Adelaide Norton Whitney - 1

函館外国人墓地に眠るウィリスの妹、アデレード・ノートン・ホイットニーのお話です。日本語版はこちらからどうぞ

Adelaide N. Whitney
講談社版『クララの明治日記（上）』
カバージャケットより（部分）

If you look for the image of foreigners' cemetery in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan on a search engine, you could find a grave with a low white cross near a hydrangea bush among hundreds of photos, like the following.

Hakodate Foreign Cemetery [click here]

This is the final rest place for Adelaide Norton Lang, née Whitney, younger sister of Willis Norton Whitney.

You might think why the cross has not a good balance - the vertical bar is too short, even as a Greek cross? This mystery was solved when I found a book Hakodate Gaijin Bochi [函館外人墓地, Hakodate Foreigners' Cemetery] written by BABA Osamu, published in 1975.

Mr BABA (1892-1979), a well-known local historian, a dentist, who was born and raised in Hakodate city, compiled the fruits of years of research on buried non-Japanese-persons in Hakodate into a book. This is a great, unprecedented work.

『函館外人墓地』馬場脩 著/図書裡会 1975

  http://search.library.utoronto.ca/details?4036709&uuid=3cbbe878-8f0f-4efa-944f-cbde0a741e49

Addie's gravestone had fell a victim of vandalism, and the cross went missing for a long while. Mr BABA, an Orthodox Christian, found the cross in 1972 and the Anglican Church in Hakodate [Hakodate St. John Church 函館聖ヨハネ教会] restored the grave a few years before the book published.

『函館外人墓地』 p.22 より

ADELAIDE NORTON LANG

THE BELOVED WIFE OF

REV. D. M. LANG, C. M. S.

WHO DIED AT HAKODATE

OCTOBER 1ST 1896

AGED 26 YEARS

“SO HE GIVETH HIS BELOVED SLEEP”

Hakodate St John Church put a metal plate
for Addie, just beside the grave.
Photo taken in 2016.

Mr BABA wrote that “nothing was known about this priest's wife” [p.59], however, I can add something.

Adelaide Norton was born 17 June 1868 at Newark, NJ, as the third and youngest child of Mr & Mrs Whitney. She was 7 years old when her family arrived Japan on August 1875. On 17 January 1893 Addie married a Scottish missionary, Rev. David Marshall Lang (1862-1946) of CMS at St Andrews Church, Tokyo. She passed away just after she delivered her first-born on 1 October 1896, at the age of 28, not 26.

Dr. Whitney's younger sister had married a missionary of the Church Missionary Society, Rev. David M. Lang and they resided at Hakodate. Four years later, and only a week or two after our return from furlough in 1896 the news came to us by telegram that a son was born； but the dear mother had died about two hours after. On hearing this Dr. Whitney immediately started for Hakodate, with a sorrowful heart, and came back five days later bringing the beautiful motherless boy with him for me to take care of. He was with us for six months and then an opportunity offered to send him to Mr. Lang's sister in London, where he was brought up. [ Remi1933, p.55 ]

The son was baptized David Marshall after his father, was grown up in England. He became a medical doctor as his uncle Willis, had a practice at Bath and died on 16 August 1978. His eldest son, born on 6 May 1924 was named also David Marshall Lang, became a professor of Caucasian Studies, University of London.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Marshall_Lang

I felt so happy when I had found Professor Lang's son lives in London  — poor Addie's great-grandson IS alive! What I might tell his family is, the small corner of a foreign field your great-grandmother resting is very beautiful place with a fine view. Her life was short, but was blessed.

The following is her obituary, written by her husband.

Mrs. D. Marshall Lang. 

Adelaide Norton Lang, wife of Rev. D. M. Lang, M. A. of the Church Mission Society, who died at Hakodate, October 1st. 1896, was the daughter of Prof. W. C. Whitney of Newark, New Jersey, U. S. In 1875 (when she was only 6 [sic] years old) her father was invited to found a Commercial College in Japan. Five years later a visit was paid to England, and while there she became interested in the Scripture Union; so on her return she endeavoured to start a branch in Japan. Through the influence of Mr. Tsuda Sen [*1] this was begun, and the number of members rapidly increased until now there are over 11,000 with 460 secretaries and branches in all parts of the Empire. For a while Mrs. Lang was teacher of English in the Peeress' School [*2] in Tokyo, until her marriage in January 1893. Since then first at Osaka, then at Hamada [*3], and lastly at Hakodate, she truly helped the work of her husband for the spread of the Saviour's kingdom in Japan. Whether visiting Kushiro and other outstations with him, or preparing Bible Women for their work and herself holding women's meetings, she was ever labouring for the good of those around her. 

Her long residence in Japan gave her a command of the language rarely attained, which she always used for God's glory. By translating the life of Catherine Tait [*4] and in other ways she also tried to impress upon the mothers of Japan the duty and beauty of a Christian Home. Her death, at a time when a wider sphere of usefulness seemed opening out for her, was a great loss to the work, but her service is only continued in a higher and more perfect sphere for the Master she loved and served below. D. M. L.

— Proceedings of the General Conference of Protestant Missionaries in Japan,  p.703.

[ Notes by the editor ]

*1 TSUDA Sen : 津田仙 1837-1908, a Methodist educator, agriculturist. Father of Miss TSUDA Umeko, founder of Tsuda College [津田塾大学].
*2 Peeress' School in Tokyo : 女子学習院. See History of Gakushuin School. 
*3 Hamada : 石見国浜田町〔現・島根県浜田市〕 Now Hamada City, Shimane.
*4 Catherine Tait : 1819-1878, wife of Archibald Tait (1811-1882), Archbishop of Canterbury (1868-1882).

Rev. D. M. Lang got remarried with his Scotland-born maternal first cousin in 1902 and had another son, who became a school teacher. He continued his missionary work on Hokkaido in Japan with his second wife until 1920. He died in the first day of 1946, aged 83, as a rector of Fillingham, Lincolnshire, England. Incidentally, Rt. Rev. William Cosmo Gordon Lang (1864-1945), Archbishop of Canterbury (1928–1942) was his paternal first cousin.

Images are cut out and processed by the editor.

Thanks for the those prepared the original data on the net.
Images of “Kurihon” stamped were photos taken by me,
for the Japanese edition of my blog.

Last updated 27 November 2016

De Forest's 1898 report on Akasaka Hospital

Here is an ads of Akasaka Hospital, Tokyo, on January 1898.

『基督教名鑑（明治30年11月調査）』 教文館 1899 より

http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/824326/157

The following is an article from October 1898 issue of the Missionary Herald, a monthly magazine containing the proceedings of the American Board [アメリカン・ボード] of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, with notes by the editor.

A Fine Christian Work in Tokyo. 
by Rev. J. H. Deforest, D.D., Sendai [仙台], Japan [*1].

If you should go to the great capital of Japan, Tokyo, you would see, as you ride over the vast city, the Greek cathedral high up on Suruga Dai [駿河台], the Catholic cathedral at the other end of the city [*2], spires of smaller Protestant churches here and there, an occasional Christian school, and frequent sign-boards with Chinese characters on them meaning, “Christian Preaching Place.” These are some of the signs of missionary activity in Tokyo. But these are not all. Among the best pieces of missionary work in the whole East is that of Dr. W. N. Whitney, who belongs to no missionary society, but of whom it can be said that Christianity is his whole business and medicine is his means of carrying it on. 

When I first became acquainted with him, many years ago, he was the interpreter of the United States Legation, where he served through the terms of several ministers, publishing several works, among which is, “A Dictionary of the Principal Roads, Chief Towns, etc., of Japan.” But while carrying on his Legation work he established a Christian hospital near the Legation, in 1886, in memory of his sainted mother. “We endeavor,” he says, “to seek the spiritual good of the patients. Many of them have never heard of the true God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Not a few have, we thankfully believe, responded to the gospel message and have become true Christians. It seems to us that although there is undoubtedly a high standard of native medical skill in Japan, yet there is just as much need for medical mission work here as in London or New York.” 

One would think that the Legation and hospital work would be enough for an ordinary man, but Dr. Whitney is a big man and his manifold work corresponds to his size. He felt that he could do more. So, believing that the early Christians of Japan should be rooted and grounded in Bible truths, he started the Scripture Union Readings [*3] ― a printed schedule of daily readings for the entire year. Strange, is it not, that none of us regular missionaries should have thought of that? Its success is unique, for over 10,000 copies sell annually. Then, in order to make the readings more profitable, he started a monthly magazine in Japanese, with explanations of the daily lessons and other kindred matter, and this magazine has kept up as high a paid circulation as any other Christian periodical in Japan. 

Many times the question came up as to what his life work should be. Legation interpreter is a pretty sure berth, being a permanent appointment, with fair salary and good social position. But, with his medical education, he decided to leave official life and support his family and carry on his work by his medical practice. 

It is astonishing how many lines of work a Christian man with organizing power can evolve and carry out. Riding all day in the cars once to Sendai, he loaded his pockets with tracts and Bibles, and made it a point to see every station master and give him some Christian reading. Then he started the Railroad Mission. Miss Gillett [*4], from England, has come to assist in this branch. One of the pastors of the Presbyterian church [*5] has long been the superintendent of this work. Station masters, guards of trains, and other employees are being reached. He has added another Japanese monthly magazine to his work for this class of people, and it costs subscribers only twenty-four cents a year, and there are about six hundred subscribers. 

But the Doctor always seems to have room for one more endeavor in his heart. So he started another Christian magazine, this time for the police. I saw a report of this movement the other day which says there are over one hundred Christian policemen in Tokyo! A lady missionary who has recently come to Tokyo was called upon by one of these policemen. She was somewhat alarmed at an official call, lest she should have unwittingly violated some regulation. But her fears vanished when the policeman told her that he, too, was a Christian, and kneeled down with his sword by his side to ask God's protection on that home. 

Willis is at back row, second from the left.
Woman in the front row, far right, Miss Jessie Harrison

By this time it will not surprise you to know that the Doctor runs a Post and Telegraph Mission [*6] also, and all his work goes on in faith that God, who has put these things in his heart, will provide all necessary means. Friends in England and America who have seen his work, or learned about it through friends (for the Doctor is a kind of Quaker [*7]), assist to some extent, and Christian people, regardless of their shade of Christianity, gladly make occasional offerings; yet it pained the Doctor, at the beginning of this year, to have to cut off, from lack of funds, a gift of 1,500 copies of his Scripture Union Readings to the great prisons of Hokkaido, where a most interesting work of grace has been going on for several years.  

This is enough to introduce the man to you who may see this meager sketch. When you come to Tokyo, be' sure and call on Dr. W. N. Whitney, at the Akasaka Hospital. He may not be in, but you could leave your card and any filthy lucre you might have in your pockets. 

Dr. Pettee [*8] of Japan adds an incident connected with Dr. Whitney's hospital, where about a year ago he met among the patients a sweet little Chinese girl perhaps thirteen years of age. As she understood almost no Japanese and still less English, it was very difficult for the doctors and nurses to show all her the kind attention they desired to show. One day a missionary, a true-hearted Christian Englishwoman, was sitting by the child's bedside holding her hand and bathing her head. It occurred to the lady to sing to the patient little sufferer one of whose feet had just been amputated. Her first or second venture was “Jesus loves me. This I know. [主われを愛す]” What was her surprise to see the girl start up in bed, express great pleasure and join with her in singing in broken English that old-time children's favorite. On making inquiry of her Chinese friends at the legation, it was learned that she had attended for a short time, some years before, a Christian Sunday school in China, where she had been taught this hymn in English. A more delighted girl it would be difficult to find anywhere.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.ah6n9k;view=1up;seq=485

[ Notes ]
*1 Rev. J. H. Deforest : Rev. John Kinne Hyde De Forest [Rev. J. H. De Forest], D.D, (1844-1911) デフォレスト. born in Westbrook, Connecticut. He entered Yale College as John Kinne Hyde. Receiving the DeForest Scholarship, added DeForest to his name. American Board missionary, came to Japan 1874 with Joseph Neesima [新島襄], worked mainly in Sendai, Miyagi and rests in Sendai. His daughter Miss Charlotte Burgio Deforest (1879-1973) was the fifth president of Kobe College [神戸女学院], Hyogo, Japan.

His name sometimes written as Rev. J. H. Forest, or Deforest. On official papers, John Hyde De Forest or John Hyde DeForest. About his life, See History of the Class of 1868, Yale College, pp.110-18.

*2 the Greek cathedral : Holy Resurrection Cathedral, generally known as “Nikolai Do (ニコライ堂)”, built in 1891 by Bishop Nikolai (1836-1912) of Russian Orthodox Church. It is still one of the greatest cathedral in Japan. The Catholic cathedral was built in 1878, located in Tukiji [築地] then.

*3 Scripture Union Readings : About Scripture Union of Japan [聖書之友], See : 
1894: Annual Report of the American Bible Society, pp.163-65.
1898: 聖書之友 基督教名鑑 明治30年調査 広告
1900: Proceedings of the General Conference of Protestant Missionaries in Japan, p.924.
1909: The Christian Movement in Japan, pp.342-43.
1910: World Missionary Conference, Vol.3, pp.158-59.

*4 Miss Gillett : Elizabeth Rachel Gillett (1865-1954), ジレット, ギレット, the superintendent of Railway Mission (鉄道ミッション, not Railroad Mission), was a first cousin of Mary Caroline Whitney, whose mother was from Gillett family of Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. The fourth son of Willis and Mary C. born in 1890 named George Gillett. Miss E. R. Gillett arrived Japan by the same ship with the Whitney family and Miss Jessie Harrison (later Bible woman at Akasaka Hospital) on June 1896. About Railway Mission, See Proceedings of the General Conference of Protestant Missionaries in Japan, p.925.

*5 One of the pastors of the Presbyterian church : Unknown. Mr Akiyama Yoshigoro 秋山由五郎 (1865-1948) was likely, however, he was not a pastor nor Presbyterian.

*6 Post and Telegraph Mission : Correctly Postal and Telegraph Mission. See Proceedings of the General Conference of Protestant Missionaries in Japan,  p.925.

*7 a kind of Quaker : Mary Caroline Whitney, née Braithwaite was born in a notable English Quaker family, and Willis actually became a member of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting on December 1889, also Mary C. transferred on April 1890.  He was a genuine Quaker at the time.

*8 Rev. James Horace Pettee [Rev. James H. Pettee], D.D, (1851-1920) ペティ. American Board missionary, born in Hampshire, came to Japan 1878, worked mainly in Okayama [岡山]. 

Images are cut out and processed by the editor.

Thanks for the those prepared the original data on the net.

Last updated 18 November 2016,
edited 12 November 2016