Thomas Bridges (Anglican missionary)

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Thomas Bridges

Thomas Bridges
Born 1842
Unknown
Died July 15, 1898
Buenos Aires
Nationality British
Occupation Anglican Missionary
Known for Establishing a mission in Tierra del Fuego

Thomas Bridges (ca. 1842–1898) was the first Anglican missionary to succeed in setting up a mission in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. After being adopted by George Pakenham Despard, he accompanied his new father on missionary trips with the Patagonian Missionary Society. George Despard later left the mission leaving Bridges as the new superintendent. The mission was located at what is now the town of Ushuaia. On his retirement from missionary service, he received a grant of land from the Argentine government and became a rancher.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Bridges was born in England in 1842.[1] According to local legend, he was later found abandoned on a bridge, in Bristol, by George Pakenham Despard,[2] the chaplain of the Clifton Union.[3] George Despard adopted Bridges[4] and educated him in a private school that he ran. Later, upon being told of the adoption, Thomas "chose for himself the surname Bridges in honor of the meeting that had saved his life."[5]

There is no record of Thomas Bridges in the 1851 UK census; however, he is believed to be registered in the private school run by George Despard as George H Bridges. The name change was most likely due to a transcription error.

[edit] Expedition

From 1853 to 1855 George Despard was curate at Holy Trinity Church in Lenton, Nottingham[6] but had previously lived in Bristol where he met Allen Gardiner[7] and where his association with the missionary society began. Following the failure of Gardiner's expeditions, George Pakenham Despard, then secretary of the Patagonian Missionary Society, led the next attempt. He took with him his second wife and his children, four daughters, Emily, Bertha, Florence and Harriet and his son Emilius. He also took Thomas Bridges who was about 13 years old. This trip was much more successful than earlier ones. Contact was made with the local people and several were persuaded to go to Keppel Island where some of them learned English and some of the English, Thomas Bridges in particular, learned the local language.[2]

[edit] Missionary work

After an attack on the Allen Gardiner,[note 1] the ship used by George Despard, he petitioned the missionary society asking permission to return to England.[9] When the society gave its approval, he and his family returned to England; however, Thomas Bridges, then 17, remained in charge of the Keppel Island base.[9] Thomas Bridges spent the next year on Keppel Island living with some of the Fuegians who had remained there. In this way, he perfected his knowledge of the language and started work on a dictionary of the language, which was completed in 1879, containing over 30,000 words.[10]

The next superintendent of the base was the Rev. Waite Hockin Stirling.[4] The Rev. Stirling and Thomas Bridges made their first excursion into Tierra del Fuego in 1863.[4] They made contact with the Fuegians who, on encountering a white man who could speak their language, received them well. In 1866, the Rev. Stirling made a visit to England accompanied by four Fuegian boys. They returned, and from 1867–1868 a group of Fuegians was assisted in setting up a settlement at Laiwaia on Navarino Island. There, a search was made for the best spot for a mission. The site chosen was in what is now Ushuaia and a small three-roomed prefabricated hut, about 20 feet (6.1 m) by 10 feet (3.0 m), was prepared at Port Stanley for construction at Ushuaia. The hut was erected on the shore at Ushuaia and the Rev. Stirling, one of the young Fuegians who had accompanied him to England, and the latter's wife, moved in on January 14, 1869.[4]

[edit] Brief trip to England

Thomas Bridges did not take part in building the hut because, in 1868, the South American Missionary Society (successors to the Patagonian Missionary Society) decided that he should return to England and take Holy Orders.[8] In 1869, he was ordained deacon by the Bishop of London[11] and then spent some time touring England lecturing on Tierra del Fuego and his work there.

Thomas met his future wife, Mary Ann Varder, at an award ceremony for schoolteachers in Clevedon near Bristol. Mary was the daughter of Stephen, a master carpenter, and Ann Varder who lived in Harberton, a village about a mile south-west of Totnes. Five weeks after they first met Thomas and Ann were married by license in the parish church at Harberton on August 7, 1869.[12]

[edit] Return to South America

Two days after they were married, they sailed for Rio de Janeiro en route for the Falkland Islands.

The Allen Gardiner delivered materials for Stirling House, a new mission house, to be erected about a third of a mile away from the first house at the top of the hill. On October 10, 1870, Thomas Bridges and other members of the community went to Ushuaia to dig the foundations and erect the building. Thomas's wife, Mary Ann, who was pregnant, remained in the Falkland Islands during this time.

After the birth of his daughter, Thomas returned to Ushuaia where he and Jacob Resyck took up residence in Stirling House. Mr. Lewis went back to Keppel Island and, on May 14, returned with his wife, son, and new baby. The baby was baptised Frank Ooshooia in Stirling House on May 28.[13] On August 17, Thomas Bridges, his wife, and his daughter, Mary, set out for the final leg of their journey to Ushuaia arriving on September 27, 1871. The Mission was established.

Bishop Stirling returned to the Falklands in early January 1872 to a salute of seven guns and was installed as bishop.[14] He then made a visit to Ushuaia in the Allen Gardiner and, on March 23, wrote,

We have just returned from Tierra del Fuego, and can report favourably of our work there. The Bridges and Lewises were well, and exerting a wholesome influence on the Indian population. Thirty-six men, women, and children were baptised, and seven couples married as Christians. My little hut is transformed into a school-church, and our congregations in it were crammed to excess during my stay, when the native services took place. A spreading influence for good is manifest, and the future appears to me full of hope for these Southern Indian tribes.[14]

In 1881, HMS Doterel exploded while anchored near Punta Arenas, killing 144 members of the crew.[15] Thomas Bridges presided over the funeral ceremony.[15]

Thomas Bridges posing with his family

[edit] Family

Bridges had six children, four of whom were born in Ushuaia.[1] Thomas and Mary had their first child, Mary Ann Varder, in 1870.[1] Their eldest son, Thomas Despard was born in 1872. Stephen (Esteban) Lucas was born in 1874, William Samuel in 1876, Bertha Milman in 1879 and Alice Couty in 1882.[1] Mary's younger sister, Johanna, arrived from England to join the mission and help Mary with the growing family in 1874.

[edit] Retirement from the Mission

In 1886, the government of Argentina established a presence in Ushuaia. Bridges left the Mission and was granted citizenship and 50,000 acres (200 km2) of land to the east of Ushuaia, now Estancia Harberton, where he raised sheep and cattle.[2] The house on the ranch was prefabricated in England by Stephen Varder and shipped to Tierra del Fuego in the 360 ton brigantine Shepherdess. Also on board were two carpenters and Mr. Edward Aspinall, the new superintendent of the Ushuaia Mission who would later relocate to the Wollaston Islands.[4]

Thomas Bridges died in Buenos Aires on July 15, 1898 due to stomach cancer and is buried in Cementerio Británico[16] His tombstone records that he was 55 years old. Buried in the same grave are his grandson, Percival William Reynolds (1904–1940), his son, Esteban Lucas Bridges, who wrote a book detailing his father's expedition,[17] and Esteban's wife, Jannette McLeod Jardine (1890–1976). Thomas' wife, Mary Ann, returned to Shipbourne, Kent, England where she died in 1922.[1] A monument was later erected in his honour.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ On November 6, 1869, the Allen Gardiner was attacked by a group of Yaghans who massacred the ship's catechist, captain, and six sailors.[8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Campbell, Duncan. "British Families in Southern Patagonia". The British Presence in Southern Patagonia. http://patbrit.org/bil/supp/a0105.htm. Retrieved 29 May 2011. 
  2. ^ a b c "History of Harberton". Estancia Harberton. http://www.estanciaharberton.com/historiaenglish.html. Retrieved 16 June 2011. 
  3. ^ UK Census 1851 Westbury-on-Trym entry no 147
  4. ^ a b c d e Campbell, Duncan. "Anglican Missionary Endeavour in Tierra del Fuego (1832–1916)". The British Presence in Southern Patagonia. http://patbrit.org/eng/sams/main.htm. Retrieved 30 May 2011. 
  5. ^ Burns, Jimmy (1989). Beyond the Silver River: South American encounters. Bloomsbury. ISBN 9780747502692. http://books.google.com/books?id=tZuSQgAACAAJ&dq=Beyond+the+Silver+River:+South+American+Encounters&hl=en&ei=fdUXTp-MB6WysALwzODBBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA. 
  6. ^ The Magazine of Lenton Local History Society, Lenton Times, Issue 7,
  7. ^ John W. Marsh; W.H. Stirling (1883). "The Story of Commander Allen Gardiner, R.N.". Project Canterbury. http://anglicanhistory.org/sa/gardiner/marsh/04.html. Retrieved 22 June 2011. 
  8. ^ a b Woran, John (2009). Here Be Giants. Rockville Press, Inc.. pp. 213–242. ISBN 978-0976933618. http://www.rockvillepress.com/GIANTS/PDF/11-MISSION.PDF. Retrieved August 9, 2011. 
  9. ^ a b "SAMS History". SAMS. Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders. http://samsusa.org/about_history.html. Retrieved August 9, 2011. 
  10. ^ "Cook Tried to Steal Parson's Life Work". New York Times. 21 May 1910. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=FA0C11FB3E5417738DDDA80A94DD405B808DF1D3. Retrieved 30 May 2011. 
  11. ^ "Letter 2640 — Darwin, C. R. to Bridges, Thomas (b), 6 January 1860". Darwin Correspondence Project. University of Cambridge. http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/entry-2640. Retrieved 12 June 2011. 
  12. ^ Marriage certificate dated 7 August 1869 entry no 254
  13. ^ "Thomas Bridges". Victory Cruises. http://www.victory-cruises.com/thomas_bridges.html. Retrieved 29 May 2011. 
  14. ^ a b Rev. C. Stirling, The Bishop of the Falklands from Mission Life, Vol. III (1872), page 444. Transcribed by the Right Reverend Dr. Terry Brown Bishop of Malaita, Church of the Province of Melanesia, 2006 http://anglicanhistory.org/sa/stirling_bishop1872.html
  15. ^ a b Campbell, Duncan. "H. M. S. DOTEREL, lost 26 April 1881 Memorial Plaque". British Presence in Southern Patagonia. http://patbrit.org/eng/cmy/dt.htm. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
  16. ^ Kesting, Eduardo Alejandro. "1842 Reverendo Thomas Bridges 1898 [Reverend Thomas Bridges 1842 1898]" (in Spanish). Cementerio britanico. http://www.cementeriobritanico.org/perhistbritchacarita/tbridges.html. Retrieved 1 August 2011. 
  17. ^ Bridges, E L (1948) The Uttermost Part of the Earth Republished 2008, Overlook Press ISBN 978-1585679560
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