Transcript

of

Rev Ebenezer Prout, FGS - [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc., 1872 , Vol. V, pp. 36-38.

by

Rev. W. Hartley

Prepared by Michael Steer

Rev Ebenezer Prout is best remembered as the author of Memoirs of the life of Rev John Williams, Missionary to Polynesia. The biography is considered by scholars to be culturally important, as part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. He was brother to the celebrated  Samuel Prout, one of the masters of British watercolour architectural painting, who secured the position of Painter in Water-Colours in Ordinary to King George IV and afterwards to Queen Victoria. The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Rev Ebenezer Prout is best remembered as the author of Memoirs of the life of Rev John Williams, Missionary to Polynesia. The biography is considered by scholars to be culturally important, as part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. He was brother to the celebrated  Samuel Prout, one of the masters of British watercolour architectural painting, who secured the position of Painter in Water-Colours in Ordinary to King George IV and afterwards to Queen Victoria. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

The Rev. Ebenezer Prout, F.G.S., was born at Plymouth, June 17th, 1802. He was the youngest of fourteen children, one of his elder brothers being the late Samuel Prout, the eminent water-colour painter. He received the kind of schooling that was accessible to the sons of tradespeople in those days; but an important part of his education was pursued out of school hours. His love of nature, and his habits of accurate observation, soon made him familiar with the form, flight, and song of nearly every bird in the neighbourhood, and with a multitude of other objects in the animated world around him. After a few years of business in Plymouth, Bristol, and London, he devoted himself to the Christian Ministry among the Independents, and entered Highbury Theological College in 1826 for a course of four years training. His first settled pastorate was at Oundle, Northamptonshire (1832-1836). There he made the acquaintance of the late Rev. John Williams, the distinguished Missionary to Polynesia, who was murdered at Eronianga. His early zeal for missionary service revived, and he resigned his pastorate in order to accompany Mr. Williams on his return to the South Seas as an agent of the London Missionary Society. For some months he pursued a course of medical studies at Guy's Hospital, under Sir Astley Cooper and other highly esteemed professors. But the unfavourable opinion of a physician as to his health compelled him to abandon his hopes of foreign service; and in 1837 he settled as minister at Halstead, Essex, where he spent eight happy and useful years. During this time he published the Memoirs of the Life of the Rev. John Williams, a book possessing no little literary merit, which was received with considerable favour, and obtained a large circulation. This was his best known work, though he subsequently published several smaller books, principally on missionary subjects. In 1845 he accepted the office of travelling secretary for the London Missionary Society, and removed to Torquay for the benefit of Mrs. Prout's health. It was now that he prosecuted his geological studies, occupying the leisure hours of his numerous visits among the formations of our south western counties, in exploring the strata so rich in fossil remains, and in making a large and well-classified collection. In 1848 he removed to London, and became Home Secretary of the Missionary Society, an office which he held for more than sixteen years. In 1849 he was admitted as a Fellow of the Geological Society. His changed circumstances prevented him continuing his geological researches, but his love of natural science led him to make the microscope and its marvellous revelations both a study and a recreation for his evening hours. Only about a year before his death he purchased a fine Browning's Reflector, and had begun a systematic study of astronomy. In 1867 failing health induced him to leave Reigate and return to his former home, Torquay, where he spent the remainder of his life, and devoted his leisure to various works of Christian benevolence In the same year as he returned to Torquay he was elected a member of this Association. He died October 2nd, 1871, aged 09 years, and was buried in his family grave at Reigate. Mr. Prout was endowed with a very active and powerful mind. Though a Nonconformist, and not shrinking from controversy when he deemed it necessary, he had a large and liberal heart, and delighted in the friendship of Christians of every name. His generosity and practical piety were well known to his more intimate acquaintance, while the geniality of his nature made him always welcome to a very large circle of friends.