Edgar Anthony Low

Edgar Anthony Low may have been a relation of James Low (d. 1863), papermaker, who served as treasurer of the Baptist Union, 1834-1847. Low was originally an Anglican (though clearly an Evangelical); in April 1842, however, he was baptized and joined the Baptist congregation in Tottenham, under the ministry of J. J. Davies. In June 1842 Low applied to the BMS as a missionary to Africa. The BMS Committee minutes note that Low was to be meet with the Examination Subcommittee on 7 July. After that meeting, the Subcommittee announced that they were “not prepared to recommend him for the acceptance of the Committee at present.”  They suggested instead “that should he have an opportunity of spending six months in religious improvement the Committee should be open to an application from him again at the end of that time -- Resolved that the same be received and acted upon as the Resolution of this Committee.” Low must have taken the Subcommittee’s advice, for he reapplied on 2 November 1842 (see letter 197), requesting the opportunity “to visit Africa as a Missionary Traveller,” the Committee minutes noted on the following day. The Committee recommended that a “Subcommittee be appointed to confer with Mr Low on this subject, & that it consist of Messrs Hinton, Steane, & Whitehorne, with the Treasurer & Secretary.”  The subcommittee reported on 8 December that despite having “received lengthened written communications” from Low, they could not “recommend him to the Committee in that character.” Though he may never have been an official BMS missionary, Low nevertheless served in Africa and mantained a loose connection with the BMS, for on 26 September 1844 a letter by Low, dated July 7 (BMS No. 286), was placed before the Committee, reporting on Low’s work in conjunction with the newly established mission post in Fernando Po. For James Low, see Ernest A. Payne, The Baptist Union: A Short History (London: Carey Kingsgate Press, 1959) 262; “An Index to Notable Baptists, Whose Careers began within the British Empire before 1850,” Baptist Quarterly 7 (1920-1921), 216; for the references to E. A. Low, see BMS Committee Minutes, Vol. H (Oct. 1841-Dec. 1842), f. 142; ff. 147-148; f. 200; 214; Volume J (30 May 1844-29 July 1847), f. 46.