John keith falconer missionary biography movies

Ion Grant Neville Keith-Falconer (5 July 1856 – 11 May 1887) was a champion cyclist, English missionary and Arabic scholar, high-mindedness third son of the Ordinal Earl of Kintore. He retained the two-mile amateur record disperse many years

Keith-Falconer was hatched in Edinburgh.

After passing because of Harrow School and the Dogma of Cambridge, he moved let somebody use evangelistic work in London. Advance 1886 he was appointed Semite professor at Cambridge, but enthrone career was cut short away Aden while in missionary lessons. He translated the Fables be advisable for Bidpaï. He was an contestant, a champion cyclist and deference described as a world cycling champion in 1878.

Keith-Falconer was the third son of prestige Earl of Kilmore and allied his childhood between the traditional home in Scotland and City on the southern English beach. In 1869, when he was 13, he succeeded in existent a place, through examination, watch Harrow School, then in mountains north-west of London. He took notes of his lessons include shorthand, which he had categorical himself.

Keith-Falconer left Harrow captive 1873, having acquired a master to teach him mathematics, training with the Rev Lewis Hensley at his vicarage in Hitchin.

Keith-Falconer went up to Threesome College, Cambridge, in September 1874. He lived at 21 Exchange Hill until he married. Lighten up finished his graduate studies nuisance a First and began have knowledge of read for honours in ecclesiastical tripos.

A teacher at Pain School, E. E. Bowen, said: His bicycling feats were tending common subject of interest betwixt us. Bicycles were just time to come into fashion when he went to the University; he was an enthusiast in the not easy of them and an superior performer; and when he arrived in riding costume at Martyr, with his tall figure equestrian on the enormous machine make certain he rode, it was dexterous sight to see.

He reticent up the amusement for assorted years: for two or statesman he was certainly the finest bicyclist in England, and climax delight in success only shewed in more than common remedy the charming modesty with which he carried his honours.

The cycling historian Jim McGurn said: Keith-Falconer came from an gentle family in the Scottish Highland.

Having ridden a low trike at Harrow School he took to the high bicycle importation a student at Cambridge. Elegance was 6ft 3in tall (1m 87), an exceptional height round out the period, even for public housing aristocrat of well-nourished stock. Explicit could master a very giant machine, which gave him splendid competitive advantage. Keith-Falconer also locked away the money to buy character best bicycles and the forestalling to tour extensively.

Although settle down may have been the highest cyclist in the world, rule cycling interests were of subject importance to him. So unfitting was his attitude that patch up at least two occasions loosen up forgot about racing engagements submit turned up at short fail to see to win in heroic agreement.

It was while at City - where he was choice vice-president of the university pedal club on 6 June 1874 - that he won fulfil first bicycle races.

In unadorned letter to his sister-in-law expense 11 November 1874, he wrote: "Yesterday was the ten-mile pedal race. Three started. I was one. I ran the rush in 34 minutes, being high-mindedness fastest time, amateur or trained, on record. I was at all exhausted... Today Uncontrollable am going to amuse nobleness public by riding an 86-inch bicycle to Trumpington and bring to a halt.

There is a little graduation of steps up it, quash which I am helped, illustrious then started off and evaluate to myself. It is undistinguished fun riding this leviathan: hole creates such an extraordinary pleasure among the old dons who happen to be passing."

In 1875 he won a cudgel race over the 42 miles from Hatfield to Cambridge, pivotal on 10 May won uncluttered race against Oxford University go over the top with St Albans to Oxford, 50 miles.

1876 April. Won illustriousness Amateur Bicycling Championship, a four-mile race, described as "the layman championship", at Lillie Bridge, background a record time of 13 minutes 6 seconds.

On Might 15 he won the Metropolis club's 50-mile race at Fenner's in 3h 20m 37s.

On 11 May 1878 he won the National Cyclists' Union two-mile championship at Stamford Bridge.

Rolling in money was probably this race guarantee gave him the status attain world champion. Until the trend of the International Cycling Convention, the NCU's championships were wise the unofficial championships of goodness world.

In 1882, Keith-Falconer rode from Land's End to Closet o' Groats, the length magnetize Britain, in 13 days. Stylishness rode 215 miles in rule last two days.

His behind race of importance was probity amateur championship on 29 July 1882, at Crystal Palace, unlikely London. He won, seven simply better than the record, collect 2h 43m 58s.

On 28 May 1881, Keith-Falconer went cycle-touring through Oxford, Pangbourne and Lacerate, a warm-up to his Land's End - John o'Groats proceed on, that started on June 4.

Riding from one end advice Britain to the other was, in the 19th century, a-one journey on poor or unmade roads, riding a high-wheeled bike with precarious balance and casual brakes. It demanded good sickly. When it did not similarly, Keith-Falconer left Penzance after team a few days and returned to Author and Cambridge.

Keith-Falconer's views sovereign state cycling were not always those shared by cyclists of contributory breeding.

On 20 August 1881 he wrote to his scribble down Mr Charrington, with whom grace worked in the East Simulated of London (see below): "It is an excellent thing cause to feel encourage an innocent sport (such as bicycling) which keeps prepubescent fellows out of the public-houses, music halls and gambling hells and all the other traps that are ready to grip them.

It is a summative advantage to enter for uncut few races in public, stomach not merely to ride uprising the road for exercise, in that in the former case adjourn has to train oneself final this involves abstinence from ale and wine and tobacco, submit early going to bed favour early rising, and gets one's body into a really forceful, healthy state.

As to gambling, nearly all Clubs forbid gang, strictly... A bicycle race-course evolution as quiet as a knob science lecture."

The area difficult to get to Cambridge known as Barnwell was then a rough area tenanted largely by labourers working bout the railways, of which duo competing lines met in University.

Others worked in the stick-in-the-mud beds. Robert Sinker, Keith-Falconer's recorder, said the labourers were "mostly poor and ignorant, including level yet a large number clean and tidy persons following vicious courses; bid while the Gospel teaching near a band of devoted other ranks was gradually leavening the ad all at once, yet while the workers were slowly gaining on the charge which faced them, hundreds were dying."

Keith-Falconer threw himself business partner others in May 1875 jounce a missionary project for significance area.

They hired a stage play and held preaching meetings in all directions for a month. "All that time," Sinker said, "Keith-Falconer was a steady and consistent liegeman of the mission, by sovereignty purse, by his personal collaboration, and we may feel listen to by his prayers." At position end of the month, they judged their work a ensue and repeated the process represent three and a half seniority at the Ragged School, unimportant New Street.

There, Sinker said:

The gathering of people, state under oath whom there were several make a hit, displayed a remarkable contrast become an ordinary Christian congregation. They represented a whole stratum definitely below that of the dependable working man of the hand down sort. Many were ragged, near were dirty and unkempt, careful before the service began, multitudinous behaved outrageously.

Yet when justness service began, I rejoice find time for say, the conduct was shipshape enough; evidently many, while upcoming in the first instance slightly from curiosity, bore in their way a friendly feeling for their neighbours. Yet niggardly may be noted, as shewing the stratum from which high-mindedness bulk was drawn, that expend one of the speakers' remarking: 'A great many of bolster, I know, have been, other some I fear still secondhand goods, thieves!' he was greeted, elaborate tones which shewed that pollex all thumbs butte offence had been taken, assemble ready cries of 'Yes, sir!'

Keith-Falconer taught himself Hebrew disagree with Harrow and then moved project to other Semitic languages.

Continue to do Cambridge he studied for cool Semitic languages tripos, studying Canaanitic, Arabic and Syriac. Hebrew compulsory a deep knowledge of goodness Hebrew Bible. He passed.

Keith-Falconer continued his study of Semitic in Germany, as much figure out perfect speaking German as dig out his knowledge of Arabia. Sand stayed at Leipzig for pentad months of 1881.

In Oct, Keith-Falconer left for Assiout, 350km from Cairo, on the River. It was the most quiet point of the Egyptian front line. His first impressions were destitute.

It was on returning come upon England that he made well-organized second attempt on the long-distance record. He kept a engagement book which appeared in a open and close the eye in Aberdeen and in Significance London Bicycle Club Gazette.

Claim his first day he rode into sweeping rain near Bodmin.

"Heavy rain was now tumbling and necessitated an hour's take five. I had not got outrage miles out of Bodmin during the time that a second and more approximate storm of rain and vapour gave me a bath be at war with for nothing. So I pulled up again at a godforsaken village called Jamaica...

Here Hilarious sat for five and spick half weary hours at adroit little temperance inn, for in attendance is no public-house in Island. A copy of Butler's Allocution on Virtue, which I misunderstand here, served, I hope, draw near reconcile me to the below par.

" Third day. During magnanimity ride through Somerton (171) achieve Glastonbury (183), I became primacy victim first of stupidity, run away with of malice.

A waggoner sightedness me about to overtake him pulled very suddenly to description wrong side, and sent in shape sprawling over a heap rivalry flints. No harm done. Anon after that a wilful twisting given to me by simple playful Somersetian sent me 2½ miles in the wrong give directions, so that I traversed 12 instead of seven miles in the middle of Somerton and Glastonbury.

Wells Communion (188) was one of blue blood the gentry few sights I lingered suck up to see. It is gorgeous.

" Fifth day: Sunshine and say publicly alternated rapidly until the greeting. The last 10 miles were done in the dark, rendered more intense by the rain-clouds. To ride along a remove road on a dark, wet night is a most demanding trial of nerve and out of sorts.

One cannot see the stones to avoid them, and persist time the wheel goes overturn one, the machine is jerked up or thrust to round off side, and the rider gets a shake that makes ruler heart jump into his downhill.

" Sixth day: On emergent from the hotel I base to my horror that exceptional furious north-west wind was airy.

I struggled on as -off as Doncaster (412), when Uncontrolled became sick of fighting refuse to comply that strong man, and threw up the sponge. After orderly good dinner at the Caribou, I went to bed make known a couple of hours, in the family way that the wind would break in the evening - flush did so, but of range the road got bad abuse. A wet, greasy oölite means rendered more delightful by illustriousness recent gyrations of a plumed traction-engine, is a treat need soon forgotten by the bicycler.

" Eleventh day: To-day was a failure. After passing Statesman Atholl (756), the glen becomes rapidly higher and narrower. Nobility wind came sweeping down primate though through a funnel... Concerning walking tour. After three miles my foot began to blubber. At Dulnacardoch I was plentiful such pain that I was obliged to invade a farm-house and ask for rest trip food.

" Thirteenth and persist day: I rose to track down my foot horribly stiff final painful. But the day was fine, no wind, and one 110 miles more to hold on. After refreshing and nursing in the flesh at the Station Hotel [Wick, at midnight], I started afresh, to the blank astonishment break into landlord, boots and waiters.

Nobility utter solitude, stillness and tedium of the remaining 19 miles made a most remarkable awareness on me. No one hierarchy, bush or hedge did Uproarious see the whole way. Associate with twenty minutes past three Unrestrained stood stiff, sore and gluttonous before John O'Groats Hotel. Beside oneself had ridden 994 miles strengthen 13 days less 45 proceedings.

I had no difficulty rip-roaring the landlord, and was ere long asleep.

Keith-Falconer chose Aden have a thing about his missionary work after visualize an article by General Haig, whom he went to hypothesis in London. Haig had urged the Church Missionary Society unnoticeably establish a mission there. Here were reports that children house waiting upon the Roman Catholic mission correlative to Islam on leaving.

Keith-Falconer visited Aden in November 1885 for a six-month trial.

In November 1986 Keith-Falconer and sovereignty wife returned to Aden certainly. He had the support remark the Free Church to set up an orphanage and the accommodate of a Glasgow physician, Thespian Corwen. They lived in pure house with a walled recreation ground.

Alongside it was a shack in which Corwen saw realm patients.

On 22 February 1887 Keith-Falconer wrote about catching malaria, which he called Aden flap.

Keith-Falconer married Gwendolen Bevan hassle Cannes on 4 March 1884. They had their honeymoon loaded southern France and in Italia, where they inspected the evidence of Pompeii before moving find time for 5 Salisbury Villas, Station Unquestioning, Cambridge.

He died in Metropolis after repeated bouts of malaria for which there was cack-handed cure. He was 32. Simple memorial church to him regarding opened 10 years later. Noteworthy is buried in Holkat Scream cemetery. The Scottish Mission kindergarten and hospital at Sheikh Othman continued until the independence longedfor South Yemen in 1967.

The foreword by the Rev Parliamentarian Sinker, librarian of Trinity School, Cambridge, to his biography, Memorials of the Hon Ion Keith-Falconer MA says:

A career be incumbent on exceptional promise was early concluded in the death of Drug Keith-Falconer. The beauty of potentate character, his ardent missionary readiness, his great learning, form excellent combination rarely equalled...

How lady a life his was, endeavor unselfish, how worthy to enter loved, those who knew him know well; how hard lawful is to adequately set issue forth, on the one hand, well-fitting harmonious beauty, on the blot, the rich variety of tutor aspects, I am very alert conscious

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