Wellesley Bailey was born in Ireland in 1846. He founded The Leprosy Mission (London) in 1874. In 1886 he became general secretary of the Mission until 1905 when he became superintendent of The Leprosy Mission. The Mission established homes for leprosy patients and their children in India and its work extended all over the world. Auxiliaries and branches were established in Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand. He retired from the Mission in 1917 as the honorary superintendent, but retained his connection with the society as a member of the Council of the Mission. He died in 1937.
International Journal of Leprosy, Centennial Festskrift edition, Vol 41, No 2, 1973.
A Glimpse at the Indian Mission-Field and Leper Asylum, 1886-87. John Shaw, 1888.
The Lepers of Our Indian Empire: A Visit to Them in 1890-91. Edinburgh: Damien Press, 1899.