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[This article is a brief summary of the much longer Wikipedia article and also includes much material kindly supplied by Colin Williams].

Summary:

James Edward Talmage (21st September 1862 – 27th July 1933) was born in Hungerford.

He was an English chemist, geologist, writer, humanitarian, scholar, teacher, academic, missionary, and religious leader who served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1911 until his death.

A professor at Brigham Young Academy (BYA) and University of Utah (U of U), Talmage also served as president of the U of U and Latter-day Saints' University. In addition to his academic career, Talmage authored several religious-themed books, the most prominent of which are Jesus the Christ and Articles of Faith. Despite first being published in 1915 and 1899, the books remain classics in Mormon literature. An academic and religious scholar, Talmage did not believe that science conflicted with his religious views. Regarding the conflicting Mormon views on evolution, Talmage attempted to be a mediator between church leaders B.H. Roberts and Joseph Fielding Smith who disagreed about evolution and the origin of man. In addition to his academic and religious involvement, Talmage was involved in local political leadership in Provo as a city council member, alderman, and justice of the peace.

Photo Gallery:

20220421 14.59.09
20220421 14.59.09

The memorial to James Talmage in Canal Walk, 21st April 2022.

James E Talmage
James E Talmage

James Talmage, c1875-90

-James Talmage, c.1875-90.

- The memorial to James Talmage in Canal Walk, 21st April 2022.

Early life and education:

James E. Talmage, the first son of Susannah Prater and James Joyce Talmage, was born in Hungerford on 21st September 1862. He was raised in Hungerford and Ramsbury.

He was born in the Bell Inn or alehouse, Hungerford (now 115 High Street, often mistakenly identified in articles about Talmage as the Bell Hotel), where his father was the manager. Talmage's parents converted to the LDS Church, probably in the 1850s before his birth.

Neighbours and local clergy did not like the Talmage family's membership in the LDS Church or their innkeeping business, which included serving alcoholic beverages during the temperance movement. Shortly after Talmage's birth, his family moved into a cottage in Eddington, where most of his ten younger siblings were born.

At the age of two, Talmage moved to Oxford Street, Ramsbury to stay with his grandfather (a cordwainer and grocer). There he attended infant schools and received some schooling from his grandfather.

He returned to Hungerford to live with his parents at age five. As Talmage was spending his time helping take care of his siblings and helping at the inn, he attended school sporadically for the next three years.

Nonetheless, at the age of twelve, he graduated from elementary school, passing the Oxford Diocesan Association exam for a second-class certificate. Talmage received a distinguished primary education and was named an Oxford Diocesan Prize Scholar after six years of schooling.

James E. Talmage's baptism:

In the spring of 1873, when James was aged ten, he became violently ill and was near death. His father for an unexplained reason attributed the illness to his own failure to have James baptised prior to that time. He solemnly promised the Lord in prayer that if James recovered he would promptly baptise the boy. Shortly thereafter James did recover and plans for the baptism were made. He was baptised a member of the LDS church on 15th June 1873 in the middle of the night to avoid the attentions of those who persecuted the Latter-day Saints. Years later he would document the strange events surrounding his baptism that night in the waters of the river Kennet (possibly in the millstream just upstream of Eddington bridge).

The move to America:

Three years later, the Talmages were preparing to emigrate and make the journey to the Salt Lake Valley but the death of James' grandfather James Talmage, delayed their departure. He later recorded in his journal: 'My father was making calculations to emigrate with his whole family to Utah, America at the time of my grandfather's demise. However, he was necessitated to remain in England until affairs were settled. He moved with his family from Hungerford to the family estate at Ramsbury where all remained until a sale was effected. We left Ramsbury and enrolled as Mormon emigrants and set out on our journey to America May 22nd 1876, and set sail on board the steamship Nevada of the Guion Line of steamers from Liverpool May 24th 1876.'

He moved with his family to Provo, Utah Territory, in 1876. In Provo, he studied at BYA.

Further education and academic career:

Talmage's early predilection was for the sciences, and in 1882 and 1883 he took selected courses in chemistry and geology at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

After graduating, he started advanced work at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland in 1883 but later returned to BYA where he became a professor of geology and chemistry.

Talmage married Merry May Booth (1868–1944), a native of Alpine, Utah, on 14 June 1888. They had eight children.

For many years, Talmage was a Fellow of the following learned societies: the Royal Microscopical Society (London), the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (Edinburgh), the Geological Society (London), the Geological Society of America, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was also an Associate of the Philosophical Society of Great Britain, or Victoria Institute.

He received a bachelor's degree from Lehigh University in 1891 and a PhD from Illinois Wesleyan University for nonresident work in 1896. In 1912, Talmage received an honorary PhD from Lehigh University.

He was the president of Latter-day Saints' University from 1889 to 1894 and then was president of the University of Deseret from 1894 to 1897. From 1897 to 1907, Talmage was a professor of geology at the U of U.

His career in mining:

In 1907, Talmage redirected his career from academic to the private sector, mining geology.

In 1891, Talmage had became curator of the Deseret Museum. In 1909, while Talmage was serving as the director of the Deseret Museum, he went to Detroit, Michigan, in November of that year to participate in diggings connected with the Scotford-Soper-Savage relics craze. Talmage would go on to denounce these findings as a forgery in the September 1911 edition of the Deseret Museum Bulletin in an article entitled, "The Michigan Relics: A Story of Forgery and Deception". In 1911, after becoming a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, his son Sterling Talmage replaced him as curator of Deseret Museum.

LDS Church involvement:

Talmage was the author of several religious books, including The Articles of Faith, The Great Apostasy, The House of the Lord, and Jesus the Christ

Church service:

He became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on 7th December 1911 and from 1924 to 1928 he served as president of the church's European Mission.

Views on science and religion:

Talmage was an attentive student and teacher of science, but he did not believe there was conflict between science and religion and did not worry about differences or discrepancies between the two fields of thought. He believed that with time and continued learning, these discrepancies would eventually be resolved.

His visits back to Hungerford and Ramsbury:

Following his family's emigration, James E. Talmage would return to Hungerford and Ramsbury in 1891, 1894, 1896, 1925, and 1927.27 James would publish thirteen books during his lifetime, become a pected respected scientist, President of the European Mission, and an erve with Apostle, and serve with Presidents Joseph F. Smith and Heber J. ent and Grant. He remains a prominent and respected name in Church history and he is memorialised on the banks of the Kennet and Avon Canal in Hungerford. His remarkable legacy includes the book Jesus the Christ. First published in 1915, it remains a milestone study of the life and mission of Jesus Christ. Speaking at his funeral in 1933, Melvin J Ballard said that "He produced many volumes that shall be read until the end of time, because that which he has written is so clear and so impressive."

22nd June 1891:

I went on by evening train to Hungerford, the place of my birth, and the scene of my earliest boyhood experiences. It was night when I arrived: I went at once to the Bell Inn; a tavern of old-time days- the house at which I was born. Then I called at the house of William Harris a next-door neighbour of ours in the days of long ago. We took supper together and spent the time till near midnight in talks over old times, in song and music.

23rd June 1891:

Immediately after breakfast, I started out to view my old town; and from the first I was struck with the unchanged aspect of things. Everything looks as it used to do: the same houses, I didn't find a new one: the same shops, the same shop keepers, all, everything the same. My heart throbs wildly as I retrace the old paths, and visit again the places of such personal interest to me, from which I have been away now fifteen years. I walked along by the canal, in which I used to fish; and, seeing there a boy a-fishing, I hired his tackle for a time, to enjoy again the old sport. I had good luck, and in half an hour landed five fine perch: these I left with the boy, together with 3d: In the evening I went to Ramsbury; travelling in the old style of Carrier's Van- the same van in which I rode 22 years ago: the same driver - good old Dick Chamberlain, as he is familiarly called: and he tells me, the same horse and harness.

24th June 1891:

Rose early; and immediately after breakfast started out on my rounds. I called on John Rosier, and his good wife- my Cousin Ada, who live at our old home, which father sold to Mr Rosier just before we moved away from Ramsbury. Then immediately after mid-day lunch I went to the Church, and interviewed the Vicar, Rev. Mr. Baber, in regard to getting access to the Parish Registers for abstracting genealogical items.

29th June 1891:

The mere fact of my being again in the haunts of my boyhood days kindles within me much of the old spirit. Among other desires, I have longed to go a-fishing, again, as I used to do, in the Canal that passes through the town. Today, Elder Prye and myself prepared for this species of recreation I fully realized the wish expressed above, I fished as I used to do, staying hour after hour at the water side, and catching nothing. We discovered one mistake late in the day;- we were at the wrong place; we had foolishly believed the Canal a good place for us to fish in; but we found the Fishmongers' shop a far more satisfactory place. Private journal of James E. Talmage, vol. IV104

11th July 1894:

Took afternoon train at Paddington station for Hungerford Berks: arrived at destination between 3 and 4 p.m. Here I find myself once again in the town of my birth.

12th July 1894:

Time seems to be stopped in his work of destruction and change hereabouts; or at least his effects are reduced to a minimum. The same old houses, old shops, old bridges, old fences; nothing new, nothing strange but the faces of those whom I meet, - and many of them are familiar. I hardly think a sign board has been changed or even renewed in its lettering, or a new coat of paint put on the outside of houses since I left. But though Time has dealt so gently with places and things, he has not spared the persons of old acquaintance.

Death:

Talmage died on 27th July 1933 in Salt Lake City at age 70 and was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery.

His memorial in Canal Walk, Hungerford:

In July 1987, just a month before the Hungerford Shooting Tragedy on 19th August, a memorial to James E. Talmage was installed on the old canal wharf in Canal Walk, next to a memorial bench.

The bench is made of solid teak and the memorial stone is a sarsen stone.

A ceremony was conducted by the Mormon elder Russell M. Nelson, who was in the UK to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Church of the Latter Day Saints in the British Isles. In attendance were James Talmage’s youngest son John R. Talmage (aged 82) and his grandson Roger who had flown from America for the ceremony.

See also:

- "Memorial for a famous Mormon", NWN 30th July 1987 - re the sarsen stone memorial on Canal Walk to James E Talmage.

- Church of Latter-Day Saints in Hungerford