Henry Martyn’s Personal Effects and His Grave in Tokat

Yıl 2017, Cilt: 5, 543 - 566, 01.06.2017

Murat Hanilçe

Öz

Henry Martyn was overcome by fever in Tokat where he breathed his last on the 16th of October 1812. He was recorded as an Englishman named Mister Martyn in the court records of Tokat. However, he was remembered in both England and America as the first modern missionary sent to the lands of the Prophet Mohammad. In addition, he became famous because he translated the New Testament into Urdu, Persian and Arabic. This article is not about Henry Martyn’s missionary role. This study has two aims. One of these is to address the real identity of Henry Martyn about who there is almost nothing written in Turkey. The other aim has been to fill a gap related to him in the relevant literature through publishing the unpublished evidence and the inventory of his possessions. Our finds concerning his grave are rec­orded in this study. The main sources for this study have been the Tokat court register number 16, documents provided by the center of Henry Martyn in Cambridge, a book on his grave published in the USA and the books written by travellers and missionaries who had passed through Tokat.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Henry Martyn • Tokat • Death and Inheritance• Missionary

Henry Martyn’in Maddi Mirası ve Tokat’taki Mezarı

Öz

Henry Martyn yüksek ateş nedeniyle son nefesini verdiği yer olan Tokat’a 16 Ekim 1812’de gelmiştir. Henry Martyn gerek İngiltere’de ve gerekse Amerika’da Hz. Muhammed’in topraklarına gönderilen ilk modern misyoner olarak anılmıştır. Ayrıca İncil’i Urduca, Farsça ve Arapça dillerine çeviren büyük bir İncil çevirmeni olarak ün yapmıştır. Bu çalışma, Henry Martyn’in misyoner kimliği üzerine değildir. Çalışmada sırasıyla onun yaşamı, Tokat’a gelişi, bu şehirde ölümü, ölümünden sonra yaşananlar ve onun hakkında yazılanlar verilmiştir. Çalışmanın temelde iki amacı bulunmaktadır. Birincisi Türkiye’de neredeyse hakkında hiçbir yayın bulunmayan Henry Martyn’in gerçek kimliğini ortaya koymaktır. İkincisi ise dünyada hakkında çokça yazılan Henry Martyn’in şu ana kadar yayımlanmamış miras belgesini yayımlayarak onunla ilgili literatürdeki bir boşluğun doldurulmasıdır. Bu çalışma Henry Martyn’in mirasını, bu mirasla ilgili ayrıntıları, Henry Martyn’in şu ana kadar bilinmeyen mezar yeri ile ilgili bazı yeni bulguları içermektedir. Çalışmanın ana kaynakları 16 numaralı Tokat Şeriye Sicili, Cambridge’de bulunan Henry Martyn Merkezi’nden temin edilen belgeler, ABD’de onun mezarı üzerine basılan bir kitap ve Tokat’a uğrayan seyyah ve misyonerlerin kitaplarıdır

Anahtar Kelimeler

Henry Martyn • Tokat • Ölüm ve Miras• Misyoner

Kaynakça

• Tokat Court Register, Number: 16.
• National Archives, London FO 248/30
• Bell 1881 C. D. Bell, Henry Martyn. New York 1881.
• Bell 2010 C. D. Bell, The Miners’ Sons: Martin Luther and Henry Martyn. Montana 2010.
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• Carlyon 1856 C. Carlyon, Early Years and Late Reflections. London 1856.
• Childs 1917 W. J. Childs, Across Asia Minor on Foot. London 1917.
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• Henry Martyn Center 2012 “Henry Martyn: A Brief Life” (A brief biography of Henry Martyn which was prepared especially for me by Henry Martyn Center in 2012).