| 1737 |
Georg Schmidt Moravian Protestant pioneer missionary founds mission among Khoikhoi |
| 1744 |
Schmidt leaves for Europe after conflict with established Dutch Church |
| 1788 |
Certain Cape Christians devote time to slaves' and Hottentots' spiritual welfare |
| 1789 |
Rev HR van Lier gives sermon on necessity of preaching Gospel 'to all creatures' |
| 1791 |
Death of John Wesley, founder of Wesleyan Methodism, in Britain |
| 1792 |
Moravian MS founded at Genadendal (Vale of Grace) Baviaanskloof |
| 1795 |
First British Occupation of the Cape |
| 1796 |
GMS and Scottish Missionary Societies formed |
| 1799 |
LMS begins work in SA |
| 1799 |
Dr JT Vanderkemp Dutch-born LMS missionary establishes MS at Bethelsdorp |
| 1800 |
Mission work among Griqua in Little and Great Namaqualand |
| 1801 |
William Anderson LMS founds MS at Aakaap and Klaarwater
JM Kok and Wm Edwards to Dithakong with Daniell and others |
| 1802 |
The traveller Borchers visits Edwards in the field |
| 1803 |
Treaty of Amiens: Cape under Batavian Republic |
| 1804 |
Erasmus Smith works among Khokhoi; in 1830s controversial minister to
Voortrekkers - he married sister of Gerrit Maritz |
| 1806 |
Second British Occupation of the Cape
Effect of 1st and 2nd British Occupations - uncertainty for missions in-between
LMS station at Warm Bath Great Namaqualand |
| 1809 |
The traveller Burchell visits Klaarwater station |
| 1808 |
Britain abolishes slave trade |
| 1812 |
'The Black Circuit': James Read protests against ill-treatment of Khoikhoi
Rev John Campbell undertakes commission to visit SA stations
ABM established |
| 1813 |
Wesleyan Missionary Society formed in England |
| 1816 |
Kuruman Mission founded northern Cape: missionaries Hamilton, Read etc
Barnabas Shaw Wesleyan Methodist arrives in SA
Lelifontein Mission to Nama people founded (Wesleyan) |
| 1817 |
John Brownlee LMS arrives at the Cape on Alacrity; leaves the Society same year |
| 1819 |
Dr John Philip and Rev John Campbell investigate state of LMS missions
James Archbell Wesleyan starts at Rietfontein, later to
Bechuana mission |
| 1820 |
John Philip appointed Superintendant of LMS missions
Wm Thomson, Glasgow Mission Society at Gwali later at Balfour in Kat River
Settlement
John Brownlee establishes Xhosa mission in Tyhume (or Chume) Valley
SPG appoints W Wright to the mission work at Cape |
| 1821 |
Robert Moffat, in Namaqualand from 1817, moves to Kuruman
1822 William Threlfall Wesleyan arrives at Cape, works at Leliefontein |
| 1823 |
Samuel Broadbent Methodist missionary at Leeudoringstad
Wesleyan Methodists under William Shaw establish chain of MS |
| 1824 |
Lovedale MS founded by GMS's John Bennie and John Ross among the Ngqika
Moravians establish Shiloh north of Tyhume MS
BMS found MS at Dohne (Stutterheim)
August: Shaka grants 35 miles of Natal's coastline to Lieut Francis Farewell |
| 1825 |
Capt. Allen Francis Gardiner visits Dingane in Zululand
William Threlfall murdered in Great Namaqualand |
| 1826 |
John Brownlee who rejoined LMS in 1825, founds MS on Buffalo River
(King William's Town)
James Archbell, Wesleyan missionary, produces first Tswana grammar
Leopold Marquard first missionary of Dutch Reformed Church ordained - was
already engaged in his work at Clanwilliam |
| 1829 |
William Shaw visits Faku in May re mission to Amapondo
Rhenish Mission Society sends missionaries on Charles Kerr
Paris Evangelist Mission Society members arrive on same vessel with John Philip |
| 1830 |
Wesleyan missionaries settle in Pondoland, Buntingville MS established.
From 1830 Rhenish missionaries active in Western Cape and Namaqualand |
| 1834 |
6th Frontier War to 1835
Berlin Missionary Society members arrive at Cape, found Bethany MS |
| 1835 |
Six ABM missionaries arrive in Cape Town: Lindley, Wilson, Venable, Aldin
Grout, Champion, Newton Adams - some to Ndebele people others to Natal
Nov: 3 ABM missionaries travel to Natal taking Charles and James Brownlee sons
of Rev John Brownlee as interpreters |
| 1836 |
Start of the Great Trek
Jakob Ludwig Döhne of BMS founds Bethel MS among Xhosa
John Philip LMS takes Jan Tshatshu, a converted chief of the Ntinde, to England
Both give evidence before Select Committee of House of Commons on Aborigines
in British Settlements.
Richard Birt becomes LMS missionary after hearing sermon by Jan Tshatshu in
England |
| 1837 |
April: whites at Natal, fearful of Dingane, fortify the port
Americans working among Ndebele move to Natal: Henry Venable and Andrew
Wilson establish MS at Hlangezwa near Dingane's capital
Francis Owen CMS arrives in Natal |
| 1838 |
Feb: Massacre of Piet Retief and comrades
March: ABM missionaries and Francis Owen leave Natal for Cape
July: Richard Birt of LMS sails for SA
16 Dec: Battle of Blood River: Zulu power broken for a generation |
| 1839 |
Adams and Lindley return to Natal; Lindley ministers to Voortrekkers
Adams transfers from Umlazi to Amanzimtoti: founds Adams MS
Richard Birt LMS at Umxelo |
| 1840 |
March: Dingane killed |
| 1841 |
David Livingstone to Kuruman MS, works with Robert Moffat and marries
Moffat's daughter Mary; later goes on explorations in Central Africa |
| 1842 |
Conflict between British and Trekkers at Port Natal
Hans Christian Knudsen of RMS arrives |
| 1843 |
Berlin MS established at Emmaus Natal
Natal annexed as a British colony |
| 1844 |
Hans Paludan Smith Schreuder founds Norwegian mission in Zululand |
| 1846 |
7th Frontier War 'War of the Axe' to 1847
Lovedale MS converted into a fort
Jan Tshatshu fought against the colony, took part in attack on Fort Peddie |
| 1847 |
Lewis Grout (not related to Aldin Grout) of ABM founds station on Umsunduzi
River Natal
James Allison brings Christian Swazis to Natal, establishes Italeni then Edendale
Lindley ABM founds Inanda station Natal
Adams to Amanzimtoti, founds Adams MS
W C Holden begins independent mission among Zulus in Natal |
| 1848 |
Richard Birt LMS founds Peelton MS named after Sir Robert Peel
Ommund Oftebro of Norwegian Mission arrives in Zululand; also Larsen and
Udland |
| 1849 |
Dean Green builds Natal's first Anglican Mission Church - in his own
garden |
| 1850 |
8th Frontier War 'Mlanjeni War' Battle of Boomah Pass 24 Dec
Paris Evangelical Missionary Society operating eleven MS in Basutoland and
north of Caledon River.
ABM missionaries in SA include Adams, Aldin Grout, Lewis Grout, Bryant,
McKinney, Rood, Marsh, Ireland, Abraham, Wilder, Tyler
Bishop Gray (C of E) visits Natal
11 separate missionary agencies operating in SA |
| 1852 |
Jean Allard consecrates Pietermaritzburg's first Roman Catholic Church; later
works among Zulu and Basuto, also mission at Kimberley diamond fields |
| 1853 |
End of 8th Frontier War
Refugees return to Peelton MS
John William Colenso consecrated Anglican Bishop of Natal; undertakes
missionary work and education of Zulus
3 Roman Catholic Vicariates established: Western under Griffith, Eastern under
Devereux and Natal under Allard |
| 1854 |
Sir George Grey becomes Governor of the Cape
Hermannsburg founded by Hermannsburg Mission Society near Greytown |
| 1855 |
Colenso brings 40 Anglican missionaries to Natal |
| 1856 |
German Legion come to SA |
| 1857 |
Great Xhosa cattle slaying, thousands die in resulting famine
Tiyo Soga, Xhosa missionary and ex-Lovedale scholar, studies in
Scotland, is ordained in Presbyterian Church; later returns to SA to work among
Xhosa
Mpande's son Umkongo is placed at SPG MS Ekukanyeni for education |
| 1858 |
Eli Wiggill Wesleyan Methodist missionary among Bechuana, converts to
Mormonism |
| 1859 |
Thomas Brockway missionary in charge of Peelton 1859-65, 1867-69, later to Madagascar |
| 1860 |
Merensky and Grützner to work among the Swazis; later among Basuto and Bapedi |
| 1861 |
Sir Philip Wodehouse succeeds Grey as Governor of the Cape
Church at Mgwali, built by Tiyo Soga, opened on 23 July
John Aitken Chalmers Presbyterian missionary at Mgwali later writes book on
Soga |
| 1864 |
Rev Dr Alexander Duff visits British Kaffraria; Convenor of Free Church of Scotland Mission Committee; pioneer of mission education |
| 1865 |
John Colenso excommunicated after schism in Church of England in Natal
SM Samuelson opens new SPG MS at St Paul's near Kwamagwaza |
| 1866 |
SPG rules that none of its missionaries should be subject to Colenso |
| 1868 |
Tiyo Soga moves to Gcalekaland |
| 1869 |
Zululand made a separate missionary Bishopric under Dr T E Wilkinson (to 1875) |
| 1871 |
15 Nov Jubilee of Glasgow Missionary Society at Burnshill Kaffraria
Woodward brothers SPG arrive in Natal |
| 1874 |
Bishop Jolivet (Roman Catholic) succeeds Jean Allard in Natal Vicariate |
| 1876 |
Otto Witt Swedish missionary arrives in Zululand |
| 1877 |
Gcaleka war or Gaika rebellion to 1878 |
| 1879 |
Anglo-Zulu War (Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift)
George Smith SPG missionary vicar at Estcourt becomes chaplain to British
forces; is present at battle of Rorke's Drift |
| 1880 |
Basuto War or Transkei rebellion to 1881
Pinkerton of ABM to Gazaland, dies of fever 1883 |
| 1881 |
1st Anglo-Boer War (Majuba)
Johannes Arndt founds Lutheran mission on Kimberley diamond fields |
| 1882 |
Mariannhill Natal founded by Trappists (Roman Catholic)
Schreuder of Church of Norway died; succeeded by Nils Astrup (ordained 1902) |
| 1883 |
Salvation Army begins SA mission
Bible translated into Zulu edited by SC Pixley of ABM
Mariannhill promoted to Abbey status |
| 1888 |
Jubilee of Peelton MS |
| 1889 |
Church of Sweden Mission began mission work at Dundee Natal among mine
workers |
| 1892 |
SA Baptist Missionary Society founded |
| 1893 |
HD Goodenough ABM starts work at Johannesburg, mission to mining area
4 ABM missionaries to Mt Silinda, Eastern Rhodesia |
| 1894 |
ABM at Chikore near Sabi River Rhodesia |
| 1896 |
SA Compounds and Interior Mission to native labour on Witwatersrand goldfields |
| 1899 |
2nd Anglo-Boer War (Sieges of Ladysmith, Kimberley, Mafeking) |
| 1903 |
Herero uprising disrupts missionary operations |
| 1906 |
Bambata Rebellion Natal |
| 1910 |
Union of SA declared
More than 30 missionary agencies operating in SA, 2000 missionaries; ratio of
missionaries to native population: 1 to every 3,500
World Missionary Conference, representatives of all Protestant missionary
bodies assemble in Edinburgh |
