William Ringeltaube was sent as a missionary to India by the London Missionary Society. He was unsure of where he should go and what he should do until he met an Indian who had recently become a Christian, and who invited him to Travancore. After learning to speak Tamil and Hindi, Ringeltaube travelled from village to village in Travancore, dressed in Indian clothes. He was rejected by the upper castes, but accepted by the lower castes, particularly when he used his own money to help alleviate the effects of famine.
In each village Ringeltaube appointed leaders, and the number of converts grew steadily. In 1810 he baptised 200, in 1811 400 and in 1812 nearly 600. However, in 1813 he wrote: “I how have about 600 Christians… About three or four of them may have a longing for their salvation. The rest have come from all kinds of motives…”
He became ill in 1815 and appointed an Indian convert as his successor. He subsequently disappeared, presumed killed, and after his death the number of Christians in Travancore began to increase rapidly. A school founded by Ringeltaube is still active today, under the name Scott Christian College.