MOFFAT, ROBERT (1795-1883)

This article appears in Volume V18, Page 645 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: MIC-MOL

MOFFAT, ROBERT (1795-1883) , Scottish Congregationalist missionary to Africa, was born at Ormiston, Haddingtonshire, on the 21st of December 1795, of humble parentage. He began as a gardener, but in 1814, when employed at High Leigh in Cheshire, offered himself to the London Missionary Society, and in 1816 was sent out to

South

SOUTH
SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

Africa. After spending a year in Namaqua Land, with the

chief

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

Afrikaner, whom he converted, Moffat returned to Cape Town in 1819 and married Mary

Smith

(1795-1870), the daughter of a former employer, a remarkable woman and most helpful wife. In 182o Moffat and his wife left the Cape and proceeded to Griqua Town, and ultimately settled at Kuruman, among the Bechuana tribes living to the west of the Vaal river. Here he worked as a missionary till 187o, when he reluctantly returned finally to his native land. He made frequent journeys into the neighbouring regions as far north as the Matabele country. The results of these journeys he communicated to the Royal Geographical Society (Journal xxv.-xxxviii. and Proceedings ii.), and when in England on furlough (1839--1843) he published his well-known Missionary Labours and Scenes in

South

SOUTH
SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

Africa (1842). He translated the whole of the Bible and The Pilgrim's Progress into Sechwana. Moffat was builder, carpenter,

smith

, gardener, farmer, all in one, and by precept and example he succeeded in. turning a

horde

HORDE

of bloodthirsty savages into a "people appreciating and cultivating 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

WORK

. On his return to England he received a testimonial of 5000. He died at Leigh, near Tunbridge Wells, on the 9th of August 1883.
See Lives of Robert and Mary Moffat, by J. S. Moffat (1885) ; and C. S. Horne, The Story of the L. M. S. (1894).

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