William Carey is widely regarded as the “Father of Modern Missions” for his pivotal role in establishing a movement that continues to shape global missions to this day. However, while Carey has garnered significant attention, the contributions of his fellow missionaries on the field have often been overlooked and only more so with the passing of time. Although some focus has been placed on the other members of the renowned “Serampore Trio”—Joshua Marshman and William Ward—two key figures from the early years of Carey’s ministry often receive little to no recognition: John Fountain and Daniel Brunsdon.
One of the last works to give both men considerable attention was Daniel Potts’ monograph, British Baptist Missionaries in India, 1793-1837 (Cambridge, 1967). In his article published in 1976, “Baptist Missionary Society Radicals,” Basil Amey bemoans the lack of respect that had been given to Fountain in historical missiology while providing only one passing reference to Brunsdon; Timothy George does much of the same in Faithful Witness: The Life and Mission of William Carey (New Hope, 1991). In his book, The Serampore Mission Enterprise (Centre for Contemporary Christianity, 2006), Christopher Smith only sporadically mentions Fountain a few times and Brunsdon only once, mainly due to the insignificance of their years served when compared to others. Though a helpful resource for noting the importance of Carey’s friendships to his ministry, in his book The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey (Reformation Trust, 2018), Michael Haykin makes no mention of either Fountain or Brunsdon. In his recent work, The Spirituality of William Ward (H&E Academic, 2023), Matthew Reynolds makes several references to Fountain and Brunsdon, but most of the time it is only regarding their deaths and, consequently, how little they actually contributed to the missionary cause.
Though largely forgotten, both of these men were commissioned missionaries of the same society that sent and employed Carey, and each played a vital role, however short, in the mission’s earliest efforts and visible successes. While Carey, Marshman, and Ward, among a few others, have rightfully been celebrated for their work, the history and contributions of Fountain and Brunsdon remain largely forgotten. Both men worked closely with Carey and substantially aided the mission in India—Fountain from 1796 to 1800, and Brunsdon from 1799 to 1801. Utilizing primary sources such as journal entries, letters, and other correspondence, this paper will piece together their overlooked stories by exploring a few key areas: (1) a history of their lives, including accounts of their premature deaths; (2) their collaboration with Carey and others in the areas of evangelism, translation, and education; and (3) their roles as junior missionaries, supporting more senior partners to advance the Baptist Missionary Society’s broader goals, all of which has import for missionaries today, especially those who may only give a few years of their lives to this work.