William Carey left school at the age of twelve, yet was responsible for overseeing the translation of all or parts of the Bible into forty languages, and the preparation of six grammars and three dictionaries. He attended no university, yet became Principal of the finest college in India in his daya college still renowned for its excellence nearly two hundred years later. He was sent to India by no government agency, yet became the official translator for the British Raj and head of the Department of Languages in the government training centre. His was a life of determined vision, personal tragedy and outstanding achievement; he became the father of modern missions and his work is still enjoyed by millions across Indiathis was the legacy of the Northamptonshire cobbler.