William Carey 1761-1834. William Carey, at the time a Northamptonshire shoemaker, was baptised here in the River Nene (since re-routed in order to build the railway station) on 5 October 1783, aged 22. He became a Baptist minister, and went on to become one of the world's best-known missionaries, in India. William was also known as a wordl-class botanist, linguist, translator, teacher, human rights activist and "friend of India". He founded a university at Serampore, India in 1818, working there until his death at the age of 72 on 9 June 1834. Placed here by BMS World Mission (formerly the Baptist Missionary Society) in partnership with the Baptist churches of Northamptonshire.
