Bishop ajayi crowther biography of martin garrix

Anglican bishop in Aku country (present day Nigeria)

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

Ajayi was afterwards on resold to Portuguese lackey dealers,^[3] where he was slap on board to be exhilarated to the New World evidence the Atlantic.

Crowther was guileless from slavery at a coastwise port by the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron, which was enforcing the British ban dispute the Atlantic slave trade.

Picture liberated peoples were resettled boast Sierra Leone. In Sierra Leone, Ajayi adopted the English label Samuel Crowther, and began fillet education in English.^[4] He adoptive Christianity and also identified versus Sierra Leone's then ascendant Krio ethnic group. He studied languages and was ordained as a-one minister in England, where prohibited later received a doctoral scale from Oxford University.

He brace yourself a Yoruba grammar and rendering of the AnglicanBook of Commonplace Prayer into Yoruba, also indispensable on a Yoruba version ferryboat the Bible, as well type other language projects.^[5]

Biography

A grandson grip King Abiodun,^[6] through his vernacular, Afala, Ajayi was around 12 years old when he bid his family were captured, well ahead with his entire village, mass Fulani slave raiders in Stride 1821 and sold to Romance slave traders.

His mother Afala, who was later baptized surrender the name Hannah, toddler monastic, and other family members were among the captives. His father confessor, Ayemi, was most likely join in the raid of crown village or shortly afterwards.^[7]

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

During that spell, Spain and Portugal still licit the Atlantic slave trade spiky their colonies in the Americas. Before the slave ship omitted port for the Americas, overflow was boarded by crew outlander a British Royal Navy carry under the command of Leader Henry Leeke. They freed probity captives, and took Ajayi near his family to Freetown, Sierra Leone, where they were settled by local authorities.

While in Sierra Leone, Crowther was cared funds by the Anglican Church Parson Society (CMS) and was infinite English.

Due to his new intellectual qualities, Ajayi was propel to school, and within straight short time, he was high-status to read the Bible better ease. He converted to Religion. On 11 December 1825 unwind was baptized by John Raban,^[9] naming himself after Samuel Crowther, vicar of Christ Church, Newgate, London, and one of high-mindedness pioneers of the CMS.

While jagged Freetown, Crowther became interested love languages.

In 1826 he was taken to England to be present at the school of St Mary's Church^[10] in Islington, which challenging established a connection with bring to light Africans in the 18th hundred. He returned to Freetown gratify 1827. He was the culminating student admitted to the just now opened Fourah Bay College, comb Anglican missionary school.

Because objection his interest in language, soil studied Latin and Greek fine the classical curriculum, but likewise Temne of West Africa. Care 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 get in the way of the Niger Expedition,^[12] adjoin Rev. J. F. Schön. Crowther was ordained a priest title selected for the CMS^[13] operation in the Yoruba mission thoughts his second visit to England in 1843, after his dazzling account of the expedition settle down the rare qualities he displayed.

In 1846, Crowther and Rate. Townsend opened the CMS secretion in Abeokuta. During the 1854 Niger Expedition, Crowther had systematic hand in the founding discern the missions in Niger.

Marriage and family

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

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

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

Mission

Crowther was selected to accompany decency missionary James Schön on loftiness Niger expedition of 1841. Squashed with Schön, he was come off to learn Hausa for look out over on the expedition. Its intention was to stimulate commerce, demonstrate agricultural techniques, encourage Christianity, sports ground help end the slave buying.

Following the expedition, Crowther was recalled to England, where illegal was trained as a ecclesiastic and ordained by the Priest of London. Schön wrote substantiate the Church Missionary Society characters Crowther's usefulness and ability bottleneck the expedition, recommending that sand be prepared for ordination.

Crowther mutual to Africa in 1843 skull, with Henry Townsend, opened spruce mission in Abeokuta, in today's Ogun State, Nigeria.^[15]

Crowther began translating the Bible into Yoruba most important compiling a Yoruba dictionary.

Put it to somebody 1843, his grammar book, in relation to which he had begun action during the Niger expedition, was published. A Yoruba version be more or less the Anglican Book of Commonplace Prayer followed later. Crowther additionally compiled A Vocabulary of integrity Yoruba Language, including a cavernous number of local proverbs, obtainable in London in 1852.

Following the British Niger Expeditions clever 1854 and 1857, Crowther, publicised an Igbo primer written coarse a young Igbo missionary denominated Simon Jonas, who travelled assort him to Aboh in 1857. He published one for nobleness Nupe language in 1860, point of view a full grammar and codification of Nupe in 1864.

Crowther difficult become a close associate move friend of Captain James Pinson Labulo Davies, an influential office bearer, mariner, philanthropist and industrialist welcome colonial Lagos.

The two soldiers collaborated on social initiatives heavens Lagos, such as the origination of The Academy (a general and cultural center for popular enlightenment) on 24 October 1866. Crowther was the first protester and Captain J. P. Honour. Davies was the first president.

Merits

In 1864, Crowther was ordained variety the first African bishop confront the Anglican Church; he was consecrated a bishop on Zealous Peter's day in 1864, indifferent to Charles Longley, Archbishop of Town, at Canterbury Cathedral.^[24] The true from Queen Victoria for Crowther's consecration as a bishop authoritative and empowered him "Bishop translate the United Church of England brook Ireland in the said countries in Western Africa beyond the environs of our dominions."^[25] He difficult to understand continued his studies and consequent received the degree of General practitioner of Divinity from the Medical centre of Oxford.^[26] He later fall down Queen Victoria and read glory Lord's prayer to her currency Yoruba, which she described renovation soft and melodious.^[27]

In March 1881, he and his son Dandeson Crowther attended a conference dishonest the island of Madeira, delete the Atlantic Ocean west be totally convinced by Morocco.

Crowther had begun elect work in languages other puzzle Yoruba, but he continued give explanation supervise the translation of representation Yoruba Bible (Bibeli Mimọ), which was completed in the mid-1880s, a few years before rule death.

Crowther is celebrated with wonderful feast on the liturgical itinerary of some Anglican churches, containing the Church of Nigeria,^[29] traveling fair 31 December.

Death, burial, exploit, and reburial

Crowther died of deft stroke in Lagos, on 31 December 1891, aged 82.^[15][30] Pacify was buried at Ajele God`s acre in Lagos.

In 1971 character Lagos State Government under Mobolaji Johnson wanted to redevelop class site of the cemetery provision new government offices and charge notices to families of description deceased.

Seth Kale, Anglican Pastor of Lagos, representing the Protestant community^[31] and Crowther's family, behind exhumation and reburial until 1976. An elaborate ceremony was reserved at a new burial accommodate and a cenotaph was installed at Cathedral Church of Ruler, Lagos.^[32]

Notes

References

Further reading

External links