Photocopies of material relating to Samuel Evans Meech

Photocopies of papers, 1900, [1930s], relating to Samuel Evans Meech, comprising a typescript, 'The Boxer Years' [1930s], giving an account (covering the years 1899-1900) of his family's flight with other missionaries from Siaochang (Chi Chow) to escape the Boxer Uprising, including the short time they spent in Japan and Canada, and three family letters, 1900, giving accounts of the events during the Boxer Uprising and a description of the journey from Chefoo to Canada.

Born at Sherborne, 1845; studied at Cheshunt College (Cambridge); appointed London Missionary Society (LMS) missionary to Peking, was ordained, and sailed for Peking, 1871; married Edith Prankard (d 1903), 1872; engaged in pastoral and evangelistic work in Peking and its out-stations; in charge of the native church and out-stations, 1873-1876; settled in the West City; left Peking and joined the mission station at Chi Chow (Siaochang), 1897; with his family and other missionaries, forced to leave due to the Boxer Uprising, 1900; fled to the coast near Chefoo, took a steamer to Japan, and returned to England via Canada; returned to Peking, 1902; joined the staff of the Union Theological College, Peking, 1905; resigned and was transferred to Sioachang, 1915; served for many years as Secretary of the LMS North China District Committee; returned to England, 1921; resigned his position as a missionary, 1922; subsequently went back to live in China, but returned to England, 1933; died at Marlborough, Wiltshire, 1937. Publications: contributed several articles on the Chinese version of the Scriptures to Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible. His daughter, Gladys Evans Meech (1888-1935), was also a missionary to China, 1925-1935.

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Donated in 1992.

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The School of Oriental and African Studies also holds the records of the London Missionary Society, including letters from individual missionaries, among them Meech (Ref: CWM/LMS North China Incoming correspondence); photographs of him (Ref: CWM/LMS General Portraits Box 4, CWM/LMS China Photographs Boxes 2, 13, 14); and various papers relating to his daughter, Gladys Evans Meech. SOAS also holds a press cutting on Samuel Meech, 1933 (Ref: CBMS/H/PB23 Box 88 File 23 no 109), and an obituary, 1937 (Ref: CBMS/H/PB44 Box 109 File 44 no 22).