Presbyterian missionaries to the New Hebrides, 1848-1920: a study particularly of mission families

Deposited with permission of the author. © 1977 Mary Dorothy KeaneBetween 1848 and 1920, sixty two ordained Presbyterian ministers drawn from Scotland, British North America, and the Australasian colonies were commissioned as missionaries to the New Hebrides. Though there was a considerable turnover, one half served less than ten years, a significant proportion, one third, served twenty years or more, and the average length of service was fourteen years. This thesis has as its subject the mission community established by these men, all but two of them married; a community in marginal contact with an alien culture, considered in comparison with their own culture to be degenerate. The mission community had as its fundamental purpose the regeneration of the heather through Christianisation. Attention will be given to the manner as well as the decisions of church government; to the family nature of the mission with particular emphasis on family concepts through a study of mission homes, wives and children; to the suffering endured and finally to quite obvious changes brought about in native life through the work of the mission community. As an introduction, this preface will outline the motivation of the missionaries, the geographical and cultural environment of the new Hebrides, as well as present a review of historical accounts and discussion of source materials available. Finally reasons for the time span chosen will be stated. It was argued by those Protestants, such as Moderate Calvinists, who believed in the doctrine of universal atonement, the South Seas had been discovered through the Providence of God. It could be argued that there was an obligation to take the Gospel to the perishing heathen.1 Scottish and British North American Presbyterian churches, divided even though they were, both Reformed and Free were persuaded by men such as John Geddie to support missions to the heathen, though there was still a significant opposition to such activity, often on the grounds of greater need at home than on specific doctrinal grounds. (For complete preface open document