William Jones Boone
William Jones Boone [1]
bishop of the American Mission of the Protestant Episcopal Church at Shanghai, China. He was born in South Carolina, July 1,1811; graduated at the university of that state, and then studied law under chancellor De Saussure. After taking his degree, he entered the Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church at Alexandria, Va., where he pursued his theological course, and afterward studied medicine, to prepare himself more fully for the mission field. He then offered himself to the Foreign Committee for the work in China. He was appointed January 17, 1837, and sailed from Boston in July. Under his incessant toil in the study of the language, his health gave way, and in 1840 he went to Macao, in China. He left Macao for Amoy in February, 1842, and settled with his family on the island of Kulangsu; and in August, 1842, his wife died, and was buried on that island. He returned to this country, and was consecrated missionary bishop to China in October, 1844. In December, 1844, he sailed for Canton. In 1845 the city of Shanghai was selected as the seat of the mission. In 1846 the bishop began the translation of the Prayer-book, and engaged in a revision of the N.T.; and in 1847 was chosen one of the committee of delegates from the several missions to review the translation of the Bible. It was in this work, and in the discussion which grew out of it, that his eminent ability as a scholar was displayed; so eminent, indeed, as to challenge the admiration of those most competent to judge in such matters. He returned to the United States in 1853, and again in 1857, where he remained, prostrated in health, until 1859. He sailed from New York July 13, 1859, and died at Shanghai on the 17th of July, 1864.-Church Review, 1865; Stevens, Memorial Sermon on Bishop Boone, Phila., 1865.
