Introduction

Biography

William was the son of Eb­en­ez­er Wit­ter and Eli­za Ells­worth. He mar­ried twice: to Ma­ry Ame­lia Pot­ter and Ma­ry Barss Phil­lips.

He at­tend­ed the New York State Nor­mal School at Ge­ne­see, the Uni­ver­si­ty of Ro­ches­ter (AB, AM 1883), the Ro­ches­ter Bap­tist Theo­lo­gic­al Se­mi­na­ry (1880), the Chi­ca­go Ho­meo­pa­thic Me­di­cal Col­lege (1890) and the Cen­tral Col­lege (DD 1903).

He en­tered the Bap­tist min­is­try in 1884.

He worked in the mis­sion field in In­dia, run­ning mis­sion sta­tions at Sib­sa­gor, As­sam (now Si­va­sa­gar) (1883–85) and Wok­ha, Na­ga Hills, As­sam (1885–88).

He lat­er served as act­ing pas­tor of the Cen­ten­ni­al Bap­tist Church, Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois (1881–91); dis­trict sec­re­ta­ry of the Am­eri­can Bap­tist Mis­sion­ary Un­ion, Mid­dle West­ern District (1891–96), and the New Eng­land Dis­trict (1896).

He al­so taught mis­sions at the Gor­don School of the New­ton Theo­lo­gic­al In­sti­tute, New­ton Centre, Mas­sa­chu­setts (1903). A 1915 list of Uni­ver­si­ty of Ro­ches­ter alum­ni gave his ad­dress as Jor­hat, As­sam, In­dia.

Works

• Outline Gram­mar of the Lho­ta Na­ga Lang­uage (Cal­cut­ta, In­dia: 1888)
• History and Pro­gress of Mo­dern Me­di­cal Mis­sions, cir­ca 1895
• The Phy­si­cian in Mis­sions, 1897
• My Re­fuge, 1902
• A Cor­ner in In­dia, 1907