CAREY, Felix. Moulton, Northamptonshire 20.10.1786 (geni.com 1785) — Serampur 10.11.1822. British Missionary. Eldest son of —> William Carey (1761–1834) and Dorothy Plackett (d. 1807). Came to India with his parents in 1794. With his missionary zeal the father neglected him and he was rather brought up by —> W. Ward. Worked in Serampore Mission press, learned Bengali and Sanskrit. In 1808-14 he worked as missionary in Burma (Rangoon). He was more a linguist than a missionary and had difficulties to find his place in life. On way from Rangoon to Ava he lost his second wife and two children in a shipwreck. Now he came to Calcutta on a diplomatic mission for the king of Ava, but his credentials were defective and the negotiations did not proceed and late in 1815 he returned to Burma, but being afraid of the tyrannical king did not proceed to the court. Some three years he wandered in the frontier region of Burma and Assam. Late in 1818 Ward met him in Chittagong and persuaded him to return to Serampore, where he became his father’s assistant. Four times married, twice a widower (1804 Margaret Kincey d. 1808, 1811 N. Blackwell d. 1814), two further marriages (1815 L. Ruomboa, 1821 Amelia Pope). With M.K. two daughters and one son, with N.B. daughter and son, with A.P. daughter
Among his unfinished works were a Pāli grammar and a Burmese dictionary. He had some medical training and introduced smallpox vaccination in Burma. Also assisted his father in literary work in Bengali. Also knew Sanskrit. Early death impended many plans.
Publications: Published many translations in Bengali.
– Grammar of the Burman Language. 351 p. Serampore 1814.
Sources: Buckland, Dictionary; *S.K. Chatterji, F.C.: A Tiger Tamed. 1991; D.G.E. Hall, “F.C.”, Journal of Religion 12, 1932, 473-492; *S. Hunt, Prisoner of Hope. 2012 (a biography); *M. Laird, Oxford D.N.B. 2004; *M. Siddiq Khan, “F.C. A Prisoner of Hope”, Libri 16, 1966, 237-268; a few lines in D.N.B. 9, 1887, 65; shepsplace.net; geni.com; Wikipedia.
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