Robert Moffat (missionary)
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Robert Moffat (born December 21, 1795 in Ormiston, Haddingtonshire; died August 9, 1883 in Leigh near Tunbridge Wells) was a Scottish Congregationalist missionary to Africa.
Moffat was born of humble parentage. He began as a gardener, but in 1814, when employed at High Legh in Cheshire, offered himself to the London Missionary Society (LMS), and in 1816 was sent out to South Africa. After spending a year in Namaqualand, with the chief Afrikaner, whom he converted, Moffat returned to Cape Town in 1819 and married Mary Smith (1795-1870), the daughter of a former employer. She proved to be a remarkable woman and most helpful wife.
In 1820 Moffat and his wife, Mary, left the Cape and proceeded to Griquatownwhere their daughter Mary Moffat was born (who was later to marry David Livingstone), and ultimately settled at Kuruman, among the Bechuana tribes living to the west of the Vaal River. Here he worked as a missionary until 1870, when he reluctantly returned finally to his native land. He made frequent journeys into the neighboring regions as far north as the Matabele country. The results of these journeys he communicated to the Royal Geographical Society (Journal 25-38 and Proceedings ii), and when in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on furlough (1839-1843) he published his well-known Missionary Labours and Scenes in South Africa (1842). He also translated the whole of the Bible and The Pilgrim's Progress into Setswana.
Moffat was builder, carpenter, smith, gardener, farmer, all in one, and by precept and example he succeeded in turning a "horde of bloodthirsty savages" into a people who could appreciate and cultivate the arts and habits of civilized life, with a written language of their own. He met with incredible discouragement and dangers at first, which he overcame by his strong faith, determination and genial humour. It was largely due to him that David Livingstone, his son-in-law, took up his subsequent work. On his return to England he received a testimonial of 5000.
His son John Smith Moffat also became an LMS missionary and took over running of the mission at Kuruman before entering colonial service. His grandson Howard Unwin Moffat became a Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia.
He died at Leigh, on 9 August 1883, and is buried at West Norwood Cemetery
See Lives of Robert and Mary Moffat, by John Smith Moffat (1885); and C. S. Home, The Story of the L. M. S. (1894).
References
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
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