ROBERT

See also:

• MOFFAT
• ROBERT MOFFAT (1795-1883)

MOFFAT (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 Africa . After spending a year in Namaqua Land, 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, 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 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 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 . 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) .