William Carey — Biographies and Information

Born in England, William Carey (1761-1834) was a Baptist missionary to India. A pastor before going to the mission field, he spent an active forty-one years serving the Lord in India, including translating the Scriptures. Carey never returned to England, living and working in India for nearly 41 years.

Marriage and Family:
• Dorothy Plackett Carey (1755?-1807): Married William Carey in 1781. She was 25 and he was 19. Their marriage was a contrast in ability and interests. She was reluctant to leave England and go to India. Only after much persuasion and on the condition that her sister, Kitty, would accompany them to help care for their small children, did she agree to go. After the death of their 5 yr. old son, Peter, Dorothy became mentally unstable and remained so until her death, December 8, 1807. They were married for 26 years and had seven children: Ann, Felix, William Jr., Peter, Lucy, Jabez, and Jonathan.

• Charlotte Emilia Rumohr Carey (1761-1821): Second wife of William Carey. She was the invalid daughter of the wealthy Chevalier de Rumohr and his wife, the Countess of Alfeldt. Her disability was the result of a fire at the family home, at which time she lost her speech and later the use of her legs. She first met Carey in Serampore, India, where she had gone to be in a warmer climate for health reasons. They were married in May, 1808. Her intellectual and spiritual life was an encouragement and help to Carey in the work of the ministry. They were happily married for 13 years until she died in May, 1821, at age 60.

• Grace Hughes Carey (1778-1835?): Third wife of William Carey, she was a forty-five-year-old widow when they were married in 1823. She cared for Carey as a devoted companion during the last eleven years of his life. Grace had a daughter by her first marriage. She died July 27, 1835, at age 58.

Recommended Books:
William Carey by S. Pearce Carey; edited by Peter Masters. London: The Wakeman Trust, 1993. Originally published 1923.

Faithful Witness: The Life and Mission of William Carey by Timothy George. Christian History Institute, ©1998. Companion edition to Candle in the Dark dramatic film.

Travel with William Carey: The missionary to India who attempted great things for God by Paul Pease. England: Day One Publications, ©2005. Biography and travel guide.

The Legacy of William Carey: A Model for the Transformation of a Culture by Vishal and Ruth Mangalwadi. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, ©1999.

Dorothy Carey: The Tragic and Untold Story of Mrs. William Carey by James R. Beck. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, ©1992.

Recommended DVDs:
William Carey: God's Plodder. A 26-minute documentary on William Carey written by Dr. James Ray. Filmed on location in England. Chattanooga, Tenn.: Baptist International Missions, Inc., ©1992. Available from BIMI, P.O. Box 9215, Chattanooga, Tenn. 37412. Phone: (423) 344-5050.

Candle in the Dark: The Story of William Carey Christian History Institute, 1998. Distributed by Vision Video, Worcester, PA. DVD. Not recommended for young children.
More recommended Missionary biographies.

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