John Shaw Burdon was an Anglican missionary in China. He stayed in China for more than 40 years and promoted the spread of the Gospel in south China.
Borten was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1826. When he was young, he was moved by the Holy Spirit. In 1849, he entered the Missionary College of the Anglican Church to further his studies in preparation for overseas missions. In 1853, after graduating from theological school, he was immediately sent to preach in China. He came to Shanghai to serve, and in the following year he was appointed vicar (priest) by Bishop George Smith of the Victorian Diocese. Bolten served in Shanghai for nine years, during which he visited the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. In 1857 he married Paulina Daya, sister of James Hudson Taylor's wife. But soon after, his new wife died of cholera.
In 1862 (or 1861), Bolten went to Beijing to serve. At that time the British Embassy had just been established in Beijing. In order to meet the spiritual needs of his compatriots, he set up a church in the British Embassy to provide a meeting place and a place of worship for British personnel in China. He served as the pastor of the Embassy for nearly ten years.
The failure of the two Opium Wars made the Qing Government realized the importance of learning from the West. Only in this way could it avoid being defeated by others and cultivate diplomatic talents who could better deal with Big Powers. Officials who actively took part in the Westernization Movement such as Prince Gong established the School of Combined Learning in Beijing. After living in China for many years, Burdon was proficient in both Chinese and English. Under the recommendation of the British Counsellor in China, William Wittmar, he was appointed as an English teacher and the first head teacher of the school.
According to the records, "The School of Combined Learning initially set up an English acadamy (equivalent to a department), and later added adacamies of French, Russian, German, Japanese, astronomy, mathematics, Ge Zhi (a general term for natural sciences such as sound, light, chemistry, electricity), chemistry and so on. The length of schooling is divided into two types( five years and eight years). The type of eight years is further divided into senior school, and junior school. Those who are excellent in junior school would be promoted to senior school. Students also studied astronomy, arithmetic, philosophy, chemistry, medicine, machine making, history and geography, and the law of nations.
As a general tutor, Bolten worked in the School of Combined Learning for many years and cultivated a group of outstanding and talented students who were excellent in general knowledge of Western science and culture. He occupies a central position in the history of modern Chinese education.
In 1874, He returned to England and was appointed bishop of South China at Lambergh. On December 13 of the same year, he became the third Bishop of Victoria at St. John's Cathedral in Hong Kong. He was also the headmaster of St Paul's College. Bolten pushed hard to spread the Gospel. In 1876, Bolten went on a mission to Fujian, where the Anglican Church was growing rapidly and the number of believers was the largest. In 1883, He established Zhenxue School in Fuzhou, and established Zhenxue Academy in the church in 1889 (Later, he established Fujian Union Theological College in cooperation with the Methodist Church), to train missionaries, which greatly promoted the missionary work in Fujian. He spread the seed of the Gospel all over South China. He sent missionaries to Jiangmen, Daliang, Heshan, Luoding, Enping, Xiangshan, Whampoa, Beihai, and other places in Guangdong and Guangxi to establish churches and bring people to the Lord. In addition, he traveled to Japan, leaving his missionary footprints in Tokyo, Nagasaki and Osaka.
In 1896, at the age of 70, he retired to England. In his later years, he travelled around Europe and engaged in writing, during which he returned to China many times. In 1907 he rested in the embrace of the God in Royston (or Shanghai), England, at the age of 81.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
京师同文馆洋教习包尔腾
包尔滕（John Shaw Burdon）为英国圣公会近代来华宣教士，他在华四十多年，促进了中国南方的福音传播。
1826年，包尔滕生于苏格兰格拉斯哥，年轻时在圣灵感动下，于1849年进入英国圣公会传教学院深造，为海外宣教做准备。1853年，刚从神学院毕业的包尔滕被教会派往中国宣教。他来到上海侍奉，次年，被维多利亚教区主教施美夫按立为会长（牧师）。包尔滕在上海侍奉9年，期间访问了太平天国。1857年与宝丽娜·戴雅姐妹结婚，她是戴德生妻子的姐姐，包尔滕和戴德生结为连襟。但不久，新婚妻子却死于霍乱。
1862年（一说1861年），包尔滕前往北京侍奉。当时，英国使馆刚在北京建立，包尔滕为了满足同胞的属灵需求，遂在英国使馆建立一座教堂，为英国驻华人员提供聚会、礼拜场所，包尔滕担任使馆牧师将近十年。
两次鸦片战争的失败，让清政府意识到学习西方的重要性，只有这样才能免于任人宰割的命运。并为了培养外交人才，以便更好地与列强打交道。恭亲王奕等洋务派官员在北京建立京师同文馆。包尔滕在华多年，精通英汉两种语言，在英国驻华参赞威妥玛推荐下，担任同文馆英文教师与首任总教习（初设只有英文馆，故英语老师既为校长）。
根据记载：“同文馆初设英文馆（相当于系），后增设法文、俄文、德文、日文、天文、算学、格致（时对声光化电等自然科学的统称）、化学等馆。学制分五年、八年两种。八年制又分前馆、后馆。后馆学有成效者升入前馆。学员兼学天文、算学、格物、化学、医学、机器制造、西洋史地和万国公法等科。”
作为总教习的包尔腾在同文馆工作多年，为中国培养一批通识西方科学文化的优秀人才，其在中国近代教育史上，占有了一定地位。
1874年，包尔滕回到英国，在兰柏被祝圣为华南教区主教，同年12月13日，在香港圣约翰主教座堂正式上任，成为维多利亚教区第三任主教。他同时担任圣保罗书院校长。包尔滕极力推动福音的传播。1876年，包尔滕前往福建巡视教务，当时福建圣公会发展很快，信徒是教区人数最多的。包尔滕遂将福州以及周边地区作为宣教的重点区域，于1883年在福州建立真学堂，1889年在教堂里建立真学书院（后与卫理公会合作成立福建协和神学院），培养传道人，极大促进了福建的宣教事业。他把福音的种子撒下华南各地，他派遣宣教士前往两广的江门、大良、鹤山，罗定，恩平，香山、黄埔、北海等地建立教会，领人归主。此外，包尔滕还前往日本访问，东京、长崎和大阪等地都留下他宣教的足迹。
1896年，70岁高龄的包尔滕退休回到英国。晚年他在欧洲各国旅行，并从事写作，期间多次回到中国。1907年包尔滕在英国罗伊斯顿（也有说是上海）安息主怀，享年81岁。
John Shaw Burdon was an Anglican missionary in China. He stayed in China for more than 40 years and promoted the spread of the Gospel in south China.
Borten was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1826. When he was young, he was moved by the Holy Spirit. In 1849, he entered the Missionary College of the Anglican Church to further his studies in preparation for overseas missions. In 1853, after graduating from theological school, he was immediately sent to preach in China. He came to Shanghai to serve, and in the following year he was appointed vicar (priest) by Bishop George Smith of the Victorian Diocese. Bolten served in Shanghai for nine years, during which he visited the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. In 1857 he married Paulina Daya, sister of James Hudson Taylor's wife. But soon after, his new wife died of cholera.
In 1862 (or 1861), Bolten went to Beijing to serve. At that time the British Embassy had just been established in Beijing. In order to meet the spiritual needs of his compatriots, he set up a church in the British Embassy to provide a meeting place and a place of worship for British personnel in China. He served as the pastor of the Embassy for nearly ten years.
The failure of the two Opium Wars made the Qing Government realized the importance of learning from the West. Only in this way could it avoid being defeated by others and cultivate diplomatic talents who could better deal with Big Powers. Officials who actively took part in the Westernization Movement such as Prince Gong established the School of Combined Learning in Beijing. After living in China for many years, Burdon was proficient in both Chinese and English. Under the recommendation of the British Counsellor in China, William Wittmar, he was appointed as an English teacher and the first head teacher of the school.
According to the records, "The School of Combined Learning initially set up an English acadamy (equivalent to a department), and later added adacamies of French, Russian, German, Japanese, astronomy, mathematics, Ge Zhi (a general term for natural sciences such as sound, light, chemistry, electricity), chemistry and so on. The length of schooling is divided into two types( five years and eight years). The type of eight years is further divided into senior school, and junior school. Those who are excellent in junior school would be promoted to senior school. Students also studied astronomy, arithmetic, philosophy, chemistry, medicine, machine making, history and geography, and the law of nations.
As a general tutor, Bolten worked in the School of Combined Learning for many years and cultivated a group of outstanding and talented students who were excellent in general knowledge of Western science and culture. He occupies a central position in the history of modern Chinese education.
In 1874, He returned to England and was appointed bishop of South China at Lambergh. On December 13 of the same year, he became the third Bishop of Victoria at St. John's Cathedral in Hong Kong. He was also the headmaster of St Paul's College. Bolten pushed hard to spread the Gospel. In 1876, Bolten went on a mission to Fujian, where the Anglican Church was growing rapidly and the number of believers was the largest. In 1883, He established Zhenxue School in Fuzhou, and established Zhenxue Academy in the church in 1889 (Later, he established Fujian Union Theological College in cooperation with the Methodist Church), to train missionaries, which greatly promoted the missionary work in Fujian. He spread the seed of the Gospel all over South China. He sent missionaries to Jiangmen, Daliang, Heshan, Luoding, Enping, Xiangshan, Whampoa, Beihai, and other places in Guangdong and Guangxi to establish churches and bring people to the Lord. In addition, he traveled to Japan, leaving his missionary footprints in Tokyo, Nagasaki and Osaka.
In 1896, at the age of 70, he retired to England. In his later years, he travelled around Europe and engaged in writing, during which he returned to China many times. In 1907 he rested in the embrace of the God in Royston (or Shanghai), England, at the age of 81.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Thomas Bolten: Foreign Teacher of the School of Combined Learning
