16 The

the parish noticeboard — 6

On 11 January, the Church of

England remembers Mary Slessor

of Calabar, a remarkable Victorian

woman whose courage, vision and

leadership are found in some of the

most unlikely places.

On 2 December 1848, Mary Slessor was

born into a wretchedly poor family

in Scotland. Her father, an alcoholic,

had lost his job as a shoemaker and

she was the second of seven children.

In 1859 they moved from Aberdeen

into the smelly, unpleasant slums

of Dundee. Her father and mother

worked in the mills, and Mary joined

them there when she turned 11.

Mary’s father, and both his

brothers died of pneumonia, and her

mother struggled to keep Mary and

her two sisters alive. By this time

Mary was 14 and she was working a

12 hour day as a jute maker.

But life for the family was not

all drudgery. Mary’s mother was

a devout Christian who read the

family Bible and the Missionary

Record to her daughters.

The Missionary Record was a

monthly publication from the United

Presbyterian Church. The stories

of the missionaries captivated

Mary. When she heard that David

Livingstone, the great missionary

explorer, had died in 1873, she

decided that she would follow in his

footsteps. She wanted to devote her

life to taking the gospel to Africa.

She was 25.

In August 1876 the Presbyterians

sent her to Calabar in Nigeria, an

area where no European had set foot

until then. With her red hair and

blue eyes, Mary grabbed attention

wherever she went and, despite

recurring illness and constant

danger, she settled happily among

the tribes.

Mary learned their traditions

and soon became fluent in their

language, Efik. She won the

confidence of their tribal leaders and

taught their children, and became

determined to put an end to some

of their barbaric practises, such

as the killing of twins — whom

they thought were evil. Indeed, she

adopted the twins that she found

abandoned.

Throughout all this Mary also

talked endlessly about Jesus Christ,

who was the passion of her life.

She was tough and made long

trips through the jungles and took

canoes up remote rivers. When her

shoes gave out, she went barefoot.

Her passion was to go to ‘the

regions beyond’ with the Gospel.

She thrived in places, and among

people, that would have terrified

most women of her day. It has been

written of her:

The Parish Magazine - January 2022 17

'I have no idea how or why God has carried me over so

many funny and hard places' — Mary of Calabar

Mary Slessor of Calabar

wikipedia.com

Mary Slessor and her adopted children, taken in Scotland c1880

PASSION

wikipedia.com

Practically single handed she

tamed and transformed three pagan

communities in succession. It is a

question if the career of any other

woman missionary has been marked

by so many strange adventures, daring

feats, and wonderful achievements.*

In 1901, when Southern Nigeria

became a British Protectorate, Mary

was appointed the first ever female

magistrate in the British Empire

and she became a skilful diplomatic

emissary.

She was known for saying: It is

not Mary Slessor, but God and our

united prayers that have brought

the blessings to Calabar. Christ shall

have all the honour and glory for the

multitudes saved.

When Mary died of fever on 13

January 1915 the native Christian

girls and women wept bitterly

saying:

Our mother is dead. Everybody's

mother has left us.

Mary once wrote to a friend who

had long prayed for her:

I have always said that I have no

idea how or why God has carried me

over so many funny and hard places,

and made these hordes of people submit

to me, or why the government should

have given me the privilege of being

a magistrate among them, except in

answer to prayer made at home for me.

It is all beyond my comprehension.

*Dr Robert H Glover, The Progress of World-

Wide Missions.

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the parish noticeboard — 6 On 11 January, the Church of England remembers Mary Slessor of Calabar, a remarkable Victorian woman whose courage, vision and leadership are found in some of the most unlikely places. On 2 December 1848, Mary Slessor was born into a wretchedly poor family in Scotland. Her father, an alcoholic, had lost his job as a shoemaker and she was the second of seven children. In 1859 they moved from Aberdeen into the smelly, unpleasant slums of Dundee. Her father and mother worked in the mills, and Mary joined them there when she turned 11. Mary’s father, and both his brothers died of pneumonia, and her mother struggled to keep Mary and her two sisters alive. By this time Mary was 14 and she was working a 12 hour day as a jute maker. But life for the family was not all drudgery. Mary’s mother was a devout Christian who read the family Bible and the Missionary Record to her daughters. The Missionary Record was a monthly publication from the United Presbyterian Church. The stories of the missionaries captivated Mary. When she heard that David Livingstone, the great missionary explorer, had died in 1873, she decided that she would follow in his footsteps. She wanted to devote her life to taking the gospel to Africa. She was 25. In August 1876 the Presbyterians sent her to Calabar in Nigeria, an area where no European had set foot until then. With her red hair and blue eyes, Mary grabbed attention wherever she went and, despite recurring illness and constant danger, she settled happily among the tribes. Mary learned their traditions and soon became fluent in their language, Efik. She won the confidence of their tribal leaders and taught their children, and became determined to put an end to some of their barbaric practises, such as the killing of twins — whom they thought were evil. Indeed, she adopted the twins that she found abandoned. Throughout all this Mary also talked endlessly about Jesus Christ, who was the passion of her life. She was tough and made long trips through the jungles and took canoes up remote rivers. When her shoes gave out, she went barefoot. Her passion was to go to ‘the regions beyond’ with the Gospel. She thrived in places, and among people, that would have terrified most women of her day. It has been written of her: The Parish Magazine - January 2022 17 'I have no idea how or why God has carried me over so many funny and hard places' — Mary of Calabar Mary Slessor of Calabar wikipedia.com Mary Slessor and her adopted children, taken in Scotland c1880 PASSION wikipedia.com Practically single handed she tamed and transformed three pagan communities in succession. It is a question if the career of any other woman missionary has been marked by so many strange adventures, daring feats, and wonderful achievements.* In 1901, when Southern Nigeria became a British Protectorate, Mary was appointed the first ever female magistrate in the British Empire and she became a skilful diplomatic emissary. She was known for saying: It is not Mary Slessor, but God and our united prayers that have brought the blessings to Calabar. Christ shall have all the honour and glory for the multitudes saved. When Mary died of fever on 13 January 1915 the native Christian girls and women wept bitterly saying: Our mother is dead. Everybody's mother has left us. Mary once wrote to a friend who had long prayed for her: I have always said that I have no idea how or why God has carried me over so many funny and hard places, and made these hordes of people submit to me, or why the government should have given me the privilege of being a magistrate among them, except in answer to prayer made at home for me. It is all beyond my comprehension. *Dr Robert H Glover, The Progress of World- Wide Missions.