British scholar reunites Suining with historic scroll

When Dr. Richard Kirkby boarded a flight from London to China on April 19, he wasn't just retracing old steps – he was bringing a piece of history home.

"This is my 39th time going to China," he said at the airport. "I'm returning an embroidery gifted to my grandfather more than a century ago."

Dr. Richard Kirkby ia former lecturer at Nanjing and Shandong Universities, recently traveled to Suining in Sichuan Province, with his wife, Professor Louise Tythacott, and their children to return a treasured family heirloom: the Suining Scroll.

The scroll dates back to 1916, a time when China was engulfed in turmoil. Following the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the country fragmented under the rule of competing warlords.

Sichuan Province, in particular, was plagued by unrest. Amid the chaos, Dr. Kirkby's grandfather, John P. Rodwell, together with fellow British Quaker missionaries Henry William Davidson and Leonard Wigham, worked through the British Friends' Mission to mediate conflicts and prevent violence in Suining.

Their peacekeeping efforts not only calmed the region but also led to the founding of the Friends' Mission Hospital – now known as Suining Central Hospital – where Davidson became its first president.

In gratitude, the Suining Chamber of Commerce crafted two silk banners featuring traditional Sichuan Shu embroidery. One was presented to Davidson, and the other to Rodwell and Wigham. The banner returned by Dr. Kirkby – now known as the Suining Scroll – has been carefully preserved by his family for over a century.

"This artifact belongs in Suining," Dr. Kirkby said at the donation ceremony on April 21. "The spirit of compassion and peace it represents deserves to be remembered by more people."

At the ceremony, Dr. Kirkby formally handed the scroll to Suining Central Hospital's current Party Secretary, Yang Hongwei, in the presence of Chairman Chen Yongjun and other hospital and cultural representatives. The scroll will now be permanently displayed in the hospital's exhibition hall, alongside other historical artifacts including early 20th-century medical records and equipment.

Hospital leaders described the return as a symbolic reunion between Suining and its international past. "The return of the Suining Scroll is like a bridge across time," said Yang. "It connects the peace-making spirit of three foreign friends with the century-long development of Friends' Mission Hospital."

Dr. Kirkby, who first arrived in China in 1973 and later taught in Nanjing during the final years of the Cultural Revolution, has authored three books on modern Chinese society. "Today's visit to the hospital allowed me and my family to witness the remarkable changes China has undergone over the past century," he said. "It's deeply moving to see how a seed planted by my grandfather and his friends has grown into a towering tree."