John Coleridge Patteson
Encyclopedia
John Coleridge Patteson (1 April 1827 – 20 September 1871) was an Anglican
bishop
and martyr
.
Patteson was educated at The King's School, Ottery St Mary, Eton
and then Balliol College
, Oxford
. He was ordained in 1853 in the Church of England
. His old tutor at Eton, George Augustus Selwyn
, was the first Bishop of New Zealand, and he persuaded Patteson to become a missionary
to the South Seas.
. He founded a college on Norfolk Island
for native boys, toured the islands on the ship Southern Cross
, and learned many of the local languages. In 1861 he was made Bishop of Melanesia.
Patteson's aim was to take boys from local communities, educate them in western Christian culture and return them to their communities. Persuading local people to allow their young men to depart – sometimes for years – was his principal problem.
in the Solomon Islands
, where he had landed alone. The explanation of his death at the time was that natives killed him as revenge for the abduction of some natives by illegal labour recruiters months earlier. These recruiters, known as "blackbirders
", were considered to be virtually slave traders by members of the mission, as they enticed or abducted youths to work on plantations.
Two Norwegian historians (Thorgeir Kolshus and Even Hovdhaugen, 2010) who have examined the evidence, say that there were various stories at the time and later about his death. One was that he was killed by a man whose relative had been abducted, others were that the killing was sanctioned by the men in the community. Kolshus and Hovdhaugen argue that the natives may not have completely distinguished between the blackbirders and the missionaries, as both took young people away from the communities.
The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica asserts that the death was a tragic error:
An alternative theory, suggested by Kolshus and Hovdhaugen, was that Patteson had upset the local hierarchy among the natives by giving gifts without due regard for precedence and by cultivating support among women in the community, contrary to patriarchal norms. They saw him as a threat to their social order.
His death became a cause celebre in England
and increased interest both in missionary work and in improvement of the working conditions in Melanesia
. His life is celebrated in the Church of England
as a saintly one, and he is commemorated with a Lesser Festival
on 20 September. There is a memorial to him in the chapel of Merton College, Oxford
by Thomas Woolner
, which depicts his portrait surrounded by fronds, beneath which he is shown lying in the canoe, as described above.
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
and martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
.
Patteson was educated at The King's School, Ottery St Mary, Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and then Balliol College
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. He was ordained in 1853 in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. His old tutor at Eton, George Augustus Selwyn
George Augustus Selwyn
George Augustus Selwyn was the first Anglican Bishop of New Zealand. He was Bishop of New Zealand from 1841 to 1858. His diocese was then subdivided and Selwyn was Primate of New Zealand from 1858 to 1868. He was Bishop of Lichfield from 1868 to 1878...
, was the first Bishop of New Zealand, and he persuaded Patteson to become a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to the South Seas.
Missionary work
In 1855 Patteson set out to found the Melanesian MissionMelanesian Mission
The Melanesian Mission is an Anglican missionary agency supporting the work of local Anglican churches in Melanesia. It was established to purchase the ship Southern Cross. Today it continues to provide financial and staffing support for the Church of the Province of Melanesia, an independent...
. He founded a college on Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
for native boys, toured the islands on the ship Southern Cross
Southern Cross (ship)
Southern Cross has been the name of a succession of ships serving the Melanesian Mission of the Anglican Church and the Church of the Province of Melanesia. She succeeded the Undine, a 21-ton schooner built at Auckland and in service from 1849 to 1857...
, and learned many of the local languages. In 1861 he was made Bishop of Melanesia.
Patteson's aim was to take boys from local communities, educate them in western Christian culture and return them to their communities. Persuading local people to allow their young men to depart – sometimes for years – was his principal problem.
Death
On 20 September 1871 he was murdered on the island of NukapuNukapu
Nukapu is one of the islands of the nation of Solomon Islands. It is in the Reef Islands group in Temotu Province; the easternmost province of the Solomons.The island contains a memorial to Bishop John Patteson who was murdered on Nukapu in 1871....
in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, where he had landed alone. The explanation of his death at the time was that natives killed him as revenge for the abduction of some natives by illegal labour recruiters months earlier. These recruiters, known as "blackbirders
Blackbirding
Blackbirding is a term that refers to recruitment of people through trickery and kidnappings to work as labourers. From the 1860s blackbirding ships were engaged in seeking workers to mine the guano deposits on the Chincha Islands in Peru...
", were considered to be virtually slave traders by members of the mission, as they enticed or abducted youths to work on plantations.
Two Norwegian historians (Thorgeir Kolshus and Even Hovdhaugen, 2010) who have examined the evidence, say that there were various stories at the time and later about his death. One was that he was killed by a man whose relative had been abducted, others were that the killing was sanctioned by the men in the community. Kolshus and Hovdhaugen argue that the natives may not have completely distinguished between the blackbirders and the missionaries, as both took young people away from the communities.
The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica asserts that the death was a tragic error:
The traders engaged in the nefarious traffic in Kanaka labour for Fiji and Queensland had taken to [im]personating missionaries in order to facilitate their kidnapping; Patteson was mistaken for one of these and killed. His murderers evidently found out their mistake and repented of it, for the bishop's body was found at sea floating in a canoe, covered with a palm fibre matting, and a palm-branch in his hand. He is thus represented in the bas-relief erected in Merton College to his memory.
An alternative theory, suggested by Kolshus and Hovdhaugen, was that Patteson had upset the local hierarchy among the natives by giving gifts without due regard for precedence and by cultivating support among women in the community, contrary to patriarchal norms. They saw him as a threat to their social order.
His death became a cause celebre in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and increased interest both in missionary work and in improvement of the working conditions in Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
. His life is celebrated in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
as a saintly one, and he is commemorated with a Lesser Festival
Lesser Festival
Lesser Festivals are a type of observance in the Church of England, considered to be less significant than a Principal Feast, Principal Holy Day, or Festival, but more significant than a Commemoration. Whereas Principal Feasts must be celebrated, it is not obligatory to observe Lesser Festivals...
on 20 September. There is a memorial to him in the chapel of Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
by Thomas Woolner
Thomas Woolner
Thomas Woolner RA was an English sculptor and poet who was one of the founder-members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was the only sculptor among the original members....
, which depicts his portrait surrounded by fronds, beneath which he is shown lying in the canoe, as described above.
Biographies
- Martyr of the Islands: The Life and Death of John Coleridge Patteson, by Sir John Gutch
- Life of John Coleridge Patteson by Charlotte Mary YongeCharlotte Mary YongeCharlotte Mary Yonge , was an English novelist, known for her huge output, now mostly out of print.- Life :Charlotte Mary Yonge was born in Otterbourne, Hampshire, England, on 11 August 1823 to William Yonge and Fanny Yonge, née Bargus. She was educated at home by her father, studying Latin, Greek,...
- Dictionary of New Zealand Biography
- Bishop Patteson the first bishop of Melanesia
- Coleridge Patteson memorial, Oxford
General
- Documents by and about Patteson from Project CanterburyProject CanterburyProject Canterbury is an online archive of material related to the history of Anglicanism. It was founded by Richard Mammana, Jr. in 1999, and is hosted by the non-profit Society of Archbishop Justus...
- Life by Charlotte Yonge
- Biographical entry from Volume V20, Page 937 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
- The Death of Bishop Patteson
- Coleridge Patteson memorial, Oxford