… Llanofer when he as fifteen. He also spent three years at Llandovery College where he distinguished himself as a linguist, learning Greek, Latin and…
… Llanofer when he as fifteen. He also spent three years at Llandovery College where he distinguished himself as a linguist, learning Greek, Latin and French. Sometime later he served for a year as an assistant teacher with an Independent minister by the name of Albert Newth at Oundle in Northamptonshire. He matriculated to the recently opened New College in London where he graduated in 1863. In the same year, on 4 June, he was…
… Welshman was killed towards the end of August or the beginning of September 1866 in forbidden Korean waters. One account claims that he held…
… Welshman was killed towards the end of August or the beginning of September 1866 in forbidden Korean waters. One account claims that he held a significant position as navigator and interpreter aboard an armed trading ship which was American and was on a revenge mission to P'yongyang in what is now North Korea. A recent writer, Professor. Han Guy Mu, from Kwangju University in the Southern Republic writes that this was 'one of the…
… The other main account supported by the Reformed churches of Korea and the Union of Welsh Independents relies heavily on an account provided by…
… The other main account supported by the Reformed churches of Korea and the Union of Welsh Independents relies heavily on an account provided by one of the soldiers present at the tragedy, Whang Myong Dae, who was twenty years old at the time and later became a Christian and a founding member of a church near P'yongyang. In 1926 when Myong Dae was eighty years old and sixty years after the event, 0 Moon…
… century sources, a Ph.D dissertation has been drawn to my attention. It is entitled 'Western and Asian Portrayals of Robert Jermain Thomas (1839-1866), Pioneer…
… century sources, a Ph.D dissertation has been drawn to my attention. It is entitled 'Western and Asian Portrayals of Robert Jermain Thomas (1839-1866), Pioneer Protestant Missionary to Korea A Historical Study of an East-West Encounter Through his Mission' and is written by Moo Song Goh. This is a thorough account of the events leading up to Thomas's death, the manner of his death and the effects of his death on political developments in Korea…
… leave the college before he had finished the course. He had what Dr Goh describes as an 'elite consciousness' by which he means that…
… leave the college before he had finished the course. He had what Dr Goh describes as an 'elite consciousness' by which he means that 'Thomas was a man of intelligence and sometimes he seemed to be too proud of his talents and so on occasion he was criticized by those around him'. The New College Council minutes record that 'The Council feel great dissatisfaction with the conduct of Mr Thomas, and strongly condemn the…
… activities and this led him, briefly, to resign from the Society and move to Chefoo where he undertook employment as a Customs Officer when…
… activities and this led him, briefly, to resign from the Society and move to Chefoo where he undertook employment as a Customs Officer when he was again able to act as an interpreter and to enhance his mastery of Chinese. In this he followed the example of Robert Morrison who had been employed as a translator in Canton at an East India Company factory when he first arrived in China. Thomas was encouraged in…
… a basic ability to speak and understand the language and he took care to dress in Korean fashion. During his stay at Chefoo he…
… a basic ability to speak and understand the language and he took care to dress in Korean fashion. During his stay at Chefoo he had made friends with two Korean traders and he made the journey in their company and visited the home district of one of them and this despite the ferocious persecution of Roman Catholic Christians which would culminate in the deaths of seven European priests and the scattering or killing of…
… An early port of call was Paengnyong and on hearing of the arrival of a foreign vessel, the local magistrate ordered the garrison to…
… An early port of call was Paengnyong and on hearing of the arrival of a foreign vessel, the local magistrate ordered the garrison to attack it. But Thomas, wishing to give the Scriptures to the people on shore, came out and distributed them not only among the people but also among the soldiers! The next port they stopped at was Tot-sum. Here Thomas met the Chinese sailor, Yu-Wen-Tai, who had taken him to Korea…
… Korean: What is your purpose on meeting the governor? Thomas: We want to negotiate with him for trading. We have brought some western clothes,…
… Korean: What is your purpose on meeting the governor? Thomas: We want to negotiate with him for trading. We have brought some western clothes, glasses, telescopes, alarm clocks etc. We want to exchange these goods with Korean products rice, gold, ginseng, paper, tiger skins etc. Korean: To trade with westerners is prohibited by the law of the Korean government. It is impossible for the governor of the province to negotiate trading with westerners. A…
… day, a retired military officer. sailed alone with a small boat and reached the schooner. He climbed up to the schooner at the risk…
… day, a retired military officer. sailed alone with a small boat and reached the schooner. He climbed up to the schooner at the risk of his life, and rescued Yi Hyon-ik from detention. After Yi's escape, the crew on The General Sherman became more violent and fired their cannons and rifles at the Korean people On 31st August, seven Korean people were killed and five wounded. On 3rd September, the Korean government met in…
… bank The natives and soldiers were angry and they murdered them and the other crew members. None remained alive. After that, the confusion in…
… bank The natives and soldiers were angry and they murdered them and the other crew members. None remained alive. After that, the confusion in the city was finally brought to an end'. The governor reported to the king: 'A strange western ship, which anchored at Pangsusong at P'yongyang was set alight and destroyed by the natives. It was burnt out, and what remained from it was taken to the armoury: three cannon, two guns,…
… certainly shocked by the news and in March and April 1867 he sent copies of two letters he had received from China to the…
… certainly shocked by the news and in March and April 1867 he sent copies of two letters he had received from China to the Cambrian newspaper: the one from Edkins and another from Anson Burlingame, the American ambassador at Beijing, who ventured the view following a conversation with a Korean official during the winter, that Thomas's death grew out of a misunderstanding. He adds: 'This seems to be the best authenticated statement. According to…