Justin Perkins (AC 1829) Papers
Scope and Contents
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.
Dates
- circa 1830-1869
Creator
- Perkins, Justin, 1805-1869 (AC 1829) (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
There is no restriction on access to this collection for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.
Conditions Governing Use
Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Biographical / Historical
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 married Charlotte Bass. The same year he was also commissioned by the American Board of Missions 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.
Extent
2.75 Linear feet (6 archives boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Educator, minister and missionary to Persia beginning in the 1830s. Collection includes: correspondence with others in his field; manuscript sermons; lectures and notes; newspaper clippings and pamphlets, and seven volumes of bound manuscripts - mostly letters and journals.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into five series:
- Series 1: Correspondence
- Series 2: Sermons, Lectures and Notes
- Series 3: Printed Materials
- Series 4: Photographs
- Series 5: Bound Manuscripts
Separated Materials
Typescripts of letters from Perkins to William S. Tyler, located in Box 2 Folder 7 (Series 1 Sub-series B) have been relocated to the control file.
- American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
- Amherst College -- Alumni and alumnae Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Bliss, Edwin Elisha, 1817-1892 (AC 1837)
- Correspondence Subject Source: Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Dwight, H. G. O. (Harrison Gray Otis), 1803-1862
- Fiske, Fidelia, 1816-1864
- Goodell, William, 1792-1878
- Hamlin, Cyrus, 1811-1900
- Missions -- Iran Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Missions to Church of the East members Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Perkins, Charlotte Bass, 1808-1897
- Perkins, Justin, 1805-1869 (AC 1829)
- Riggs, Elias, 1810-1901 (AC 1829)
- Schauffler, William G. (William Gottlieb), 1798-1883
- Schneider, Benjamin, 1807-1877 (AC 1830)
- Sermons Subject Source: Library Of Congress Genre/Form Terms
- Southgate, Horatio, 1812-1894
- Tyler, W. S. (William Seymour), 1810-1897 (AC 1830)
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Revised by Rachel Jirka; Chris Barber
- Date
- 1974; revised 2010, 2017
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Repository Details
Part of the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Repository
Amherst College Archives & Special Collections
Robert Frost Library
61 Quadrangle Drive
Amherst MA 01002-5000
(413) 542-2299
archives@amherst.edu