Maria Newell
Encyclopedia
Maria Newell Gützlaff was an English
missionary
, teacher
and translator.
Maria was born at Stepney
, Middlesex
, in England
, the child of Samuel Newell, tallow chandler, and Mary Duchesne.
Maria studied Chinese under Robert Morrison during his furlough in the 1820s, and was appointed the first female missionary of the London Missionary Society
(LMS). The planned for her to carry on female education among the Chinese immigrants in. Before this time sending unmarried female missionaries was absolutely unheard of. She sailed from England on 11 April 1827 (in the company of Maria Dyer) and reached Malacca
, Straits Settlements, on 26 August 1827.
On 26 November 1829 she was married to Karl Gutzlaff
, after their marriage she went with her husband to Siam on 11 February 1830. "These two devoted themselves to studying Siamese and translating, hardly allowing themselves time to eat or sleep, and daily employing a number of copyists. Thus they succeeded in evolving a very imperfect translation of the whole Bible in Siamese, a considerable portion of it into the Lao and Cambodian languages, and preparing a dictionary and grammar of the Siamese and Cambodian. These translations were later delivered by Mr. Gutzlaff to Mr. Robinson of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and the dictionary was taken over by Mr. Jones
of the Baptist Board
and became the foundation of the dictionary later prepared by Eliza Grew Jones
."
On 16 February 1831 Maria gave birth to twin daughters at Bangkok
, Siam. She died a few hours later. One child died at birth, the other was left for a time with her Siamese nurse, later, when it became possible she was put in the care of a Mrs. Thomson in Singapore
, she lived about four months.
Maria and the small children were buried by special permit at the upper side of the Portuguese Consulate gate. This plot continued to be the burial ground of the missionaries and others until King Mongkut made a grant for this purpose in 1853, and in 1893 this earliest cemetery which had eventually been bought by the Baptist Mission, was sold and the graves moved to the new Protestant Cemetery
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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...
, teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and translator.
Maria was born at Stepney
Stepney
Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London's East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan's church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, 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...
, the child of Samuel Newell, tallow chandler, and Mary Duchesne.
Maria studied Chinese under Robert Morrison during his furlough in the 1820s, and was appointed the first female missionary of the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
(LMS). The planned for her to carry on female education among the Chinese immigrants in. Before this time sending unmarried female missionaries was absolutely unheard of. She sailed from England on 11 April 1827 (in the company of Maria Dyer) and reached Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
, Straits Settlements, on 26 August 1827.
On 26 November 1829 she was married to Karl Gutzlaff
Karl Gützlaff
Karl Friedrich August Gützlaff , anglicised as Charles Gutzlaff, was a German missionary to the Far East, notable as one of the first Protestant missionaries in Bangkok, Thailand and for his books about China. He was one of the first Protestant missionaries in China to dress like a Chinese...
, after their marriage she went with her husband to Siam on 11 February 1830. "These two devoted themselves to studying Siamese and translating, hardly allowing themselves time to eat or sleep, and daily employing a number of copyists. Thus they succeeded in evolving a very imperfect translation of the whole Bible in Siamese, a considerable portion of it into the Lao and Cambodian languages, and preparing a dictionary and grammar of the Siamese and Cambodian. These translations were later delivered by Mr. Gutzlaff to Mr. Robinson of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and the dictionary was taken over by Mr. Jones
John Taylor Jones
Rev. Dr. John Taylor Jones was one of the earliest Protestant missionaries to Siam with his wife, Eliza Grew Jones...
of the Baptist Board
American Baptist Missionary Union
American Baptist Missionary Union is an international Protestant Christian missionary society founded in 1814 in the United States...
and became the foundation of the dictionary later prepared by Eliza Grew Jones
Eliza Grew Jones
Eliza Grew Jones is noted for having created a romanized script for writing the Siamese language, and for creating the first Siamese-English dictionary.-Biography:...
."
On 16 February 1831 Maria gave birth to twin daughters at Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Siam. She died a few hours later. One child died at birth, the other was left for a time with her Siamese nurse, later, when it became possible she was put in the care of a Mrs. Thomson in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, she lived about four months.
Maria and the small children were buried by special permit at the upper side of the Portuguese Consulate gate. This plot continued to be the burial ground of the missionaries and others until King Mongkut made a grant for this purpose in 1853, and in 1893 this earliest cemetery which had eventually been bought by the Baptist Mission, was sold and the graves moved to the new Protestant Cemetery
Bangkok Protestant Cemetery
The Bangkok Protestant Cemetery is a cemetery catering mainly to the foreign community in Bangkok. To date, the cemetery has over 1800 interments, and it is still accepting burials on a limited basis...
.