Mary Slessor

Mary Slessor (2 December 1848 - 13 January 1915) was a Scottish missionary to Nigeria. Her determined work and strong personality allowed her to be trusted and accepted by the locals, spreading Christianity and promoting women's rights. Mary Slessor This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mary Slessor This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... A missionary is a propagator of religion, often an evangelist or other representative of a religious community who works among those outside of that community. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life, teachings, and actions of Jesus, the Christ, as recounted in the New Testament. ... The term womens rights typically refers to the legal rights of women which pertains to the social and human rights of women. ...

Early life

Mary was born in Aberdeen and moved to Dundee at the age of 11 when her family were looking for work. Her father was an alcoholic who had to stop his work as a shoemaker and eventually became a mill labourer. Mary's mother ensured that she attended church and made her a half time worker at a jute mill, working for half the day and attending the mill school for the other half. Aberdeens location in Scotland Aberdeen (Scottish Gaelic: Obar Dheathain or The Granite City) is Scotlands third largest city, with a population of 212,125, and the greatest part of the unitary council area named the City of Aberdeen, which is surrounded by, but not within, the Aberdeenshire council... The Royal Burgh of Dundee (Dùn Dèagh in Scots Gaelic) is Scotlands fourth largest city, population 154,674 (2001), situated on the north bank of the Firth of Tay. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

She developed a strong interest in religion and joined a local mission teaching the poor. One famous story from this time is that of the Red Headed Lady. Mary dared a gang of boys that she would not flinch as they swung a metal weight closer and closer to her face. She successfully stayed still and the boys had to attend her Sunday School as forfeit.

Travels to Nigeria

In 1876, she applied to the Foreign Mission Board of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland. She was briefly trained before being sent to Calabar where she arrived in September. It was a time of turmoil in Nigeria. The slave trade, which had stopped traditional life for many, had ceased. Britain had seized Lagos to ensure continued trading. Ritualised rape, infanticide and human sacrifice were all common. Women had no rights at all and were considered as low as animals. 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (1847-1900) was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. ... Location of Calabar in Nigeria Calabar is a city in south eastern Nigeria. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Disease was almost universal amongst the missionaries. Mary herself suffered from flu and malaria. Vaccinations for smallpox and other diseases only began to be available towards the end of her 40 year stay in Africa. Respiratory disease properly named influenza(say: in-floo-en-zah ). Some specific varities of influenza with a vaccination available are: A-New Caledonia, A-California, B-Shanghai. ... Red blood cell infected with Malaria, derived from mala aria (Italian for bad air) and formerly called ague or marsh fever in English, is an infectious disease which causes about 350-500 million infections with humans and approximately 1. ...

Mary Slessor

Mary shocked many missionaries by living with and as the locals. She learned to speak Efik fluently (phonograph recording of her speaking Efik) and became practised in the local customs and culture, thus assisting her missionary work and promotion of women's rights. While her insistence upon working by herself brought her into conflict with authorities, her close understanding of the Nigerians led the local Governor to offer her a position on the Itu court. She adopted a number of children including twins which were considered cursed and often sacrificed. Mary Slessor and her adopted children This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mary Slessor and her adopted children This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ...

She received the Order of St John of #;';;'#;'Jerusalem in 1913. Recurring illness made her very weak and in 1915 she died of a fever. She was buried in Nigeria after a full state funeral. She is currently depicted on the Clydesdale Bank £10 note. 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... British banknotes are the banknotes of the United Kingdom and British Islands, denominated in pounds sterling (GBP). ...

Links

• Dundee City Library Local Research Biography
• Ron Schuler's Parlour Tricks: Mary Slessor
• Mary Slessor