Francis McDougall
Francis Thomas McDougall was the first Bishop of Labuan and Sarawak from 1849 to 1868.Life
McDougall was born in Sydenham, son of William Adair McDougall, captain in the 88th regiment. He was educated at King's College London, where he trained as a surgeon, and Magdalen Hall, Oxford. While at Oxford, he rowed in the winning Oxford eight in the 1842 Boat Race.
On leaving Oxford, he found employment in superintending the Trimsaran iron-works in South Wales, in which Robert John Bunyon had an interest; Francis married his daughter, Harriette, in Llanelli in July 1843. This was around the time of the Rebecca Riots, and McDougall was a prospective target for planning to open a company 'truck' shop. The ironworks closed in 1844 and he left to be ordained in 1845, by Edward Stanley, Bishop of Norwich.
The McDougalls sailed for Borneo via the Cape and Singapore on 30 December 1847, arrived in Sarawak on 29 June 1848. He established a Medical mission there, and a 'Home School,' in which children were trained from infancy in the principles of Christianity. In 1853, he returned home in order to manage the transfer of the mission from the Borneo Mission Society, whose funds came to an end, to the Society for Propagating the Gospel. In 1854, he was back again in Sarawak and the work of the mission grew.
McDougall was appointed first Bishop of Labuan and Sarawak. He was consecrated a bishop at Calcutta on St Luke's Day 1855, by Daniel Wilson, Bishop of Calcutta.
Returning to England in 1868 he was appointed Vicar of Godmanchester. Later he was Archdeacon of Huntingdon, then Vicar of Milford on Sea; and finally Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight from 1874 until his death.
