Wellesley Bailey - Curious Edinburgh

St Giles’ High Kirk

Apr 242018

St Giles Cathedal. St Giles’ High Kirk of Edinburgh, High St, Edinburgh EH1 1RE

Wellesley Bailey, born in Ireland 1846, went to India in 1869. As an American Presbyterian Mission teacher, he visited some lepers’ huts in Punjab and decided to care for them and proselytise. Moving to Edinburgh in 1882, Wellesley became a lay-missionary with the Church of Scotland, and 1886-1917 ran the Mission to Lepers in India. When he retired, the Mission was working with over 14,000 leprosy-affected people in 12 countries. Brothers James (1807-72) and Duncan Monteith (1812-74) got rich sellling leather goods at the best addresses in Calcutta and their family commemorated them with large memorial windows opposite each other.

Wellesley Baillie (1846-1937) memorial.

Duncan Monteith Memorial Window.

Receipt from Monteith & Co. for 1 pair of leather tennis shoes.

Find out more

Edinburgh India Institute: St Giles Cathedral

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