Ann Bothamley

Ann will be greatly missed by the BMS family. With grateful thanks for a life lived in service of the Lord.

I remember interviewing Ann in the little studio at Baptist House about her life and work. It was such a privilege to meet her and hear about her long life of dedicated service to Christ, which was still continuing into her 80s. Rest in peace and rise in glory, Ann.

Ann was 16 when Mary and I met her whilst we were on holiday at Springfield Court on the Isle of Wight. This was in 1954. Already Ann was sure that God was calling her to overseas mission, later endorsed by her home church, Elm Road Beckenham. She trained at St. Thomas's Hospital London. At the end of her training she applied to the B.M.S. and was overjoyed to be accepted to work at the Christian Medical School in Vellore. At that time missionaries came home every five years on "furlough" for rest and visiting churches to describe their work and seek financial support for B.M.S. Ann had adopted the culture and costume and began to learn Tamil and working in the haematology department . Usually on these occasions Ann visited us and became Aunty Ann to our two daughters. This title followed her for many years (together with Marlene Thomson aka Aunty Tommy) in the Balanilayam Hostel. Ongoing contact with us was by regular Airmail letters. This became more accessible by phone with the advent of WhatsApp! When the time for retirement came Ann asked for an extension because there was so much more her to do, This included a girls' bible class and fostering links with relatives of patients' For her years of medical service she was awarded M.B.E. Never idle she wrote and published three books for children .Bridge House was another project she dearly wanted to see completed. Ann came home every year for 90 days staying with friends and visiting as many others as she could. In 2024 Mary and I were aware of a change in her memory and decision making. We miss her smile and determination and value the 70 years friendship we enjoyed.

In 1999 I went to Balanilyam to volunteer at the hostel in Vellore with Ann and her very good friend 'Tommy' (Marlene Thompson). I feel so privileged to have been able to go and work with Ann. I learnt so much from Ann about India, its culture, its people, its food, its education system and CMC and the hospital in Vellore, and also about faith and her love of the Lord. We had a lot of fun, as well as challenges. I remember having only half a bucket of water each per day for all our needs. I was there for Ann's investiture by the Indian High Commissioner for her MBE. Her faith was evident in all her dealings with children or adults. It was good to go back to Vellore especially for the 25th anniversary of the hostel. Ann usually came to stay with me for a few days each year in May when she came home to escape the heat, she was always cold here! I will miss her this year and all the news about the 'children' and her 'grandchildren' and the memories of the hostel.

Andy and I first met Ann at Madras airport in Nov 1984 having arrived to be BMS volunteers at CMC. Her wonderful smiling face was the welcome we needed, and then she drove with us back to the CMC compound where she made sure we were settled into Big Bungalow Annex. She would pop around often in the first few days making sure we had all we needed. We were always welcome to her and Tommy’s home and we got to know a number of the children they were caring for. Whenever Ann received a food parcel from her home church, she would share some items with us to remind us of home. I remember the joy of a Jelly or a packet of Angel delight.But the best thing about meeting Ann was having our Christian faith challenged by her. I was struck by her rising at 4.30 each morning to make sure she had time with Jesus before she would get up the children and prepare for the day ahead. Watching the hours she put into the Bible studies for the Sunday school classes and going with her up into the Nilgiri Hills for a weekend with these girls, showed me I needed to change my priorities, and get serious about living out my faith. Also her level of quiet dedication to her work on M ward, and the love she had for these patients was wonderful.I remember conversations with Ann about whether God was calling us to work over seas, but at that time we didn’t. But Ann was so delighted when we did a few years later respond to God calling us to be Mission Partners, although she was sad went we went with Wycliffe Bible Translators and not BMS.Her influence continued as we also called our first daughter after her.Each time she came back on furlough we would meet up in the UK, or if that failed have long phone conversations. She always wanted to know all the details of our growing family’s needs and we know she regularly prayed for us.We will forever be grateful to Ann for her commitment to our Lord, and her example that was the way God used to change our lives. THANK YOU ANN

In July 1974 when I was twelve, Ann came to the Eythorne group of churches in East Kent, ‘on deputation’ as it was called at that time, to tell us about her work in Vellore and to highlight the wider work of BMS. My dad who is now 90 and at the time was joint BMS secretary with my late mum would have organised the five day visit. It lasted five days (Sunday - Thursday) because Eythorne as the mother church oversaw five or six smaller village chapels in the area and Ann would have visited the larger ones over the course of the five days. I remember Ann’s visit being a great blessing to the church and making a deep impression on me, prompting me to pray for Ann and her work and through BMS I have keep updated with her service over the years. My dad recently showed me a list that he had kept of all the BMS missionaries who came to the Eythorne group of churches from 1962 - 1992 during the years that he and my mum were BMS secretaries. Ann only came once but there were others who visited several times. I am now in my sixties but remember well this amazing lady. Ann, may you rest in peace.

I have known the Bothamley family all my life. My grandma lived opposite the Bothamley's and was always concerned about the length of time Ann spent studying in the evenings. What commitment. I would stay with my grandma during school holidays.Ann's mother was involved with GLB so Ann went along and my mum was involved. Ann was about 4 years older than me and was a bridesmaid for my parents. Ann had a strong calling to be a medical missionary, she did apply but was turned down. So she did all her medical training and other training and subsequently joined BMS. Over the years we have kept in touch and on one occasion when she was home she stayed with my parents and preached at Cannon St Baptist church Accrington. My mother had the opportunity to visit her whilst in India with my father to visit her in Vellore. What a dedicated lady, a privilege to have known her.