He was a student of the University of Glasgow. His primary motive behind relocating to Chinsurah was the high costs of housing in Calcutta, according to Penelope Carson and not any opposition from the Company officials. Carson also cites Forsyth's letters (from 1800-1803) where he lauds the society as 'religious' and everyone as co-operative, to bear testimony to this fact. He in fact was asked by the contemporary British governor, on request of Rev. David Brown, to preach in the hospital at Calcutta. One of his letters, dated 5th August, 1800, says how he was able to make a considerable proficiency in the native language. He is said never to have accepted nay remuneration from the LMS. He was made the Minister of Church at Chinsurah by the British govt. but refused any remuneration for his services. However he eventually agreed to a monthly sum of Rs. 50.Forsyth was also in a way the first advocate of the British academic tradition in India. He found his first European support in Robert May, who arrived in 1812. His records have also rather interestingly disappeared. However, a different account is given in Neill, Stephen. A History of Christianity in India: 1707-1858. Cambridge University Press, 2002, p. 205.
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