Gwyneth Horobin's Family Tree

Source: OMF http://www.omf.org.uk Although my own philosophy is "Live and Let Live"... if you have missionary ancestors, I recommend writing to these very helpful people, who have detailed archives.

Index of Articles and Obituaries: Articles written by Charles Horobin. Obituaries for him and his wife, Isabella Horobin, née Sutherland.

While my great grandfather, John Horobin, was busy in Coventry working as a licensed victualler, his brother was far away in Ninxia, China...

CHARLES HOROBIN sailed from this country on Oct 8, 1884 on the Kaisar-i-Hind, bound for China as a member of CIM He married Miss Sutherland, who joined CIM in 1888. They appear to have had three children: John born 1892, Elizabeth born 1893 and Charles born 1895. The father Charles died in 1896 i.e. well before the Boxer troubles, and his widow died in 1922.

In the 1888 of China's Millions edition, there are two reports from Charles Horobin written from Ningxia, Kensuh (present day Yinchuan in Ningxia Province, near Inner Mongolia) and also a small photograph of Miss J Sutherland and notice that she left for China with a party on December 15th on the P & O Steamer Rohilla. Charles Horobin was 33 when he sailed to China.

In China's Millions 1891, there is notice of their marriage:

"Mr C Horobin, of Ningxia, and Miss M Sutherland, of Ts'in-chau [present day Tianshui in Gansu Province], both in KAN-SUH, were married at Pao-ning by Rev W Cassells on Sept 8th, whence they were returning to work in Ningxia."

They spent some time back in Britain (England?) in 1895-96, returned to Shanghai in April 1896, and later began the journey back to Gansu. Mr Horobin became ill with a fever on the journey. He worsened and soon died. It appears that he was buried in Shaanxi province, since he died one and a half days after leaving Xian.