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DEATH OF THOMAS WILSON, ESQ.

THE friends and members of the Society have long been prepared, by their knowledge of the declining health and growing infirmities of its venerable and honoured Treasurer, to receive the solemn tidings of his death. On the morning of Saturday, June 17, after several days of severe suffering, he breathed his last, and entered into rest.

As an expression of their sentiments and feelings, in relation to this deeply afflictive event, the appended Memorial has been adopted by the Board of Directors :

That in recording the decease of their late venerable friend and coadjutor, THOMAS WILSON, Esq., the Directors of the London Missionary Society, with mournful pleasure, embrace the solemn occasion to express their high sense of his valuable services as one of its earliest friends and most liberal supporters, as well as in discharging the duties of his office as the Treasurer of the Institution: they are constrained, also, by a sense of justice to his memory, to bear their willing testimony to the scriptural simplicity of his christian faith, and the uniform consistency and purity of his character; while his public worth, as a generous sup. porter of benevolence and religion, and especially as the munificent benefactor of that section of the Christian Church of which he was a member, demand their gratitude to God, who enriched him with his grace, and made him a faithful steward in his service.

That the assurance of affectionate sympathy and condolence from the Directors, be presented to Mrs. WILSON, JOSHUA WILSON, Esq., and the other members of the bereaved family; with the expression of their devout hope, that they may be sustained and comforted under this painful dispensation, by those divine and gracious principles which formed the character and cheered the spirit of their departed relative.

The remains of our beloved and lamented friend were consigned to their last resting-place, on Friday, June 23, in the family vault, at Abney-park Cemetery. A Deputation from the Board, consisting of Thomas Challis, Esq., Chairman; Rev. A. Tidman and Rev. J. J. Freeman, Foreign Secretaries; Rev. T. Lewis, Rev. Dr. Morison, R. Cunliffe, Esq., John Dyer, Esq., and F. Smith, Esq., attended the funeral, which proceeded from Highbury-place, at twelve o'clock. Other members of the Board, anxious to pay their last tribute of respect, also attended on the occasion. The solemn service at the Cemetery was commenced in the chapel, with reading the Scriptures and prayer, by Rev. J. H. Godwin; followed by an address from Rev. Dr. Henderson. The Rev. A. Tidman addressed the friends and spectators at the tomb, and the Rev. T. Lewis offered the concluding prayer.

DEATH OF THE REV. JOSEPH FLETCHer, d.d.

THE afflictive dispensation, which forms the subject of the foregoing record, was preceded only a few days, by an event of the same mournful and trying character. The death of the Rev. Dr. FLETCHER, which occurred on Thursday, 8th of June, is already known to the christian public, among whom it has awakened an unanimous feeling of profound and affectionate sorrow. At their earliest meeting, after the lamented occurrence, the Directors recorded their estimation of his character, and their grief for his removal, in the following terms :

That this Board has received with deep emotion, the painful intelligence of the decease of their beloved and highly honoured friend and co-adjutor, the Rev. Dr. FLETcher.

That it hereby expresses and records its most affectionate and christian condolence with the widow and bereaved family of their departed brother, under the pressure of this affliction; praying that the God of all consolation may administer the balm of heavenly peace to the afflicted spirit; and with the church and congregation at Stepney, which have been deprived of a Pastor so justly revered. And also, that it hereby records its devout submission to the great Disposer of all human affairs, who has thus been pleased to remove from the scene of his earthly labours, to the home of perfect rest, one of the most enlightened, ardent, and stedfast friends of Protestant Christianity, and of Christian Missions, -one who had long identified himself with this Society in particular, as a Contributor, Advocate, and Director; first in the country, and subsequently in the Metropolis ;-who, on numerous and important occasions, cheerfully rendered it essential service by pleading its claims in public, and aiding its counsels in committee;—and whose talents and attainments, whose eloquence and energy, were consecrated to the cause of God and of truth in the world; and of whom it is the joy of his friends, even while they deplore the loss they sustain, to be assured that for him to live was Christ, and to die gain.

The last offices of respect and affection toward our departed friend and brother, were fulfilled on Friday, the 16th of June. The Rev. A. Tidman, and Rev. J. J. Freeman, Foreign Secretaries, formed the Deputation from the Board of Directors, to accompany the funeral procession. The relics of our honoured friend were laid in the same burial-ground which so soon afterwards received the last remains of Mr. Wilson, and the occasion was marked by similar solemnities.

DEATH OF MRS. BIRT IN CAFFRELAND.

It is now the painful duty of the Directors to communicate the full particulars of this most distressing event, which was briefly stated last month. Our intelligence is derived, from a letter dated March 11,"received within the last few days, from the Rev. Henry Calderwood, whose sentiments on the occasion, as therein expressed, have received our earnest and unqualified sympathy, and cannot but awaken corresponding emotions among all the friends of the Society:

"It is with feelings of the deepest grief I am called upon to convey the truly melancholy intelligence of the sudden death, by accident, of our beloved sister, Mrs. Birt. This most distressing event occurred on the first of the present month. Our brother and sister were returning from the sea-side, whither they had gone for the sake of Mrs. B.'s health, which has been indifferent for some time past. Between the station of Mr. Kayser, and that of Mr. Birt, the wagon was overturned, and our dear sister almost instantaneously killed. Mr. Birt, his little child, and another little girl, were also in the wagon, but escaped

unhurt.

"A considerable time necessarily elapsed between the overturning of the wagon and the arrival of efficient aid. Mr. Kayser, and two of the Scottish brethren, who acted a truly brotherly part, were as soon as possible on the spot. But, although the most effective aid had been at hand, I do not think, from the position of the wagon, and of the body of the deceased, it could have been of any avail. As it was, the case of our brother was truly touching. When he emerged from the wagon, he saw the real situation of his dear wife: her head was outside the wagon, the side of which had fallen on her neck-the driver and leader, confounded by the scene, were of little use for a time, and they and our all but distracted brother tried in vain to raise the load that was crushing, or, I believe, had already crushed to death, his beloved partner.

"When the body was removed from under the wagon, it was too evident that all attempts at recovery were fruitless. Our brother Kayser was nearest, and, when he arrived, the scene was afflicting beyond measure. The driver and leader sat weeping under a tree. Three native girls, with the now motherless babe, formed another group, also weeping; and there lay our brother overwhelmed with grief, by the side of the bruised and lifeless body of her who had been the sharer of all his joys and

sorrows.

"Our departed sister was an amiable friend, and a valuable wife. All who can value either female or christian worth must have esteemed her. There was nothing showy about her, but her character was solid; and we think she could be ill spared. But the Lord judges not as man judgesHe can carry on his work without any of us. Our brother has been comfortably sustained throughout the trying providence, since his mind recovered from the first tremendous shock. He can yet sing of mercy as well as judgment. The remains of our dear sister were committed to the dust at the Umxelo, on the 3rd instant. All our own brethren, and those of the Scotch Societies who could reach in time, were present; and we all felt that the Lord was most distinctly speaking to us. We mourn, but not as those who have no hope. We have laid her remains in the dust, but her spirit is not there: through our tears around her grave, we could look forward to a blessed and glorious resurrection.

"On our return to Caffreland, I was much pleased to mark in the mind of the deceased a greater interest, as I thought, in her work, and a growing fitness for it; and we fondly hoped she might be long spared. But our Master was only preparing her for a purer and happier service, where the wanderings and trials of the Missionary are no more. O, how solemn, how touching, the appeal to us all to be up and doing our Father's work, while it is called to-day!"

ARRIVAL OF MISSIONARIES AT CAPE TOWN.

THE Directors rejoice in being enabled to
state, that the Rev. Robert Moffat, Mrs.
Moffat and family, Mr. and Mrs. Ashton,
Mr. and Mrs. Inglis, Mr. Gill, with Miss

E. Hone, of the Ladies' Society, reached Cape Town in safety by the ship Fortitude, on the 10th of April.

EMBARKATION OF MISSIONARIES FOR INDIA.

ON Saturday, June 3, the Rev. William Buyers, with Mrs. Buyers, and child, embarked at Portsmouth, in the ship Ellenborough, Capt. Close, for Calcutta, on his return to Benares.

Mrs. C. Campbell also embarked in the same ship, and will be landed at Madras, whence she will proceed to rejoin her husband at Mysore.

ARRIVAL OF MRS. AND MISS LOWNDES FROM CORFU. On Saturday, April 29, Mrs. Lowndes, accompanied by her eldest daughter, who, for some time past, has laboured under serious indisposition, arrived in safety at Falmouth,

from whence they proceeded to Devonport, where they are now staying for the benefit of Miss L.'s health.

MISSIONARY CONTRIBUTIONS,

From the 13th April to the 31st of May 1843, inclusive.

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Cambridgeshire.

16 10 8

0 15 0

Mrs. Buck, for Mrs. Lewis's
School, Coimbatoor

London Auxiliaries and Collec-
tions, 14th May.

0

0 Islington Chapel............ 14 9 8

Buckinghamshire.

Lower-street, Islington... 32 3 11 Burnham

Mrs. Piffard, ditto ...... 5 0

0 Sunday school....

0

| Union Chapel, Islington.. 46 19 4 North East Aux......
Mrs. John Wilson
5 0 0 For Wid. and Or. Fund
Holloway Chapel............ 21 09
171. 58. 8d.
10 0 0 Kentish Town...... ....... 26 68
Cheshire.
Northampton Tabernacle 9 5
0 Orange-street

5 Tintwistle... 14 4 8

Derbyshire.

0 Oxendon-street ............ 22 10 0 Derby, Chester-place Sun

Aldermanbury......
Albany Chapel, Regent's-
park
22 0
Barbican Chapel............ 540
Bethnal Green ... ... ... ... ... 9 15
Brixton Hill, for the Chi-

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Bishopsgate Chapel

Camberwell

Clapham, per Rev. J. Hill

J. Gladstone, Esq. for a

Mr. W. Greig

Mr. R. J. Hendrie ...

day-school, for Schools at the Kuruman Victoria-street, Boys' Sunday school........ Breadsall Rectory, Rev. H. R. Crewe, for the Chinese Mission .........

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Contributions in aid of the Society will be thankfully received by Thomas Wilson, Esq., Treasurer, and Rev. John Arundel, Home Secretary, at the Mission House, Blomfield-street, Finsbury, London; by G. Yule, Esq., Broughton Hall, Edinburgh; J. Risk, Esq., Cochran-street, Glasgow; and by Rev. John Hands, Society House, 7, Lower Abbey-street, Dublin.

Tyler & Reed, Printers, 5, Bolt-court, I oacon.

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