Bumby, John H

Bumby, John H.

an English Wesleyan missionary, was born at Thirsk, Yorkshire, Nov. 7, 1808. He was converted at the age of fifteen, entered the ministry in 1830, travelled until 1838, when he went to New Zealand, becoming general- superintendent of the New Zealand district. His energetic career there soon closed On returning in a frail canoe from the southern stations of his district to the principal, at the Hokianga, and when crossing the Bay of Thames, the boat was accidentally upset, and Mr. Bumby and twelve natives were drowned, June 26,1840. He was the first missionary to die in New Zealand. Bumby possessed sincere piety and intellectual powers of a high order. See Minutes of the British Conference, 1841; Smith, Hist. of Wesl Meth. iii, 385, 447; also Life of Bumby, by Rev. Alfrec Barrett (Lond. 1853, 12mo).