Collection Overview
Perkins, Justin, 1805-1869
Justin Perkins (AC 1829) Papers
ca. 1830-1869
6 archives boxes
(3 linear ft.)
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Educator, minister and missionary to Persia. Collection includes correspondence with others in his field, manuscript sermons, lectures and notes, some newspaper clippings and pamphlets, and some bound manuscripts, mostly letters and journals.
English.
Biographical Note
Justin Perkins (AC 1829), missionary, was born in 1805 near Holyoke, Massachusetts. He spent his childhood on his father's farm and at the age of eighteen responded to a revival that influenced him to enter the ministry. He attended Amherst College and upon graduating, taught for a year at Amherst Academy. He then spent two years at Andover Theological Seminary, tutored for a year at Amherst College, and then returned to Andover to finish his theological course.
In 1833, Perkins was married and the American Board of Missions commissioned him to work in Persia among the Nestorians. He traveled to Oroomiah, Persia and set up a mission there. He stayed with this mission for more than thirty years, with intermittent visits home, until he died in 1869.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The collection contains a body of correspondence to Perkins with letters from men well known in his field at the time. Letters are included from Edwin E. Bliss (AC 1837, 4 letters), Harrison Gray Otis Dwight (10), Fidelia Fiske (8), William Goodell (8), Cyrus Hamlin (4), Elias Riggs (AC 1829, 3), William G. Schauffler (10), Benjamin Schneider (AC 1830, 8), Horatio Southgate (7), and William S. Tyler (AC 1830, 8). It also contains eighteen manuscript sermons by Perkins, a few lectures and notes, some newspaper clippings and pamphlets, and some bound manuscripts - mostly letters and journals.
Organization of the Collection
This collection is organized into four series:
-
[1. Correspondence](ser1)
-
[2. Sermons, Lectures and Notes](ser2)
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[3. Printed Materials](ser3)
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[4. Bound Manuscripts](ser4)
Information on Use
Terms of Access and Use
There is no restriction on access to the Perkins Papers for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.
Requests for permission to publish material from the Perkins Papers should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Preferred Citation
Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:
[Identification of item], in Justin Perkins (AC 1829) Papers [Box #, Folder #], Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College Library
Search Terms
Perkins, Justin, 1805-1869.
Amherst College--Students.
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.
Missions--Iran.
Nestorians.
Bliss, Edwin Elisha.
Dwight, H. G. O. (Harrison Gray Otis), 1803-1862.
Fiske, Fidelia, 1816-1864.
Goodell, William, 1792-1867.
Hamlin, Cyrus, 1811-1900.
Riggs, Elias, 1810-1901.
Schauffler, William G. (William Gottlieb), 1798-1883.
Schneider, Benjamin, 1807-1877.
Southgate, Horatio, 1812-1894.
Tyler, W. S. (William Seymour), 1810-1897.
Amherst College. Class of 1829. Perkins.
Amherst College. Class of 1829. Riggs.
Amherst College. Class of 1830. Schneider.
Amherst College. Class of 1830. Tyler.
Amherst College. Class of 1837. Bliss.
Series 1: CORRESPONDENCE
Series 1, CORRESPONDENCE, is organized into two sub-series: letters to Perkins (A) and letters from Perkins (B). Within each group the letters are organized alphabetically by correspondent's name.
Sub-Series A: Incoming Correspondence
1
1
Illegible Signatures
1
2
A - Bar
1
3
Bas - Bz
1
4
C - Cooke
1
5
Cozzens - Cz
1
6
D - F
1
7
G
1
8
Haas
1
9
Hallock - Harding
1
10
I - K
2
1
L - M
2
2
N - P
2
3
Q - R
2
4
S
2
5
T
2
6
U - Woods
2
7
Worcester - Z
Sub-Series B: Outgoing Correspondence
2
8
A - Z
Series 2: SERMONS, LECTURES AND NOTES
Series 2, SERMONS, LECTURES, AND NOTES, consists of sermons, lectures, notes, a private journal and the thesis Perkins wrote at Andover Theological Seminary.
3
1
Sermons
3
2
Sermons
3
3
Sermons
3
4
Sermons
3
5
Notes on Professor Stewart's lectures.
3
6
Notes on Christian Theology No. 4
3
7
Notes and dissertations on Christian Theology No.9
3
8
Notes taken from Missionary Documents
3
9
Syrian newspaper "The Syrian Eagle" (printed in Arabic)
3
10
Syrian magazine
3
11
Essay: "The Agency of the Pen in the Reformation of the
3
11
Nestorians"
4
1
Private journal
1857-1863
4
2
Thesis written at Andover Theological Seminary
ca. 1832
Series 3: PRINTED MATERIALS
Series 3, PRINTED MATERIALS, consists of pamphlets and clippings relating to his missionary work among the Nestorians. It is organized into two sub-series:
A. Pamphlets by Justin Perkins
B. Newspaper and Magazine Clippings
Sub-Series A: Pamphlets by Justin Perkins
4
3
Historical sketch of the Mission to the Nestorians
1862
4
4
Nestorian spelling book (printed in Persian)
4
5
A sermon occasioned by the death of the Rev. Austin H. Wright
4
6
A sermon preached to the members of the Nestorian Mission
1838 Jan 21
4
7
A sermon preached to the members and families of the Nestorian Mission
1853 Jul 3
4
8
Printed pages from a magazine containing a letter from Mr. Perkins
1864 Jul 1
Sub-Series B: Magazine and Newspaper Clippings
4
9
Miscellaneous pages from a magazine
n.d.
4
10
The Missionary Herald (magazine) - 3 issues
1844-1845
4
11
News clippings and photograph of the Missionary Cemetery near Oroomiah, Persia
4
12
The American Missionary (magazine) - 2 issues
1857-1858
4
13
Journal of Missions and Youth's Dayspring (newspaper)
1861 Jan
Series 4: BOUND MANUSCRIPTS
Series 4, BOUND MANUSCRIPTS, consists of Perkins' books, letters and notes.
5
1
Missionary letters and Journal
1833-1838
5
2
Journal of a Visit in America
1842-1843
5
3
Missionary letters and Journal
1843-1846
6
1
Letters and Miscellanies
1863
6
2
Book in Syriac interleaved with notes by Perkins
1857-1858
6
3
Grammar Rules for Syrian Language
n.d.
6
4
Notes on Chemistry from Professor Hitchcock's lectures at Amherst College
1827
6
5
Commonplace notes in loose packet (found together with other letters to Perkins; may not relate to him) [#2011-011]
ca. 1820s-1830s