James Peggs

James Peggs (1793-1850) was one of the first missionaries sent to India by the General Baptist Missionary Society, serving in Orissa from 1821 to 1825, when ill health forced his return to England. Previously he had ministered to a congregation in Norwich. After his return, he served as pastor of General Baptist congregations at Coventry (1828-1834), Bourne (1834-1841), Ilkeston (1841-1846), and Burton (1846-1850). He became best known for his philanthropic activities, especially in distributing printed religious materials paid for by subscriptions.  He published more than thirty titles and distributed more than 30,000 copies of his pamphlets. He contributed a history of the General Baptist mission in India to the second volume of F. A. Cox’s History. See “An Index to Notable Baptists, Whose Careers began within the British Empire before 1850,” Baptist Quarterly 7 (1920-1921), 224.