Henry Martyn
Part of a series on Christianity in India Background St. Thomas Christians (Nasrani) St. Thomas Christian Churches Synod of Diamper Coonan Cross Oath Malankara (historical) People St. Thomas the Apostle Mar Sabor and Mar Proth Mar Baselios Eldho Marthoma Metrans Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar St. Alphonsa St. Francis Xavier St. Gonsalo Garcia Thomas of Cana Mother Teresa Devasahayam Pillai Mar Gregorios of Parumala Mar Kuriakose Elias Chavara Mar Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly Mar Joseph C. Panjikaran Mathews Mar Athanasius Metropolitan Mar Geevarghese Dionysius Abraham Malpan Palackal Thoma Malpan Mar Augustine Kandathil William Carey Denominations St. Thomas Christian Chaldean Syrian Jacobite Syrian Malankara Orthodox Syrian Malabar Independent Syrian Mar Thoma Syrian St. Thomas Evangelical Syro-Malabar Catholic Syro-Malankara Catholic Latin Church Latin Catholic Church Brahmavar Orthodox Church Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church of North India / of South India Garo Baptist Indian Pentecostal Church of God Church of God (Full Gospel) North Bank Baptist Christian Northern Evangelical Lutheran Presbyterian The Pentecostal Mission Seventh-day Adventist True Jesus United Evangelical Lutheran Indian Christianity portal v t e Henry Martyn (18 February 1781 – 16 October 1812) was an Anglican priest and missionary to the peoples of India and Persia. Born in Truro, Cornwall, he was educated at Truro Grammar School and St John's College, Cambridge. A chance encounter with Charles Simeon led him to become a missionary. He was ordained a priest in the Church of England and became a chaplain for the British East India Company. Martyn arrived in India in April 1806, where he preached and occupied himself in the study of linguistics. He translated the whole of the New Testament into Urdu, Persian and Judaeo-Persic. He also translated the Psalms into Persian and the Book of Common Prayer into Urdu. From India, he set out for Bushire, Shiraz, Isfahan, and Tabriz. Martyn was seized with fever, and, though the plague was raging at Tokat, he was forced to stop there, unable to continue. On 16 October 1812 he died. He was remembered for his courage, selflessness and his religious devotion. In parts of the Anglican Communion he is celebrated with a Lesser Festival on 19 October.