Charles Henry Carter
Charles Henry Carter (29 October 1828 – 6 July 1914) was a
Studies and aptitude
He enrolled himself at
He volunteered for service in India but his destination was altered to Ceylon. The change in plans was considered providential. His replacement for India perished in Delhi during the Great Mutiny. (New Zealand Baptist 1914).
In addition to his Hebrew and Greek, Carter would become fluent in Sanskrit, Bengali, Tamil and Pali. His passion however, would always be Sinhalese.
Upon his arrival at
Missionary work
In 1855 Carter entered upon his work in Kandy acting as Pastor of the Kandy Church. He also took upon missioning to the surrounding villages and coffee estates. While in service there Carter began work on a Sinhalese New Testament. In 1862 Carter was forced to New Zealand to recuperate from a throat condition. By this time his New Testament had been completed and by 1869 he had returned to Ceylon and had turned his attention to the Old Testament. By 1881 his health deteriorated again and he was forced to return to New Zealand.
Literary works
Extraordinarily Carter translated from the Greek and Hebrew texts, not the English. The Sinhalese work was done in vernacular language, that it could embody the divine message in a dialect that was understood by the people everywhere (Lapham 1903). His works include:
- Sinhalese New Testament 1855
- Sinhalese Book of Psalms1863
- Sinhalese Old Testament 1869
- English – Sinhalese Dictionary 1881
- Sinhalese – English Dictionary 1889
Later years
Upon his retirement from missionary life, Carter became Pastor of the
Family
Carter married Hannah Morton on 16 June 1853. They had six children and a numerous grandchildren. A dedicated family man, Carter delighted in his grandchildren, and instilled in them a sense of Christian duty.
Books
- Charles Carter. A Sinhalese-English dictionary. Colombo: The "Ceylon Observer" Printing Works; London: Probsthain & Co., 1924.
- Carter C, A Sinhalese-English Bible ISBN 81-206-1174-8.
References
- The New Zealand Baptist, 1914 p 153
- The New Zealand Baptist, 1914 p 153
- Lapham, H.A. Public Speech to Bible Translation Society (NZ) 27 April 1903
- The New Zealand Baptist, 1914 p 152