MISSIONARIES: SELECTED BRIEF BIOGRAPHIES
by Rosemary Dixon-Smith

ADAMS, Dr Newton (1804-1851)
Medical missionary from Ohio county New York. Sent to South Africa by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABM), arriving with his wife Mrs Sarah C Adams in December 1834. Founded a mission station and school at Umlazi Natal in before founding the famous Adams Mission at Amanzimtoti.

Adams Mission Church (taken Oct 2003)

Distant view of Adams Mission Church

ALLARD, Jean (1806-1889)
Roman Catholic missionary and first Vicar Apostolic of Natal 1851. Consecrated Pietermaritzburg's first Roman Catholic church in 1852. Worked among Zulus from 1854. In 1862 founded first mission in Basutoland (Lesotho). 8 years later founded first mission on the Kimberley diamond fields.

ALLISON, James (1804-1875)
Methodist missionary brought African Christians from Swaziland to settle at Indaleni, Natal 1847. Later an independent missionary at Edendale near Pietermaritzburg.

ANDERSON, William (1769-1852)
London Missionary Society (LMS) missionary to the Cape in 1800. Settled among itinerant Griqua, Koranna and other groups beyond the Orange River, founded mission at Klaarwater. He helped establish the settlement of Griquatown. Anderson worked for 30 years among the Khoikhoi in George district.

ARCHBELL, James (1798-1866)
Wesleyan. Initially worked among the Namaqua. Produced first Tswana grammar book 1826. Became Voortrekker minister at Thaba Nchu, OFS and in Natal. Founded the Natal Independent and General Advertiser 1850. Was Pietermaritzburg's mayor for five terms.

APPLEYARD, John (1814-1874)
Wesleyan. Worked in King William's Town area, established press at Mt Coke mission. 1846 published his Xhosa translation of New Testament. 1859 published Xhosa translation of Old Testament. He married Sarah Ann, daughter of James Archbell, in 1841.

JW Appleyard - Wesleyan Mission

ARBOUSSET, Jean Thomas (1810-1877)
Missionary sent by Paris Evangelical Society 1833 to work among the Sotho; established rapport with Moshweshwe and had a significant influence on early Basutoland (now Lesotho). 1836 with Francois Daumas discovered the headwaters of the Caledon; named the Mont-aux-Sources (mountain of springs) in the Maluti Highlands.

ARNDT, Johannes (1857-1931)
German missionary, established Lutheran mission on Kimberley diamond fields in 1881. Translated many religious works including Lutheran hymns into Tswana. During Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 founded a relief organization for displaced Boer families.

ASTRUP, Nils (1843-     )
Norwegian missionary came to Natal in 1883 and took over as Bishop of the Church of Norway Mission in Zululand, after death of Schreuder. Astrup was ordained as Bishop in the Cathedral of Trondheim in 1902. He walked to Gazaland and back in the three winter months of 1889. In 1891 he compiled a book on this remarkable journey, and in 1903 he published 'The Aim of the Zulu Mission - the Heart of Africa' (written in Norwegian). Astrup's father was a Judge, and he himself served as an Assistant Judge in Norway from 1866-69 before he studied theology 1870-78. He was then a rector of a Norwegian parish between 1879 and 1883. Five of his children were later involved in missionary work.

Nils Astrup - Bishop of the Church of Norway Mission

BENNIE, John (1796-1869)
Scottish-born missionary. The earliest Xhosa linguist. Became associated with the Glasgow Missionary Society (GMS) in 1816, cut short his studies and sailed to SA as a catechist in the ship Woodlark which brought supplies for 1820 Settlers. Arriving in 1821 with W Ritchie Thomson, he brought with him a printing press. Joined John Brownlee and wife at Tyhume (Chume). Nov 1821 opened a school and started his study of Xhosa and Dutch. Ordained in 1831 by the first presbytery of Kaffraria and raised to full missionary status. In Nov 1824 with John Ross he founded Ncera, named Lovedale in 1826. One of his four children John Angell Bennie b 1885 became a missionary teacher at Lovedale. In 6th Frontier War (1834-35) Tyhume and the 'old' Lovedale were destroyed. Rebuilt in 1836 on the western bank of the Tyhume. Bennie moved on to Burnshill station in 1843. From there he visited the emigrant Boers north of Vet River.7th Frontier War (1846-47) forced him to move to Graaff-Reinet. Later served as a missionary in the Dutch Reformed Church.

John Bennie was an unordained man who was to play a lasting part in the translation of the Bible into Xhosa. Like Thomson, was not to finish his life as a missionary of GMS in Kaffirland (Kaffraria). He too was to become associated with the Dutch Reformed Church.

He and Thomson, on disembarking from the Woodlark in CT, were hospitably received by Mrs Dysandt in Kasteel Street. Thomson informed Sir Rufane Donkin of his arrival and asked for assistance in getting to Chumie Mission Station. He hoped Donkin would agree to Bennie accompanying him to 'assist in the instruction of the people' in Kaffraria. He emphasised that Bennie had received strict injunctions from the Society to conform to the dictates of the Colonial Governmentt.It was arranged that Thomson and his wife would sail to Port Elizabeth and then be escorted to Kaffraria.

As for Bennie he could accompany Thomson providing he did not move away from Chumie without informing the Government. At Grahamstown 7 wagons were provided, the journey beginning on the Sunday after divine service at the barracks. On Monday evening Thomson went to the sleeping wagon to call Bennie for supper. Bennie did not reply. Thomson thought he was asleep but on trying to rouse him received no response. Dr Coke (who fortunately accompanied them) found Bennie in a state of apoplexy. The doctor let blood and after some hours the missionary revived but it was several hours before he could speak. Thomson stayed up with him through the night and the next day Bennie, though weak from the bleeding, was fit enough to travel. He gradually regained his strength and appears that he didn't suffer from an attack again.

Bennie's illness raises an interesting point of the ability of missionaries to adapt to their new environment. From relatively densely-populated and civilised community they were transported to a primitive frontier life resulting in a tendency to disorientation, introspection and morbidity. There were various examples of this. The mere thought of a sea voyage of thousands of miles to a relatively unknown destination afflicted the mind of Mrs McLachlan who had married her husband, a missionary-mechanic, shortly before sailing for the Cape. John Cumming of the Glasgow African Missionary Society found the uprooting from Scotland a great strain, the isolation of Kaffirland preying frequently on his mind. Bennie too, after arrival at Chumie, experienced melancholy misgiving and homesickness. It's not unlikely that his 'apoplexy' was the result of mental rather than physical causes. It was to the credit of most of the Kaffrarian missionaries that they managed to master the desire to withdraw from the field of labour.

Shortly before the Frontier War of 1834, John Bennie asked a particular kraal to observe God's command that one must not kill, commit adultery or steal. Whereupon the natives asked: "How many are these gospels which you preach? We ask that because Somerset came and said 'Stop doing evil' and yet he kills people every day'.

In 1826 Bennie wrote 'A Systematic Vocabulary of the Kaffrarian Language in 2 parts, to which is prefixed an introduction to Kaffrarian Grammar' - this was the first of several landmarks in grammatical and lexicographal work during the first half of the 19th century. From then on the Wesleyans predominated in the field of translation.

BIRT, Richard (1810-92)
LMS missionary at Mxele then at Peelton.

BROCKWAY, Thomas
Missionary at Peelton 1859-65, 1867-69

BROADBENT, Samuel (1794-1867)
Yorkshire-born pioneer Wesleyan Methodist missionary and the first missionary to cross the Vaal River. Accepted into the ministry and at age 21 went to Ceylon. Arrived at the Cape 1820 and appointed to Rev Barnabas Shaw as an assistant to Rev Edward Edwards of Kamiesberg mission, Rietfontein, Namaqualand. He had instructions from LMS to form a station in the Bechuana country (Tswana). He set out from Rietfontein (substation of Kamiesberg mission) in December 1821; on the 3rd day he fell against his wagon while holding it on a steep ridge and sustained internal injuries. He went on to Griquatown where Rev H Helm of LMS received him. Here his wife gave birth to a son which lived 24 hours. Continuing tribal wars made founding the mission in Tswana territory impossible at that time and Broadbent went to Graaff Reinet where 6 months of careful nursing by Rev Abraham Faure of the NGK saved his life. Hodgson and Broadbent travelled to the Vaal in November 1822, crossing by raft, then east along the northern side of the Vaal where no missionary had been before; later established station at Maquassi. He mastered the Tswana language. On 1 July 1823 his son Lewis Broadbent was born: reputed to be the first white child born in the Transvaal, Lewis was later a missionary to India. Broadbent left Maquassi when he fell ill, and the station was destroyed but Hodgson returned there in August 1825 with Rev James Archbell and rebuilt the structure. Finally it was abandoned but the missionary work continued when the tribe migrated and settled elsewhere notably at Thaba Nchu. Broadbent, still unwell, embarked for England in November 1825 and from 1827 until his retirement in 1863 he continued his mission in England where he died in the 52nd year of his ministry. He published 'The missionary martyr of Namaqualand: memorials of the Rev Wm Threlfall, late Wesleyan missionary in South Africa who was murdered in Great Namaqualand' (published London 1857). In 1865 he also published his own account of his SA experiences.

BROWNLEE, John (1791-1871)
At first LMS missionary later with Glasgow Missionary Society. Linguist and botanist. Worked among Xhosa in Tyhume (Chumi) Valley from 1820, then moved to Buffalo River area of Eastern Cape. Founded King William's Town 1825.
His eldest son Charles Pacalt Brownlee was first Secretary for Native Affairs in the Cape and wrote 'Reminiscences of Kafir Life and History' published by the Lovedale Press in 1896. (Recommended reading.)

BRYANT, Alfred (1865-1953)
Roman Catholic missionary and scholar also known as Father Thomas. Worked among the Zulu. Remembered chiefly for his Zulu-English dictionary first published 1903 and his book 'Olden Times in Zululand and Natal' 1929.

BRYANT, James C (d 1850)
ABM missionary came to SA with his wife Dolly in April 1846; the first American missionary to die on foreign soil; remembered for his pioneer translation of parts of the Bible into Zulu. He succumbed to consumption in 1850, having been in ill-health before reaching Natal. William Ireland took over from Bryant at Ifumi Mission, 35 miles south of Durban, and Bryant spent the last year of his life party at Msunduzi and partly at Inanda, where he died.

CALDERWOOD, Henry (1808-65)
LMS missionary, later Cape government official.

CALLAWAY, Henry (1817-1890)
Anglican missionary in Natal. Wrote 'The Religious System of the Amazulu' published 1870.

CHALMERS, John Aitken (1837-88)
Missionary at Mgwali, founded Henderson mission at Thomas River, pastor at Trinity Church Grahamstown. Best remembered for his book on Tiyo Soga (q.v.)

CHAMPION, George (1809- nbsp;   )
ABM missionary came to Natal in December 1834 with his wife Susan. His journal was published as 'Rev George Champion, pioneer missionary to the Zulus; sketch of his life and extracts from his journals, 1834-38' (1896).

COLENSO, John (1814-1883)
Arrived in Natal 1854; had an enormous impact on Church of England mission work in the area. Brought 40 missionaries from England; opened his own station at Ekukanyeni and shortly afterwards work was begun at Umlazi. Details of Colenso's life appear in many published sources, his own writings include works in the Zulu language as well as doctrinal texts. His book 'Ten Weeks in Natal' (published 1855), expressing his views on polygamy, caused a stir. He became Bishop of Natal; was excommunicated by the Anglican Church in 1865.

John Colenso and wife Frances

DÖHNE, Jakob Ludwig (1811-79)
Berlin Mission Society missionary at Bethel mission, later at Stutterheim. Was also associated with the ABM.

EDWARDS, Rev. John
He was born 17 Jun 1804, Bridford, Devon, England son of Isaac and Sarah Edwards. He and his wife Sarah went out to South Africa in 1832 aboard the Caledonian together with other missionaries ordained at City Road Chapel: WJ Davis, W Satchel, E Cook.

Built the mission stations at Thaba N'Chu, Lishuani/Lechuani and Umpukani.. Wrote the earliest known letter to emanate from what is now the Orange Free State from Lechuani in July 1834 informing the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society in London that he removing to Lishuani to found a new station at Umpukani.
In 1839 Edwards was withdrawn from the mission field and sent to establish the Methodist cause in Port Elizabeth and went on to build chapels in Uitenhage, Cradock, Somerset East, Bedford and finally Graaff-Reinet. Edwards regarded the establishment of the Graaff-Reinet circuit as the culmination of his career; it was here that his first wife Sarah died. He returned to England to visit and report to the Missionary Committee about his 40 years in South Africa. He returned to Grahamstown where he died 11 Nov 1887.

John Edwards

Reminiscences

EDWARDS, Mary K
Born in West Milton Ohio, a schoolteacher before marriage, at 38 she was widowed and volunteered for mission service in Africa. She was sent out to SA as first missionary of the Women's Board of Missions, sailing in August 1868 to Port Elizabeth on a 375 ton vessel; the voyage took 79 days. In the same year she started work at the Inanda Seminary, oldest boarding school for Zulu girls in SA. Her active service covered over 56 years. She returned home to America only once in that time, remaining in SA from 1876 onwards. After retirement age she continued to live at the school, exerting a considerable influence on the community in the area. Known as 'Ma Edwards' to the Zulus, it was only after the age of 70 that she relinquished supervision of the large school farm. At 80 she took a correspondence course in nursing so that she could instruct the Zulu girls. When later she became blind she learned to use a typewriter. A prime example of multi-tasking, her various occupations at Inanda over the years included principal, treasurer, doctor, cook, caterer, seamstress, gardener, matron and nurse.

GARDINER, Capt. Allen Francis (1794-1851)
Retired naval office turned missionary, built a Mission Station at Port Natal in 1834, naming it Berea. His daughter Julia died and was buried in Durban (Julia Road is named after her). Brought Rev Francis Owen of the Church Missionary Society to Natal. After the Retief massacre Gardiner left SA, and worked in Chile as well as New Guinea and eventually died of starvation in Patagonia.

GOODENOUGH, H D
ABM missionary came to SA with his wife Carrie in September 1881.

GROUT, Aldin (1803-1894)
Veteran missionary of the ABM. Father of Oriana, who married William Ireland (q.v.) Grout was born in Massachusetts, US. Married Hannah Davis 1834; together with other ABM missionaries they sailed to SA, landing at Cape Town 5 February 1835. Hannah Grout died in Bethelsdorp 24 February 1836 and Grout took his daughter Oriana back to America the following year. While there he married Charlotte Bailey and the couple returned to SA in June 1840. His Mission Station at Ginani had been destroyed in his absence. In April 1841 Grout established a Station at Inkanyezi near Empangeni, and opened a school. There was a hiatus in his association with the ABM in 1844, and he worked in Natal as a Government Missionary for about a year before resuming his ABM position in 1845. He founded Umvoti Mission Station in 1846; a church was completed in 1863. This Mission was renamed the Groutville Mission Station after its founder in 1878. In failing health, Grout returned to the US in February 1890 after 35 years in Natal.

Aldin Grout - ABM

GROUT, Lewis
American missionary; came to SA with his wife Lydia in October 1846. Note: not related to Aldin Grout. 1847 he opened a Mission Station at source of Msunduzi River, Natal.