James Stewart (missionary)
James Stewart (born February 14, 1831 in Edinburgh , † December 21, 1905 in Lovedale ) was a Scottish missionary and professor with great merit for the education of the native population in the British Cape Colony .
Life
James Stewart studied at the University of Edinburgh (from 1859 to 1861 and 1864 to 1866). In 1860 he was approved as a preacher . For a temporary participation in the Zambezi expedition of David Livingstone , he interrupted his medical studies and stayed four months at his headquarters in Chupanga . Stewart explored the mountainous region along the Shire and tried to reach Lake Nyassa , which he was unable to do because of his tight travel budget. After his return he drove down the Zambezi to Tete . Overall, in addition to scientific studies, the opportunities for missionary activities in these parts of Africa should be explored.
After completing his studies in 1867, he applied to the South African Lovedale Mission of the Free Church of Scotland . With the beginning of his activity he campaigned for a broad education of the Xhosa students. At the urging of his superior position in Scotland, Stewart took over the principal position prematurely in 1870 from his predecessor and founder of the Lovedale Missionary Institute Rev. William Govan .
In the following years the mission school developed into a leading institution in southern Africa. Noteworthy is the establishment of a section for girls and young women, which Jane Elizabeth Waterston was responsible for. Both already knew each other from participating in the Livingstone expedition.
When David Livingstone died, Stewart attended the official memorial service at Westminster Abbey in 1874 and gave a commemorative speech on the occasion. He announced the establishment of a new mission station in what was then Nyasaland . Already in 1875 he created the Livingstonia mission, which initially had to struggle with considerable organizational difficulties. For this reason he traveled to Nyassaland again in 1876 with four students from Lovedale. After his return from Central Africa he set up the Blythswood mission station in Ngqamakhwe , a small town near Butterworth .
At the mission conference in London in 1878 he presented his intention to establish a Bantu University . Stewart's achievements were widely recognized in the Free Church of Scotland . That is why in 1899 he was given the leadership of their general assembly.
In 1880, Stewart is in the government commission on indigenous rights and customs chosen (Government Commission on Native Laws and Customs). This commission presented a report on the situation of the black population in 1883. In 1903 Stewart visited training centers for the black population in the USA and found out about new training methods. He also paid a visit to the Tuskegee Institute . Returned to South Africa in July of the following year, he chaired the first General Missions Conference of South Africa in Johannesburg as President . All Protestant mission organizations were represented at this event.
Within the Cape Town governmental Commission for Native Affairs ( South African Native Affairs Commission ), Stewart worked in an advisory role during its existence between 1903 and 1905 to improve the civil rights and living conditions of the native non-white population. Participation in this body is a testament to its high reputation in the country.
His last trip took him to Cape Town in 1905, where he campaigned for educational opportunities for the local population. From this trip he returned to Lovedale weak. In December 1905, Stewart died with his family. He held the office of "Principal of Lovedale" until his death.
A few days after his death, over 150 black African graduates and representatives gathered at his grave for a memorial meeting on December 28th. James Stewart is buried on a hill near the former mission school in Alice . His tomb was later built over with a tower-like monument.
Legacy and Merit
Stewart's legacy for the South African nation lies in the mission school practiced at the highest possible level, which subsequently led to a college and culminated in the founding of the University of Fort Hare . Numerous alumni of his school helped found the South African Native National Congress (later ANC) in 1912. Some later African statesmen studied at this institution and some of them contributed significantly to overcoming apartheid .
According to Lord Alfred Milner , Stewart was "the biggest human in South Africa".
Stewart's work had a strong political side. He campaigned for the equality of "races" beyond the borders of the Cape Colony. To spread these thoughts he used the monthly magazine The Kaffir Express , which he founded in 1870 , and from 1876 The Christian Express . From 1922 onwards the magazine appeared under the name The South African Outlook . The publications achieved particular fame through the name of their printing company The Lovedale Press (created in 1823 by Rev. John Ross of the Glasgow Missionary Society ), a company affiliated with the mission school. They included theological and educational topics as well as textbooks. Stewart knew how to make good use of the opportunities available to him through this printing company and with its help has become one of the earliest pioneers of liberal schools of thought in South Africa.
Fonts
- Dawn in the Dark Continent: or, Africa and its missions: The Duff missionary lectures for 1902. Oliphant Anderson & Fervier, Edinburgh 1903.
- The Zambesi Journal of James Stewart 1862–1863 with a selection from his correspondence. In: JPR Wallis (Ed.): Central African Archives. Oppenheimer Series Number Six. Chatto and Windus, London 1952.
literature
- Gerald H. Anderson: Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions. Eerdmans, 1999, ISBN 0802846807 .
- Robert HW Shepherd: Lovedale South Africa. The Story of a Century 1841-1941. The Lovedale Press, 1940.
- James Wells: The Life of James Stewart. Hodder and Stoughton, London 1909.
Individual evidence
- ^ Robert HW Shepherd: Lovedale South Africa . P. 171
- ^ Robert HW Shepherd: Lovedale South Africa. P. 511
- ^ Wallace G. Mills: Missionaries, Xhosa Clergy and the Suppression of Traditional Customs . Page 9, footnote 51 (PDF; 64 kB)
- ^ Robert HW Shepherd: Lovedale South Africa. P. 512
- ↑ Representation on the website of the Mnquma Local Municipality
- ^ Robert HW Shepherd: Lovedale South Africa. P. 262
- ^ Edwin W. Smith: Review: The Zambesi Journal of James Stewart ... In: Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, Vol. 23, No. 3 (July 1953), p. 255
- ^ Robert HW Shepherd: Lovedale South Africa. P. 175
- ^ Journal bibliography of the Center for Research Libraries, entry Lovedale Institution , accessed on October 11, 2010, English
- ^ Robert HW Shepherd: Lovedale South Africa. P. 513
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Stewart, James |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | James Stewart of Lovedale |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British-South African missionary and principal |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 14, 1831 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Edinburgh Scotland |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 21, 1905 |
| Place of death | Alice (South Africa) |