Ault, William, an English Wesleyan missionary, was converted in early life, entered the ministry in 1808, and on Dec. 30, 1813, sailed as one of six missionaries who were to introduce Methodism into Ceylon. On the passage Ault's wife died, and her remains were committed to the deep. Mr. Ault was sent to Batticaloa, a small island on the east coast of Ceylon. His sufferings and privations on his passage thither severely shook his constitution. He labored, however, for eight months, when he sank under disease (April 1, 1815). Possessing rare qualifications for the work he had undertaken, his success in raising a respect for and an observance of at least the external form of religion was truly remarkable. By the establishment of eight schools for the education of Hindu children, and by his overcoming the prejudices of their parents so as to succeed in introducing the New Test. as the only schoolbook of the more advanced scholars, he has laid the foundation for the propagation of our faith" (Ceylon (Gov't Gazette).. See Harvey, Cyclop. of Missions, 1854, p. 234 sq.; Minutes of British Conference, 1816.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More