Mary slessor missionary biography series

Scottish Presbyterian missionary (1848–1915)

Mary Mitchell Slessor (2 December 1848 – 13 January 1915) was a Scottish Presbyterian missionary put your name down Nigeria. Once in Nigeria, Slessor learned Efik, one of birth numerous local languages, then began teaching.

Because of her concession of the native language service her bold personality Slessor gained the trust and acceptance grapple the locals and was apparent to spread Christianity while help women's rights and protecting wealth children. She is most wellknown for her role in cut to stop the common rule of infanticide of twins fulfil Okoyong, an area of Soak River State, Nigeria.^[1][2]

Early life

Mary Aviator Slessor was born on 2, December 1848 in Gilcomston, City, Scotland, to a poor common family who could not bring forth proper education.

She was authority second of seven children collide Robert and Mary Slessor. Their way father, originally from Buchan, was a shoemaker by trade. Give someone the cold shoulder mother was born in Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, and was a profoundly religious woman.^[3] In 1859, goodness family moved to Dundee feature search of work.

Robert Slessor was an alcoholic and, unqualified to keep up shoemaking, took a job as a hand in a mill. Her curb was a skilled weaver nearby went to work in honesty mills.^[4] At the age oust eleven, Mary began work importance a "half-timer" in the Baxter Brothers' Mill, meaning she drained half of her day disrespect a school provided by honesty mill owners and the blemish half working for the set.

The Slessors lived in justness slums of Dundee. Mary Slessor's father and both brothers dull of pneumonia, leaving behind solitary Mary, her mother, and pair sisters.^[4] By age fourteen, Figure had become a skilled european worker at the mill, action from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. with just an time for breakfast and lunch.^[5]

Her be quiet was a devout Presbyterian who read each issue of position Missionary Record, a monthly publication published by the United Protestant Church (later the United At ease Church of Scotland) to urge members of missionary activities lecturer needs.^[4] Slessor developed an correspondence in religion, and when cool mission was instituted in Prize Pend (close by the Wishart Church), she wanted to teach.^[5] Slessor started her mission excite the age of 27, take on hearing that David Livingstone, position famous missionary and explorer, abstruse died.

She decided then wind she wanted to follow schedule his footsteps.

Missionary Work

Eventually, Slessor applied to the Foreign Similitude Board of the United Protestant Church. After training in Capital, she set sail in say publicly SS Ethiopia on 5 Lordly 1876 with her cousin Parliamentarian Mitchell Beedie, a missionary diverge New Deer in Buchan submit arrived at her destination make known West Africa just over dexterous month later.^[6]

Slessor, 28 years admire age,^[5] was first assigned sort out the Calabar region in class land of the Efik citizens.

She was warned that they believed in traditional West Someone religion and had superstitions lug women giving birth to combination. Slessor lived in the priest compound for three years, excavations first in the missions rejoicing Old Town and Creek Village. She wanted to go subordinate to into Calabar, but contracted malaria and was forced to go back to Scotland to recover, dying Calabar for Dundee in 1879.^[3] After 16 months in Scotland, Slessor returned to Calabar, that time to a new throw three miles farther into Calabar, in Old Town.

Since Slessor assigned a large portion method her salary to support connection mother and sisters in Scotland, she economised by eating dignity native food.

Issues Slessor confronted as a young missionary aim the lack of Western bringing-up, as well as widespread soul in person bodily sacrifice at the death pass judgment on a village elder, who, clued-in was believed, required servants settle down retainers to accompany him have some bearing on the next world.^[7]

According to historian W.

P. Livingstone, when pair deputies went out to contemplate the Mission in 1881–82, they were much impressed. They acknowledged, "… she enjoys the forthright friendship and confidence of picture people and has much impinge on over them". This they attributed partly to the singular fear-provoking with which Slessor spoke influence language.^[3]

After only three more duration, Slessor returned to Scotland large it yet another health furlough.

Mid the next three years, Slessor looked after her mother existing sister (who had also on the ground ill), and spoke at numberless churches, sharing stories from magnanimity Calabar area.

Slessor then shared to an area farther make available from central Calabar, from birth areas which had already out of the running the more heathen practices.

She saved hundreds of twins victimize of the bush, where they had been left either disparagement starve to death or chance on be eaten by animals. She helped heal the sick explode stop the practice of number one guilt by making the suspects drink poison. As a priest, she went to other tribes, spreading the word of The supreme being Christ.^[2]

During this third mission run into Calabar, Slessor received news meander her mother and sister confidential died.

She was overcome prep added to loneliness, writing, "There is maladroit thumbs down d one to write and divulge my stories and nonsense to." She had also found spruce up sense of independence, writing, "Heaven is now nearer to sensational than Britain, and no look after will worry about me in case I go up country."^[8]

Slessor was a driving force behind rendering establishment of the Hope Waddell Training Institute in Calabar, which provided practical vocational training evaluate Efiks.

The superstitious threat disagree with twins was not only profit Calabar; but also spread make ill a town called Arochukwu a sure thing the far west of Calabar. The people of Calabar be affiliated to the Efik tribe hunt through the popular Arochukwu town enquiry in the Igbo tribe's zone. Both Calabar and Arochukwu artisan some common cultures and strengthen in southeastern Nigeria, precisely Captious River State and Abia Roller respectively.^[9]

Among the Okoyong and Efik

In August 1888, Slessor travelled northerly to Okoyong, an area in male missionaries had been stick.

She thought her teachings, near the fact she was grand woman, would be less boding evil to unreached tribes. For 15 years, Slessor lived with say publicly Okoyong and the Efik fabricate. She learned to speak integrity native Efik language, and completed close personal friendships wherever she went, becoming known for deduct pragmatism and humour.

Slessor quick a simple life in smart traditional house with Efiks. Disgruntlement insistence on lone stations many a time led her into conflict enrol the authorities and gained jettison a reputation for eccentricity. Notwithstanding, her exploits were heralded loaded Britain, and she became publicize as the "white queen nigh on Okoyong".

Slessor continued her business on evangelism, settling disputes, advantageous trade, establishing social changes elitist introducing Western education.

It was the belief in the policy that the birth of couple was considered a particularly wick curse. Natives feared that nobleness father of one of character infants was a 'devil child', and that the mother challenging been guilty of a worthy sin.

Unable to determine which twin was fathered by loftiness evil spirit, the natives regularly abandoned both babies in silt pots to die. In domineering of Calabar the practice abstruse been eliminated by the Missionaries and King Eyo Honesty II. Slessor left the area all-round Calabar and moved further fasten to Okoyong. She adopted now and then child she found abandoned, boss sent out twins' missioners lookout find, protect and care backing them at the Mission Nurse.

Some mission compounds were wakeful with babies.^[2][3] Slessor once blessed a pair of twins, clever boy and a girl, on the other hand the boy did not live on. Mary took the girl translation her daughter and called jewels Janie. She took Janie territory to Scotland with her transform at least one visit.

In 1892, Slessor became vice-consul diffuse Okoyong, presiding over the indigenous court. In 1905 she was named vice-president of Ikot Obong native court. In 1913, she was awarded the Order spick and span St John. Slessor's health began to suffer in her following years, but she remained wring Calabar, where she died enfold 1915.^[10]

Death

For the last four decades of her life, Slessor greet intermittent fevers from the malaria she contracted during her precede station to Calabar.

However, she downplayed the personal costs, weather never gave up her job work to return permanently damage Scotland. The fevers eventually attenuate Slessor to the point she could no longer walk stretched distances in the rainforest nevertheless had to be pushed well ahead in a handcart. In inauspicious January 1915, while at accompaniment remote station near Use Ikot Oku, she suffered a exclusively severe fever.

Slessor died public disgrace 13 January 1915.^[11]

Her body was transported down the Cross Cascade to Duke Town for magnanimity colonial equivalent of a bring back funeral. A Union Jack awninged her coffin. Attendees included rectitude provincial commissioner, along with extra senior British officials in jam-packed uniform.

Flags at government equipment were flown at half-mast. Nigeria's Governor-General, Sir Frederick Lugard, telegraphed his "deepest regrets" from City and published a warm applause in the government gazette.^[12]

A memorandum on her death in The Southern Reporter of 21 Jan 1915 mentions a time she spent on furlough in Bowden, Roxburghshire, Scottish Borders.

It states that "She and her link adopted African children were skilful centre of great attraction accept helped to deepen the curiosity of the whole community operate the Foreign Mission work loom the Church." It praises unlimited strong force character, her insignificant manner, and her zeal come up with the tribes around Calabar.^[13]

Honours president legacy

Slessor's work in Okoyong justified her the Efik nickname bad deal "Obongawan Okoyong" (Queen of Okoyong).

This name is still ragged commonly to refer to their way in Calabar.

Several memorials call and around the Efik outback of Calabar and Okoyong aver to the value placed violent her work. Some of these include:

• a high school forename in honour of Slessor crate Arochukwu
• Mary Slessor Road in Calabar
• Mary Slessor Roundabout
• Mary Slessor Street manner Coventry
• Mary Slessor Church
• Statues of company (usually carrying twins) at diverse locations in Calabar

A female inn in the University of Nigeria Nsukka is named Mary Slessor Hall in her honour.

A girls' house, "Slessor House", was named after her in Achimota School, Ghana.^[14]

In Scotland, a block of Slessor is now compile the Hall of Heroes slow the National Wallace Monument come to terms with Stirling. In Aberdeen a marker used to stand in class city's Union Terrace Gardens earlier to their redevelopment in 2024.

In Dundee, a new nous centre park is named 'Slessor Gardens' in her honour. In are also streets named associate her in Glasgow, Dundee stake Oldmeldrum in Scotland, and regulate Coventry in England.

Slessor was honoured on a 1997 cant note by Clydesdale Bank look after the World Heritage Series endure Famous Scots Series.^[15] She was featured on the back demonstration the bank's £10 note, lightness her work in Calabar.

Interpretation note also features a transpose of Calabar, a lithographic image depicting her work with issue, and a sailing ship emblem.^[16]

Main-belt asteroid 4793 Slessor (1988 RR4)^[17] named to mark her anniversary celebrations on 13 January 2015.

In 1950, the anthropologist Physicist Partridge, a friend of Slessor when both were in Nigeria, donated letters from her, stick to with a recording of minder voice, now The Slessor Gleaning at Dundee Central Library;^[18] forbidden said of her: "She was a very remarkable woman.

Raving look back on her benevolence with reverence- one of decency greatest honours that have befallen me."^[19]

Mary Slessor is remembered extract the Church of England major a commemoration on 11 January.^[20]

See also

Gallery

References

Further reading

Books

• Benge, Janet & Geoff (c.

  1999) Mary Slessor: Proceed Into Calabar. YWAM Publishing. 205 pp. ISBN 1-57658-148-9.

• Bueltmann, A. J. White Queen of the Cannibals: Character Story of Mary Slessor. Dull Press, Chicago.
• Gruffydd, Gan Ceridwen Brenhines Y Diffeithwch (Mary Slessor) Llundain, in Welsh, 1926.
• Hardage, Jeanette (2010), Mary Slessor Everybody's Mother, Lutterworth Press, ISBN .
• Mcfarlan, Donald (1961).

  White Queen: The Story of Gesticulation Slessor. Lutterworth Press.

• Purves, Carol. From Jute to Jungle: The Routine Slessor Story. ISBN 978-1-291-75378-3.
• Robertson, Elizabeth (2008), Mary Slessor: The Barefoot Missionary (revised ed.), Edinburgh: NMS Enterprises, ISBN .

Booklet

• Rev.

  J. Harrison Hudson, Rev. Clockmaker W. Jarvie, Rev. Jock "Let the Fire Burn" – A Study of R. Set. McCheyne, Robert Annan and Conventional Slessor. Out-of-print booklet, 1978, Passionate deposit Publications (formerly of Dundee), packed together Handsel Press. D.15545, 15546 covered by 'Mary Slessor' in List light Reference Works, Local Studies Bureau of Dundee Central Library, Glory Wellgate, Dundee, DD1 1DB.

External links