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{{Short description|British missionary}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox person
| name = James Herbert Lorrain
| image = [[File:J Herbert Lorraine Cropped Portrait.jpg|250px]]
| alt =
| caption = James Herbert Lorrain in Lushai attire
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1870|2|6}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1944|7|1|1870|2|6}}
| death_place = London and was buried in grave Lane KK, Section No. CC, Plot No. 16J in South Ealing Cemetery, 28 Chilton Ave, London W5 4RU, UK. [https://www.google.com:443/maps?q=51.497570,-0.301929&hl=en&gl=gb]
| other_names = Pu Buanga (to [[Mizo people]])
| occupation = [[Christian missionary]]
| education =
| alma_mater =
| known_for = Christianity in Mizoram, [[Mizo language]], and [[Mizo literature]]
}}
[[File:Sap Upa leh Pu Buanga Black and White.jpg|thumb|J.H. Lorrain and F.W. Savidge]]

'''James Herbert Lorrain''', or '''Pu Buanga''', (6 February 1870 – 1 July 1944)<ref name=Hluna>{{cite book|last=Hluna|first=J.V.|title=Mizoram Hmar Bial Missionary-te Chanchin|year=2003|publisher=The Synod Literature & Publication Board|location=Aizawl, India|pages=13–27}}</ref><ref name=mizostory>{{cite web| author= |title=Conclusion 2: 1922–1945 |url= http://www.mizostory.org/mizostory/Conclusion_2__1923-1944.html|publisher=Mizo Story |accessdate=18 January 2014}}</ref> was a British [[Baptist]] [[missionary]] in [[northeast India]], including [[Mizoram]], Assam, and [[Arunachal Pradesh]]. He and [[Frederick William Savidge]] reduced the [[Mizo language]] (known as the Lushai language under the [[British Overseas Territories|Colonial British]] name), to writing—devised an alphabet using [[Latin script|Roman lettering]] and phonetic form of spelling based on [[Hunterian transliteration|Hunterian system]] translation; compiled grammar and dictionaries for [[missionary]] activities and clerical administration.<ref name="R1">{{cite book |last= Anderson |first= Gerald H. |title= Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions |publisher= Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=oQ8BFk9K0ToC&dq=Depelchin+Henri&pg=PA176|year= 1999 |page= 410|isbn= 9780802846808}}</ref><ref name="R3">{{cite book |last= J. |first= Zorema|title= Indirect Rule in Mizoram 1890–1954 |publisher= Mittal Publications |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=BYwpt38dYIIC&dq=James+Herbert+Lorrain+%2C+Frederick+William+Savidge&pg=PA68|year= 2007|pages= 68–85 |isbn= 9788183242295}}</ref><ref name="R4">{{cite book |last= Prasad |first= Ram Narayan |author2=Prithwipati Chakraborty |title= Administration of Justice in Mizoram |publisher= Mittal Publications |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=O-llviDkGAAC&q=Lorrain|year= 2006 |page= 16 |isbn= 9788183240598}}</ref><ref name="R6">{{cite book |last=D. |first= Ben Rees |title= Vehicles of Grace and Hope |publisher= William Carey Library |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8rMKm-Ee1dYC&dq=James+Herbert+Lorrain%2C+baptist+missionary&pg=PA123 |year= 2002 |page= 123 |isbn= 9780878085057}}</ref><ref name="scott">{{cite web |url= http://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/the-mizos-of-northeast-india |title= The Mizos of Northeast India:Proclaiming the Gospel to their neighbours near and far |date= 1 November 1994 |quote= One hundred years ago, in 1894, two Scottish missionaries—James H. Lorrain and Frederick W. Savidge—entered a remote, landlocked, hilly and heavily forested area of Northeast India known today as Mizoram. There they encountered an animistic tribal people of Mongolian descent who had no written language and had never heard of the Gospel. |publisher=missionfrontiers.org |accessdate= 26 April 2012 }}</ref>

He and F.W. Savidge were credited to the establishment of Christianity and [[education in Mizoram]]. They compiled the first Lushai grammar and dictionary. As a gifted [[lexicographer]], Lorrain single-handedly was responsible for the origin of [[written language]] and [[hymns]] in Mizo. More popularly known as "''Pu Buanga Dictionary''", ''Dictionary of the Lushai Language'' became the foundation of Mizo language and [[Mizo literature|literature]].

==Life==

Lorrain was brought up in [[South London]] as a [[Congregationalist]]. He was [[Baptism|baptised]] at a young age. His father was a [[postmaster]] at London Post Office. Following his father's profession, he worked as a [[telegraphist]] in the same post office. His family was a member of London Highgate Road Baptist Church. Here he met F.W. Savidge. In 1890, story of [[Mary Winchester (Zoluti)|Mary Winchester]], a six-year-old British girl who was held hostages by Mizo tribes, and rescued by the British military, was a headline. When Lorrain saw a portrait the hapless girl in captivity in a newspaper, he prayed and planned to work as a missionary to the remote tribes. In December 1890 he saw the exact opportunity under [[Robert Arthington]]'s ''Aborigines Mission''. He resigned from post office and left London on 16 December 1890. His ship arrived at [[Calcutta]] on 21 January 1891, not really knowing how to proceed further for the unexplored land. He stayed in [[Bengal]] (now in [[Bangladesh]]) for a year. His future associate F.W. Savidge arrived in November 1891, and they met at an evangelical campaign at [[Brahmanbaria District|Brahmanbaria]] organised by the New Zealand Baptists. On their first attempt to enter [[Tripura]] they were bluntly denied by the ruler, Maharaja. Dejected they moved to [[Chittagong]] where they stayed for sometime awaiting permission to enter Lushai Hills. Since Lushai Hills was still under [[Tribal chiefdom|tribal chieftainship]]s with constant warfare, their application was deferred and were allowed to stay at Kasalong village, the nearest possible location. Facing heavy shortage of food supply, they stayed there for a few months under constant hunger. Rangamati Commissioner had provided them with a rifle to defend themselves from any tribal insurgency. Unfortunately neither of them had any experience in shooting and could not even hit [[jungle fowl]]s flogging around their hut. Then they suffered from severe [[dysentery]]. The medical doctor advised them to move to [[Darjeeling]] where a colder climate would revive them. After they recovered they stayed at [[Silchar]] for one whole year in 1893. Fortunately they could encounter some Mizo visitors from time to time, so that they could start learning their language. Finally a permit was issued and they immediately set off on [[Tlawng River]] in a canoe on [[Boxing Day]] of 1893.<ref name=Hluna/>

Lorrain married Eleanor Atkinson in 1904.<ref name="R1"/><ref name="R6"/> He died in London after ten years of his retirement, at the age of 73.<ref name=mizostory/>

==Missionary work==

===Arthington Aborigines Mission===
Lorrain and Savidge arrived in [[Aizawl]] on 11 January 1894 to be the first missionaries to Mizos. The day is now observed as public holiday as "Missionary Day" in the state.<ref>{{cite news|last=PTI|title=Missionary Day observed in Mizoram|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-11/guwahati/46090094_1_mizoram-lushai-aizawl|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115171147/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-11/guwahati/46090094_1_mizoram-lushai-aizawl|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 January 2014|accessdate=14 January 2014|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=11 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=CHANCHIN THA THLEN NI – 2012|url=http://mizoramsynod.org/index.php?phek=thuthar&nid=1117|publisher=Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod|accessdate=14 January 2014}}</ref> They made camp at Thingpui Huan Tlang ("tea garden"), MacDonald Hill, Zarkawt. The natives soon called Lorrain as ''Pu Buanga'' ("Mr. Grey", for his grey hairs), and Savidge as ''Sap Upa'' ("Old Mizo [[Sahib]]", as he was older of the two). They became known only be these new names among the Mizos. By March or April 1894, created the first Mizo alphabets based on Roman script.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lalhruaitluanga Ralte |title=Zoṭawng Hawrawp A Aw B Ṭobul leh A Chhehvel |date=21 July 2013 |url=http://www.mizoliteraryjournal.com/news/zo%E1%B9%ADawng-hawrawp-a-aw-b-%E1%B9%ADobul-leh-a-chhehvel-by-lalhruaitluanga-ralte/ |work=The Mizo |publisher=The MIZO, USA |accessdate=18 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116182926/http://www.mizoliteraryjournal.com/news/zo%E1%B9%ADawng-hawrawp-a-aw-b-%E1%B9%ADobul-leh-a-chhehvel-by-lalhruaitluanga-ralte/ |archivedate=16 January 2014 }}</ref> On 2 April 1894 they started a school. Suaka and Thangphunga became the first students, hence the first literate Mizos. However, the school was closed down in 1897 as the Arthington Mission was terminated. During their stay, they taught the [[Mizo people|Lusei]] tribes to read and write, translated [[Gospel]]s ([[Gospel of Luke]], [[Gospel of John]]) and [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] into [[Mizo language|Lusei language]], and published ''A Grammar and Dictionary of the Luhsai Language'' in 1895.<ref name="R1"/><ref name="R3"/><ref name="R4"/><ref name="scott"/>

===Assam Frontier Pioneer Mission===
In 1897 Arthington dissolved his mission, and handed over the mission field to [[Presbyterian Church of Wales|Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Mission]]. Lorrain and Savidge were forced to return to [[England]]. After completing a short on medicine, they formed their own ''Assam Frontier Pioneer Mission'', and they returned to India in 1899. On 16 June 1900 they arrived at Sadya, [[Assam]] (now in [[Arunachal Pradesh]]). They worked among Abors – [[Galo tribe]] and [[Adi people]]. They prepared ''A Dictionary of the ABOR-MIRI Language''.<ref name=Hluna/>

===Baptist mission in southern Mizoram===

In 1902, the Welsh Presbyterian Mission decided to split Mizoram into two mission fields, the northern and southern regions. Since mission was fledging well and the church was growing immensely, they handed the southern field to [[Baptist Missionary Society]] of London. The mission was funded under the share of [[Robert Arthington]]'s will. The experienced and unemployed Baptist workers Savidge and Lorrain were immediately recruited. They arrived in [[Lunglei]] on 13 March 1903, greeted by several Christinized natives from the north. They settled at [[Serkawn]]. This marked the establishment of [[Baptist Church of Mizoram|Baptist Church in Mizoram]] and Serkawn remains the centre of its administration to this day.<ref>{{cite web|title=Page 9: Lorrain and Savidge return with the Baptist Missionary Society|url=http://www.mizostory.org/mizostory/Mizo_Story_9.html|publisher=Mizo Story|accessdate=14 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113182649/http://www.mizostory.org/mizostory/Mizo_Story_9.html|archive-date=13 January 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> For effective administration Savidge took up education and social works, while Lorrain pursued pastoral and translation works. They both got married during this period.<ref>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.mizobaptist.org/?page_id=56|publisher=Baptist Church of Mizoram|accessdate=14 January 2014}}</ref><ref name="R2">{{cite web |url= http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs08/In_Search_of_Chin_Identity.pdf |title= In search of Chin Identity |page=205 |quote= James Herbert Lorrain, a pioneer missionary of the Baptist Missionary Society of London(BMSL), working at [[Lunglei]] |publisher= burmalibrary.org |accessdate= 25 January 2012 }}</ref><ref name="R5">{{cite book |last= C. |first= Lalkima |author2=Lalneihzovi|title= Changing Status of Women in North-eastern States |publisher= Mittal Publications |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=dvVY7hXU6xEC&dq=James+Herbert+Lorrain%2C+baptist+missionary&pg=PA90|year= 2009 |pages= 90–97|isbn= 9788183242820}}</ref> In terms of statistics, evangelism in Mizoram the most successful in any BMS field in the 20th century. Between 1919 and 1924, the total Baptist community increased from 3,670 to 8,770, and church membership from 1,017 to 3,198.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mizoram|url=http://www.bmsworldmission.org/about-us/our-heritage/asia/mizoram|publisher=BMS World Mission|accessdate=14 January 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115052236/http://www.bmsworldmission.org/about-us/our-heritage/asia/mizoram|archivedate=15 January 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===Lakher Pioneer Mission===
On reaching [[Lushai Hills]], Lorrain wrote a letter to [[Reginald Arthur Lorrain]], his younger brother, that "there is a great need of a 'wild tribe of head hunting' hills men which lay seven days' journey south of their present station, and who were known as the Lakhers, and for whom the Christian natives in Lushai Hills had been very definitely praying for sometime past, that a missionary might be sent to tell these people of the love of God and His Son, Jesus Christ." {{sic}} On receiving the letter and having decided to work as a missionary in Lakher 'country' {{sic}} (Lakherland), he approached the missionary societies already operating in those areas like [[BMS World Mission|Baptist Missionary Society]] (BMS) and ''Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Mission'' – later renamed to [[Presbyterian Church of Wales|Welsh Presbyterian Mission]]. However, those missionary societies denied to extend their work to that remote region; thus, R.A. Lorrain founded the ''[[Mara people|Lakher]] Pioneer Mission'' with the help of a missionary minded believers among his relatives and friends—R.A. Lorrain and his wife Maud Louisa Ulander arrived [[Calcutta]] (now [[Kolkata]]) on 16 February 1907 – James Herbert Lorrain and his wife who were in Calcutta in connection with BMS conference greeted them – they resumed their journey from Calcutta and reached Serkawn (Lunglei) on 15 March 1907, where J.H. Lorrain home was situated – in due course, R.A. Lorrain and his wife built their own mission bungalow, now called ''Lorrain Ville''; thus, they laid the foundation of Christianity in Lakherland and first missionary station at Saikao village.<ref name="R5"/><ref>{{cite book |last= Sakhong |first= Lian H. |title= In Search of Chin Identity |publisher= Nordic Institute of Asian Studies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3NEzTqz-6kYC&dq=James+Herbert+Lorrain%2C+baptist+missionary&pg=PA180 |year= 2001 |page= 180|isbn= 9780700717644}}</ref>

===Progress of education===
With assistance from Colonial British [[bureaucracy]], the government schools and teaching staff of [[Aizawl]] division were transferred to ''Welsh Presbyterian Mission'' on 21 April 1904, while education of the Lunglei sub-division was transferred to BMSL with F.W. Savidge as the Honorary inspector. In spite of assistance, the progress of education field was very slow. In words of F.W. Savidge:<blockquote>The parents do not yet see the need of education and the smallest excuse is sufficient for them to keep the children away. Those who have attended regularly have shown remarkable progress. No amount of persuasion to educate the girls seems to have any effect upon the parents, as girls are much too useful at home for general works.<ref name="R3"/></blockquote> Lorrain also remarked saying:<blockquote>We have a very great difficulty in the South Lushai in obtaining pupils for our Girls Boarding School...Down here female education is regarded as being of very little worth compared with the works which the girls are able to do at home in helping their parents and apparently, it will be many years before public opinion alters very much.<ref name="R3"/></blockquote>

===Growth of church===
In the first three decades of the 1900s, especially from 1919 to 1924, the church experienced phenomenal growth. Much of the credit goes to Lorrain and Savidge for their efforts to build on a small Christian community planted by ''Welsh Calvinistic '' missionaries. The efforts of missionaries and their education had a lasting effect on the Lushai tribes, and consequently submitted to conversion in large numbers, once their fear and dislike of aliens was overcome. By the time of Lorrain's retirement in 1932, the status of Mizoram as one of the most Christian states of modern India, was already anticipated.<ref name="R1"/><ref name="R6"/><ref name="R2"/> According to Lorrain:<blockquote>A new day dawned upon the Lushai Hills, giving to the hardy inhabitants just the opportunity they needed to develop, their latent powers of heart and mind hitherto held in check by the deadening weight of the animistic belief and fears...The God blessed labour of many missionaries both Wales and English...has gradually through the years transformed this once wholly illiterate and semi-savage tribe into one of the most loyal, literate and progressive communities in Assam province.<ref name="R3"/></blockquote>

The missionaries also laid the foundation for the development of indigenous leadership for the purpose of creating a wholly autonomous church. Their schools also imparted the prerequisite skills essential to function in the western world introduced through the [[British Empire|British]] administration. In 1921, F.W. Savidge remarked on the success of mission education as:<blockquote>Our old boys are to be found in all positions in their country. Among them are pastors, evangelists,
schoolmasters, sub-assistant surgeons, dispensers, clerks, surveyors, soldiers and many others.<ref name="R3"/></blockquote>

==Works==
*''[https://books.google.com/books?id=NrdGnQEACAAJ The Lushai Grammar and Dictionary]'' (with F.W. Savidge)
*''[https://books.google.com/books?id=K1kUMgEACAAJ A Grammar and Dictionary of the Lushai Language]'' (with F.W. Savidge)
*''[https://books.google.com/books?id=rhF0OwAACAAJ Dictionary of the Lushai language]''
*''[https://books.google.com/books?id=EvZyeDe0ka4C A dictionary of the ABOR-MIRI language]''

==See also==
* [[Hunterian transliteration]]
* [[Mara Evangelical Church]]
* [[Education in Mizoram]]
* [[Baptist Church of Mizoram]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=James Herbert Lorrain |sopt=t}}
* [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050320/spectrum/book5.htm Essays on the History of the Mizos – by Sangkima. Spectrum Publications, Guwahati and Delhi]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=wxkC9S2jYCkC&q=Lorrain&pg=PA1881 Author: Col Ved Prakash – p.1881]
* [http://www.mizostory.org/mizostory/Mizo_Story_3.html Lorrain ‘Pu Buanga’ and Savidge ‘Sap Upa’]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041021221446/http://www.mundus.ac.uk/cats/13/1021.htm Lakher Pioneer Mission]
* [http://www.misingonline.com/index.php?do=/zephyretta/blog/christian-missionary-works-on-mising-language/ CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY WORKS ON MISING LANGUAGE]
*[http://talentshare.org/~mm9n/articles/Indian%20Christianity/CHAPTER%20SIXTEEN.htm Evangelism account and photographs]
*[https://www.google.co.in/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22James+Herbert+Lorrain%22 List of books at Google]

{{Lushai frontier}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lorrain, James Herbert}}
[[Category:1870 births]]
[[Category:1944 deaths]]
[[Category:Scottish Baptist missionaries]]
[[Category:Baptist missionaries in India]]
[[Category:British missionaries in India]]
[[Category:Linguists from Scotland]]
[[Category:Orthographers]]
[[Category:Scottish lexicographers]]
[[Category:Scottish educators]]
[[Category:Christianity in Mizoram]]
[[Category:British missionary linguists]]
[[Category:Burials at South Ealing Cemetery]]

James Herbert Lorrain - Revision history

Effossy at 15:31, 6 May 2026