From Ancestry;
- text from a handwritten version of "The William Gault Family History" by Pressley Brown Gault, 1893. (transcribed as is.)
Benjamin F., third son of William and Nancy Pinkerton, was pious from his infancy, a lover of letters, made everything bend to his securing an education - which he accomplished by dint of personal exertion, and individual push. He studied Theology, came out a full-fledged preacher, married a wife, Miss Dealie Eiker by name, a most estimable young lady, and a year after they offered themselves as missionaries to Egypt. They were accepted by the Board, went to Egypt, learned the language of the country, and for several years labored for the uplifting and Christianizing of that degraded people, then resigned and came home. Soon after their return, Mr. Pinkerton accepted a call from a congregation at New Burlin, Ill., where he preached for a time. Here his wife died leaving him almost crazy and sorrow-stricken, with a helpless family of four children to be cared for. His friends here rallied to his assistance, and gave his children good homes, where they have lived ever since. They are now all grown, and William Hope, the youngest son was lately married.
Mr. Pinkerton, for many months after his wife died, for some reason hardly at his best, and much anxiety was felt by his friends lest he should lapse into imbecility, or something worse; but after a time he rallied, and decided to return to Mission work in Egypt, or rather Syria, which he did, and after a few years he married a native - a well educated and refined Christian woman. She accompanied him to this country on a visit some three or four years after they were married; they had one son. After some weeks spent here visiting friends, they returned to Syria where he died, leaving his wife and son there.
(There are other such letters in TN&O)
Extracts From the East
From:Things New and Old – Things New and Old: Volume 33
Beirut, Syria, December, 2nd, 1889.
I am still improving slowly, I am now up all day, and can go out for an hour or two; but that does not signify a very great amount of strength. I wrote you a fortnight ago that my journey northwards is impossible at present; but I am sure that all my exercises about it have been of the Lord. If nothing occur to prevent, the young brother I have spoken about, will set off on his journey next week. He was here last week, and went up to the mountains to bid his mother good-bye, so may be down today.
I have had late word from there and from Mousul also. And it is good and cheering from both places. My correspondent in Mousul is a nice steadfast man, who has corresponded with me for five years, and has got all his light and comfort through reading. I will give you some extracts from his last letter, because I am sure they will comfort you. He writes the 2nd of last month. He says, "After presenting my desires towards you, and my christian love, beloved brother, I thank God, the Father of mercies who has made us meet, along with all saints for fellowship in the glorious inheritance reserved for us. Lately, while reading Philip-plans I derived an unusual spiritual benefit. Especially while I was reading iii. 20, 21, the Holy Spirit enabled me to grasp the glorious form in which. the children of God shall be: even the form of our, glorious Head, the Lord Jesus, who is soon to return for us; when we shall be with Him and like Him, therefore we have no citizenship here; for our citizenship is in heaven, from whence we expect a perfect Savior, &c. Again while studying chapter iv. 1-4 I got something as it were new to me, as to the only foundation of the believer's joy, and it is Jesus Christ in glory; while all our names are written in the book of life, from which nothing can ever blot them out, for they have been written there by virtue of Christ's blood, and by the love of God our Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. O, beloved brother, are we not deficient in joy in the Lord, and should we not confess this deficiency to Him?" I also informed you that a little while ago there was with me a young man, a christian brother of the Chaldean Church, who knows the Arabic language, and I gave him the diagram tract on the ' Coming of the Lord, and rapture of the Church,' &c.; and he became greatly awakened as to the coming of the Lord in glory and His millennial kingdom. He began to ask his priests about this important subject; but they could give him no answer, except, that this was an heretical opinion. But he pressed them with the plain testimonies of holy scripture, and they failed to convince him to the contrary; and he declared that he would live and die in the hope of the return of Jesus Christ to take us to glory.''
I give you these simple extracts, dear brother, for I am sure they will refresh you. Mousul, you know, is near the site of ancient Nineveh. You can see how the Lord Himself is working to give His truth to souls. My heart is quite in the work in that vast region, where there are thousands of Christians, many of whom, I doubt not, are dear to Christ, the great Shepherd, risen and glorified, but leading on His own after Him in the path of resurrection.
I have good word from Upper Egypt also. It seems that I am to be kept here for the present at routine work. I never leave Beirut to find work, but am often glad to get away for a change of work. The burdens here are heavy and continuous; it is this that weighs me down physically here. S. was with us a few days last week. He has now gone back to Palestine, and will soon be on his way to Egypt. He is uneasy about my health, and thinks I ought to take some change. But I am in the Lord's hands who has put me here; and what with my regular printing work, and sending off books, and keeping up links by constant correspondence in Arabic with many different places, I see no way for a change to the West; and I have not been exercised about it. I am happier in my soul in the East than I ever was in the West, because here I feel that I am in my place. I am sure we have a good Master, who knows all our wants and trials, and will not overburden us. Weak we must be, and contented to be so, for He needs our weakness not our strength, He joins not His strength to ours, but perfects it in our weakness. Blessed be His name.
(Signed), B. F. Pinkerton,
Pinkerton was still living in March 1890 but on September 17th 1890 his death and his widow are mentioned (Source: German translations of letters from Syria and Egypt: "Mitteilungen aus dem Werke des Herrn in unseren Tagen".)
So Pinkerton went to be with the Lord in Spring or Summer 1890. He wrote against Ravenism and prevented that this evil doctrine spread among many Brethren in Near East.
Martin
