Samuel Kidd (1799–12 June 1843, Camden) was an English

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

missionary in

Malacca Malacca (), officially the Historic State of Malacca (), is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia located in the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, southern region of the Malay Peninsula, facing the Strait of Malacca ...

, and professor of Chinese at

University College, London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

Life

Born 22 November 1804 at Welton, near

Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull, usually shortened to Hull, is a historic maritime city and unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Est ...

, he was educated at the village school there. In 1818 he was sent to Hull, where he was drawn towards a missionary career, and in 1820 he entered the

London Missionary Society The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed tradition, Reformed in outlook, with ...

's training college at

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. At the end of April 1824 Kidd sailed for the London Missionary Society to

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

, and on to Malacca, where he arrived in November. He took up the

Hokkien Hokkien ( , ) is a Varieties of Chinese, variety of the Southern Min group of Chinese language, Chinese languages. Native to and originating from the Minnan region in the southeastern part of Fujian in southeastern China, it is also referred ...

dialect of Chinese under the Rev. David Collie. In the course of 1826 he published short tracts in Chinese, and the following year was appointed professor of Chinese in the Anglo-Chinese College of Malacca. From this time he took an active part in missionary work, preaching and writing. Chinese College Malacca

In 1829 Kidd's wife returned to England on account of her health, giving birth to her daughter in June 1830. Two years later attacks of

epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of Non-communicable disease, non-communicable Neurological disorder, neurological disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent, unprovoked Seizure, seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activit ...

compelled Kidd himself to go back. In 1833 he was appointed pastor of a church at

Manningtree Manningtree is a town and civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex, England, which lies on the River Stour. It is part of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Smallest town claim Manningtree has traditionall ...

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. In 1837 Kidd was appointed professor of Chinese at University College, London, for a term of five years. Here he had access to the library of Robert Morrison which he consulted. The appointment was not renewed at the end of that term, and Kidd died suddenly of epilepsy on 12 June 1843, at his residence in

Camden Town Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London. Laid out as a residential distri ...

. The Gentleman's magazine. August 1843. Sylvanus Urban (pseudonym) https://archive.org/details/gentlemansmagaz45unkngoog/page/208/mode/2up

Works

As well as short works in Chinese, Kidd was the author of: * "Critical Notices of Dr. Robert Morrison's Literary Labours" in ''Memoir of Morrison'', 1838, ii. 1–87; * inaugural lecture at University College on the Chinese language, 1838; * a catalogue of the Chinese library at the

Royal Asiatic Society The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, commonly known as the Royal Asiatic Society, was established, according to its royal charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encourag ...

; and * ''China, or Illustrations of the Philosophy, Government, and Literature of the Chinese'', London, 1841.

Family

In April 1824 Kidd married Hannah, second daughter of William Irving of Hull. They had four children, three born in China. However, Sara Ann Kidd was born on June 29, 1830, in Hull, after her mother had returned to England.

Notes

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Kidd, Samuel 1804 births 1843 deaths Congregationalist missionaries in Malaysia English Congregationalist ministers English orientalists People from Kingston upon Hull English Congregationalist missionaries Historians of China