John Marrant
Encyclopedia
John Marrant was one of the first African-American preacher
s and missionaries
. He wrote three books about his experiences as a preacher.
in 1755. Following the death of his father, he moved with his mother to Florida
, Georgia
and Charleston, South Carolina
. He was able to read and spell by the age of 11. Marrant was taught how to play the French horn and violin
, entertaining the local gentry at balls.
At the age of 13 Marrant was taken to hear Methodist preacher George Whitefield
and was converted. After disagreements with his family about this, he wandered in the wilderness, relying on God to feed and protect him. He was found by a Cherokee
hunter and taken to a Cherokee town, where he was sentenced to death. However, he was spared, allegedly due to the miraculous conversion of the executioner.
Marrant lived with the Cherokees for two years before returning to Charleston, where his own family didn't recognise him. He continued his missionary work with slaves, despite the objection of their owners, until the start of the American Revolution
.
into the Royal Navy
for six years before being discharged in 1782, but official records do not show him as having served with the Navy. In 1782 Marrant started training as a Methodist minister with the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
. He is shown on the New York City Inspection Roll of Negroes as the owner of Melia Marrant and two children, although Devona Mallory in African American Lives claims that these people were his family.
He was ordained in 1785 and sent to Nova Scotia
to minister to several thousand African Americans who had fled north during the fighting.
Marrant moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1787 before returning briefly in 1788 to Nova Scotia to marry Elizabeth Herries. In 1788 he became the chaplain of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons in Boston, a group which led the successful movement to abolish slavery
in 1788.
Marrant traveled to London
in 1790, and died in the suburb of Islington
the following year.
Critics have noted that the narrative has a very different tone to his later publications. However, Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
has argued in The Signifying Monkey that many early African American narratives were transcribed by white editors, which would explain the different writing style.
Marrant delivered a sermon in 1789 noting the equality of men
before God
; it was published. His final published work was a 1790 journal.
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
s and missionaries
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...
. He wrote three books about his experiences as a preacher.
Early life and career
Marrant was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1755. Following the death of his father, he moved with his mother to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. He was able to read and spell by the age of 11. Marrant was taught how to play the French horn and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, entertaining the local gentry at balls.
At the age of 13 Marrant was taken to hear Methodist preacher George Whitefield
George Whitefield
George Whitefield , also known as George Whitfield, was an English Anglican priest who helped spread the Great Awakening in Britain, and especially in the British North American colonies. He was one of the founders of Methodism and of the evangelical movement generally...
and was converted. After disagreements with his family about this, he wandered in the wilderness, relying on God to feed and protect him. He was found by a Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
hunter and taken to a Cherokee town, where he was sentenced to death. However, he was spared, allegedly due to the miraculous conversion of the executioner.
Marrant lived with the Cherokees for two years before returning to Charleston, where his own family didn't recognise him. He continued his missionary work with slaves, despite the objection of their owners, until the start of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
Later life and career
Marrant claimed that he was impressedImpressment
Impressment, colloquially, "the Press", was the act of taking men into a navy by force and without notice. It was used by the Royal Navy, beginning in 1664 and during the 18th and early 19th centuries, in wartime, as a means of crewing warships, although legal sanction for the practice goes back to...
into the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
for six years before being discharged in 1782, but official records do not show him as having served with the Navy. In 1782 Marrant started training as a Methodist minister with the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion is a small society of evangelical churches, founded in 1783 by Selina, Countess of Huntingdon as a result of the Evangelical Revival. For years it was strongly associated with the Calvinist Methodist movement of George Whitefield...
. He is shown on the New York City Inspection Roll of Negroes as the owner of Melia Marrant and two children, although Devona Mallory in African American Lives claims that these people were his family.
He was ordained in 1785 and sent to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to minister to several thousand African Americans who had fled north during the fighting.
Marrant moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1787 before returning briefly in 1788 to Nova Scotia to marry Elizabeth Herries. In 1788 he became the chaplain of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons in Boston, a group which led the successful movement to abolish slavery
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
in 1788.
Marrant traveled to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1790, and died in the suburb of Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
the following year.
Writings
In 1785 he published A Narrative of the Lord's Wonderful Dealings with John Marrant, A Black, with the assistance of Reverend William Aldridge, who transcribed it. This memoir proved to be very popular, going to 17 editions, although Marrant did not receive much financial benefit from it, as not all of the printings were authorised.Critics have noted that the narrative has a very different tone to his later publications. However, Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr., is an American literary critic, educator, scholar, writer, editor, and public intellectual. He was the first African American to receive the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship. He has received numerous honorary degrees and awards for his teaching, research, and...
has argued in The Signifying Monkey that many early African American narratives were transcribed by white editors, which would explain the different writing style.
Marrant delivered a sermon in 1789 noting the equality of men
Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...
before God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
; it was published. His final published work was a 1790 journal.
Books
- A Narrative of the Lord's Wonderful Dealings with John Marrant, A Black, 1785.
- A Sermon Preached on the 24th Day of June 1789...at the Request of the Right Worshipful the Grand Master Prince Hall, and the Rest of the Brethren of the African Lodge of the Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons in Boston, 1789.
- A Journal of the Rev. John Marrant, from August the 18th, 1785, to the 16th of March, 1790.