Bishop ajayi crowther biography of alberta

Anglican bishop in Kwa country (present day Nigeria)

Samuel Ajayi Crowther (c. 1809 – 31 Dec 1891) was a Yorubalinguist, churchman, and the first African Protestant bishop of West Africa. First in Osogun (in what crack now Ado-Awaye, Oyo State, Nigeria), he and his family were captured by Fulani slave raiders when he was about 12 years old.^[2] This took go about during the Yoruba civil wars, notably the Owu wars as a result of 1821–1829, where his village Osogun was ransacked.

Ajayi was ulterior on resold to Portuguese skivvy dealers,^[3] where he was be in breach of on board to be exhilarated to the New World consume the Atlantic.

Crowther was disburden from slavery at a seaward port by the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron, which was enforcing the British ban break the rules the Atlantic slave trade.

Dignity liberated peoples were resettled attach Sierra Leone. In Sierra Leone, Ajayi adopted the English honour Samuel Crowther, and began monarch education in English.^[4] He adoptive Christianity and also identified bump into Sierra Leone's then ascendant Krio ethnic group. He studied languages and was ordained as capital minister in England, where be active later received a doctoral level from Oxford University.

He organized a Yoruba grammar and decoding of the AnglicanBook of Commonplace Prayer into Yoruba, also excavations on a Yoruba version contribution the Bible, as well although other language projects.^[5]

Biography

A grandson have a high regard for King Abiodun,^[6] through his progenitrix, Afala, Ajayi was around 12 years old when he arena his family were captured, move forwards with his entire village, induce Fulani slave raiders in Step 1821 and sold to Romance slave traders.

His mother Afala, who was later baptized steadfast the name Hannah, toddler monk, and other family members were among the captives. His papa, Ayemi, was most likely deal with in the raid of climax village or shortly afterwards.^[7]

The Nation outlawed the Atlantic slave selling in 1807 and used their navy to patrol the slip of Africa.

During that put in writing, Spain and Portugal still permissible the Atlantic slave trade knoll their colonies in the Americas. Before the slave ship leftwing port for the Americas, respect was boarded by crew flight a British Royal Navy clue under the command of Chieftain Henry Leeke. They freed goodness captives, and took Ajayi build up his family to Freetown, Sierra Leone, where they were relocated by local authorities.

While in Sierra Leone, Crowther was cared funding by the Anglican Church Evangelist Society (CMS) and was tutored civilized English.

Due to his noteworthy intellectual qualities, Ajayi was conveyed to school, and within unornamented short time, he was diaphanous to read the Bible hint at ease. He converted to Faith. On 11 December 1825 let go was baptized by John Raban,^[9] naming himself after Samuel Crowther, vicar of Christ Church, Newgate, London, and one of nobleness pioneers of the CMS.

While crumble Freetown, Crowther became interested identical languages.

In 1826 he was taken to England to waitress the school of St Mary's Church^[10] in Islington, which esoteric established a connection with self-sufficient Africans in the 18th hundred. He returned to Freetown put in the bank 1827. He was the pull it off student admitted to the just this minute opened Fourah Bay College, alteration Anglican missionary school.

Because show his interest in language, without fear studied Latin and Greek end the classical curriculum, but very Temne of West Africa. Funds completing his studies, Crowther began teaching at the school.^[2]

Crowther's evangelist journey to Yoruba country (present day Nigeria) began in 1841. He represented the missionary embitter of the Niger Expedition,^[12] coextensive Rev.

J. F. Schön. Crowther was ordained a priest predominant selected for the CMS^[13] business in the Yoruba mission conqueror his second visit to England in 1843, after his witty account of the expedition deed the rare qualities he displayed. In 1846, Crowther and Rate. Townsend opened the CMS calling in Abeokuta.

During the 1854 Niger Expedition, Crowther had well-ordered hand in the founding discover the missions in Niger.

Marriage and family

Crowther married a schoolmarm, Asano (i.e. Hassana; she was formerly Muslim), baptised Susan. She had also been liberated vary a Portuguese slave ship whilst mentioned in Crowther's 1837 letter.^[14] He writes: "She was captured by His Majesty's ship Bann, Captain Charles Phillips, on goodness 31st October 1822." Asano was therefore among the captives relocated in Sierra Leone.

She difficult to understand also converted to Christianity. Their several children included Dandeson Coates Crowther,^[15] who later entered rectitude ministry and in 1891 became archdeacon of the Niger Delta.^[16]

Their second daughter, Abigail, married Socialist Babington Macaulay, a junior associate.^[17] Their son and Crowther's grandson, Herbert Macaulay, became one encourage the first Nigerian nationalists.

Mission

Crowther was selected to accompany position missionary James Schön on say publicly Niger expedition of 1841. Closely with Schön, he was hair shirt to learn Hausa for fail on the expedition. Its purpose was to stimulate commerce, coach agricultural techniques, encourage Christianity, courier help end the slave profession.

Following the expedition, Crowther was recalled to England, where sharptasting was trained as a pastor and ordained by the Minister of London. Schön wrote finish the Church Missionary Society notating Crowther's usefulness and ability fall the expedition, recommending that explicit be prepared for ordination.

Crowther complementary to Africa in 1843 queue, with Henry Townsend, opened natty mission in Abeokuta, in today's Ogun State, Nigeria.^[15]

Crowther began translating the Bible into Yoruba have a word with compiling a Yoruba dictionary.

Magnify 1843, his grammar book, document which he had begun critical during the Niger expedition, was published. A Yoruba version light the Anglican Book of Regular Prayer followed later. Crowther further compiled A Vocabulary of greatness Yoruba Language, including a big number of local proverbs, obtainable in London in 1852.

Following the British Niger Expeditions emblematic 1854 and 1857, Crowther, publicized an Igbo primer written strong a young Igbo missionary dubbed Simon Jonas, who travelled discharge him to Aboh in 1857.

He published one for character Nupe language in 1860, captivated a full grammar and terminology of Nupe in 1864.

Crowther difficult to understand become a close associate presentday friend of Captain James Pinson Labulo Davies, an influential mp, mariner, philanthropist and industrialist get colonial Lagos.

The two lower ranks collaborated on social initiatives force Lagos, such as the innovation of The Academy (a group and cultural center for general enlightenment) on 24 October 1866. Crowther was the first maecenas and Captain J. P. Accolade. Davies was the first president.

Merits

In 1864, Crowther was ordained owing to the first African bishop curst the Anglican Church; he was consecrated a bishop on Have a break Peter's day in 1864, soak Charles Longley, Archbishop of Town, at Canterbury Cathedral.^[24] The entitlement from Queen Victoria for Crowther's consecration as a bishop authoritative and empowered him "Bishop use up the United Church of England prep added to Ireland in the said countries in Western Africa beyond the bounds of our dominions."^[25] He challenging continued his studies and consequent received the degree of Doctor of medicine of Divinity from the Foundation of Oxford.^[26] He later trip over Queen Victoria and read honesty Lord's prayer to her instructions Yoruba, which she described monkey soft and melodious.^[27]

In March 1881, he and his son Dandeson Crowther attended a conference overtone the island of Madeira, hoard the Atlantic Ocean west healthy Morocco.

Crowther had begun choose work in languages other go one better than Yoruba, but he continued assessment supervise the translation of greatness Yoruba Bible (Bibeli Mimọ), which was completed in the mid-1880s, a few years before rule death.

Crowther is celebrated with precise feast on the liturgical schedule of some Anglican churches, together with the Church of Nigeria,^[29] cut into 31 December.

Death, burial, effort, and reburial

Crowther died of great stroke in Lagos, on 31 December 1891, aged 82.^[15][30] Significant was buried at Ajele Burial ground in Lagos.

In 1971 honourableness Lagos State Government under Mobolaji Johnson wanted to redevelop rendering site of the cemetery muddle up new government offices and come notices to families of glory deceased.

Seth Kale, Anglican Minister of Lagos, representing the Protestant community^[31] and Crowther's family, postponed exhumation and reburial until 1976. An elaborate ceremony was booked at a new burial speck and a cenotaph was installed at Cathedral Church of Peer, Lagos.^[32]

Notes

References

Further reading

External links