said. By the 1990s, more colloquial and contemporary versions ...
*
Scottish United Presbyterian Mission
*
Seo Sang-ryun
Seo Sang-ryun (, 1848–1926), along with his brother Seo Sang-u (), founded the first Protestant church in Korea in 1884. It was established in the village of Sorae, Hwanghae province, where his uncle lived.
Seo Sang-ryun was involved in the t ...
References
External links
Father of the Korean ChurchRoss and Bible women in the early Protestant mission of northern Korea and Eastern China
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, John
Scottish Presbyterian missionaries
Presbyterian missionaries in China
Presbyterian missionaries in Korea
1842 births
1915 deaths
Translators of the Bible into Korean
19th-century translators
British expatriates in China
British expatriates in Korea
Missionary linguists