Charles Walker Posnett (1870- 1950) was born in Sheffield to a prominent Methodist family. He was educated at Woodhouse Grove School and at Kingswood School both of which were schools for the sons of Methodist ministers. He then went on to Richmond College, Surrey to train for the ministry. He also undertook medical training at the London Hospital in order to fully prepare himself for a life of missionary service. In 1895 he was appointed to serve as a missionary in Hyderabad, Deccan, then an independent state under the Nizam of Hyderabad. After a couple of years he moved to Medak where he remained until the end of his missionary career in 1939. Probably, his most visible legacy is the large Church in Gothic style he had built at Medak to accommodate the many villagers in and around Medak, particularly those from the Mala and Madiga castes, who had converted to Christianity in mass movements. He also established a training institution for teachers and church leaders. During his time in Hyderabad the area was afflicted with two severe famines, one in the late 1890s and the other from 1919 to 1921. Associated with him in his work were a number of other Methodist missionaries among them his sister, Emilie Posnett and Charles Gordon Early (1889-1975) who was appointed to Medak in 1914. Early was placed in charge of the work at the new centre of Lakshettipet North of the River Godavari.
From the guide to the Posnett, Charles Walker and Early, Charles Gordon, ca. 1914-1944, (School of Oriental and African Studies)
