# Justus Doolittle

Justus Doolittle (simplified Chinese: 卢公明; traditional Chinese: 盧公明; Pinyin: Lú Gōngmíng; Foochow Romanized: Lù Gŭng-mìng; June 23, 1824, Rutland, New York – June 15, 1880, Clinton, New York) was an American Board missionary to China.

## Life

Justus Doolittle was born in Rutland, New York on June 23, 1824. In 1846 he graduated from Hamilton College, and in 1849 from Auburn Theological Seminary. Having deliberately chosen China as his field of labor, he sailed for Fuzhou with his wife soon after graduation, and arrived there on May 31. In February, 1864, he left China for a visit to the United States on account of his health. In 1872 he entered the service of the Presbyterian Board at Shanghai, but was soon compelled to return home disabled. On June 15, 1880, he died in Clinton, New York.
Doolittle was most famous for his Social Life of the Chinese, a thorough and valuable work on the details of Chinese life. He also had a significant collection of Chinese coins, which was sold in June 1881.
In 1870-71 he accompanied the photographer John Thomson. Thomson's photographs of this journey were published as Foochow and the River Min (1873), a total of 46 copies.
Doolittle kept a journal, "Diary; covering his life as a foreign missionary in Foochow, China, until the year 1873", now in the Hamilton College Archives and available in Hamilton College's Digital Collections.

## Publications

Doolittle published prolifically in a wide range of journals, including Chinese Recorder and Missionary Journal, of which he was briefly an editor.

### Fuzhou dialect

| Book title | Foochow Romanized | English title | Year |
| 勸戒鴉片論 | Kuóng Gái Ă-piéng Lâung | Exhortation to Abandom Opium | 1853 |
| 鄉訓 | Hiŏng Hóng | Village Sermons | 1853 |
| 神十誡其註釋 | Sìng Sĕk-gái gì Cuó-sék | Commentary on the Ten Commandments | 1853 |
| 悔罪信耶穌論 | Huói Cô̤i Séng Ià-sŭ Lâung | Repentance and Faith | 1854 |
| 天文問答 | Tiĕng-ùng Ông-dák | Catechism of Astronomy | 1854 |
| 約翰福音 | Iók-hâng Hók-ĭng | John's Gospel | 1854 |
| 媽祖婆論 | Mā-cū-bò̤ Lâung | Discourse on Ma-tsoo-po | 1855 |
| 守禮拜日論 | Siū Lā̤-bái-nĭk Lâung | Discourse on Keeping the Sabbath | 1855 |
| 天律明説 | Tiĕng Lŭk Mìng Suók | Exposition of the Decalogue | 1855 |
| 寒食清明論 | Hàng-sĭk Chĭng-mìng Lâung | Discourse on the Feast of the Tombs | 1855 |
| 鐘錶匠論 | Cṳ̆ng-biēu-chióng Lâung | Story of a Watchmaker | 1855 |
| 賭博明論 | Dū-báuk Mìng Lâung | Discourse on Gambling | 1856 |
| 中外問答 | Dṳ̆ng Nguôi Ông-dák | Dialogue between a Native and a Foreigner | 1856 |
| 耶穌教小引 | Ià-sŭ-gáu Siēu-īng | Introduction to Christianity | 1856 |
| 生意人事廣益法 | Sĕng-é Ìng-sê̤ṳ Guōng-iáh Huák | Laws of Trade | 1857 |
| 西洋中華通書 | Să̤-iòng Dṳ̆ng-huà Tŭng-cṳ̆ | European Chinese Almanac | 1857 |
| 辯鬼神論 | Biêng Gūi-sìng Lâung | Disquisition on Heathen Gods | 1858 |
| 辯性論 | Biêng Séng Lâung | Disquisition on Human Nature | 1858 |
| 辯譭謗 | Biêng Hūi-báung | Disquisition on Slander | 1858 |
| 華人貧窶之故 | Huà-ìng Bìng-lé̤ṳ cĭ Gó | Causes of Poverty among the Chinese | 1858 |
| 祈禱式文 | Gì-dō̤ Sék-ùng | Forms of Prayer | 1858 |
| 棄主臨死畏刑 信主臨死慰樂 | Ké Cuō Lìng Sṳ̄ Ói Hìng Séng Cuō Lìng Sṳ̄ Ói Lŏk | Fear of the Wicked on the Approach of Death Joy of the Believer on the Approach of Death | 1858 |
| 辯孝論 | Biêng Háu Lâung | Disquisition on Filial Piety | 1858 |
| 異端辯論 | Discussion of False Doctrines | 1858 |

### English

| Book title | Year | Information |
| Social Life of the Chinese (2 vols.) | 1865 | This consists chiefly of the republication of a long series of articles by Doolittle, containing a vast amount of original information, on subjects connected with China, most of which were published in the China Mail, under the title "Jottings on the Chinese." |
| A Vocabulary and Hand-book of the Chinese Language | 1872 | Romanized in Mandarin Chinese |

## Works

* Doolittle, Justus (1872). Vocabulary and hand-book of the Chinese language: Romanized in the Mandarin dialect, Volume 1. Foochow: Rozario, Marcal and company. Archived from the original on May 15, 2014. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
* Doolittle, Justus (1872). Vocabulary and hand-book of the Chinese language . . . romanized in the Mandarin dialect, Volume 2. Foochow: Rozario, Marcal and company. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
* Doolittle, Justus (1872). *Ying Hua Cui Lin Yun Fu: 1: Part 1. Rozario, Marcal & Company.
* Doolittle, Justus (1872). *Ying Hua Cui Lin Yun Fu: 2: Parts 2. and 3. 1. Foochow: Rozario, Marcal & Company. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
* Doolittle, Justus (1866). Social life of the Chinese: with some account of their religious, governmental, educational, and business customs and opinions. With special but not exclusive reference to Fuchchau. New York: Harper. Retrieved March 21, 2012.