James White Hinds Dudley was born November 2, 1844 in Chalgrave, Bedfordshire, England. He was the son of Susanna Dudley and James White Hinds. His father died before he was born (and before they could be married), and James  was raised for three years by Susanna alone until she married Richard Rowell in 1847, but they undoubtedly did what they could. While they where both illiterate, he was a student at Workingman's Collage, London, "and private tuition". According to the obituaries in American Baptist publications, he was "converted before he was twenty, and soon began preaching." The first record we have of this is one year after his marriage to Charlotte on September 19, 1870 at the Parish Church in Islington, Middlesex (now part of greater London). On their marriage certificate, James' occupation is listed as "warehouseman", an occupation which was not to last long. At that time, James was living at 11 Lower Park Street, and was 26 years  old. According to Baptist Convention Notes of 1900, James' first ministry was among the "poor and neglected classes of London",  but within one year they moved to Dorset, where James is listed as a missionary on their first son's birth record in 1871.

     James was, at that time, a Wesleyan Methodist--considered a "Protestant dissenter" group by the Church of England. He immigrated to the United States in 1872 (with his wife and son) and was baptized into the East Baptist Church of New York under the pastoral care of Reverend John Quincy  Adams. James was ordained a Baptist Minister there on September 18, 1872. He pastored the East New York Church on Long Island until 1874, when he entered the Rochester Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1876.

     James then went on to pastor the following American Baptist  churches: 1st Church, Chili Center, N.Y., 1875-76; Limestone, South Carolina 1876-77 (no records exist for this church) Portage (Hunts Hollow) New York 1877-78. He then went to the 1st Church, Kingsville, Ohio. He started there in 1878.

     In January 1881 James moved to the 1st Church in Niles, Michigan, and left November 1, 1884.

     Shortly before he left Niles he purchased a burial plot in the Evergreen Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. According to his diary, he disinterred his daughter Ella in it.  Within a short time James had his three other deceased children ("Georgie", "Johnnie", and Clinton) disinterred and moved to the plot in Evergreen.

     He then became pastor of Union Ave Church, Paterson, N.J. 1885-86. He was the interim Pastor at Brighton, Staten Island, 1887-88. However, he shortly thereafter began preaching full time again at South Amboy, New Jersey March 1, 1889 to July 15, 1894. He began his last pastorate at Union Hill, New Jersey in 1895, but in 1897 his health failed him, after building that church. He died March 11, 1900, at his residence (516 Fulton St, Union Hill according to the 1899  Baptist Ministerial Directory and death records, signed by Dr. B. Armstrong), leaving his wife and five children. According to sources, his death seems to have come quickly, after one or two "paralytic strokes." On his death certificate, the cause of death is "Cerebral Hemorrhage," in addition to having "Brights", which is a kidney disease. His funeral was March 14, at the Calvary Church, New York, conducted by Revs. R.S. MacArthur, F.R. Moorse, R.M. Luther, and E.S. Holloway.

     Most of his grandchildren described him as a "hellfire and brimstone" preacher, and yet one of his obituaries noted his "witty and effective presentations." He also had a talent for music, and even wrote a few hymns. James is also among the most educated of the Dudley's, having a Ph.D.. He is buried in the family plot he established, Lot 68, Orient Hills section of the Evergreen Cemetery, Brooklyn. He was 55 years old when he died.

     I have written a complete book about James. If anyone is interested, details may be found on the "Books" page here at the site.