r THE HUGUENOT COULEGE AND SEMINARIES, The Meriden Gravure Co. Meriden, Conn. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Columbia University Libraries https://archive.org/details/huguenotcollegeaOOpier (a^® r THE Huguenot College AND SEMINARIES. South Africa. '■^“Tbe Light of the Cape of Good Hoped’ “ If you want to serve your race,” said Mary Lyon, “go where no one else will go, and do what no one else will do,” We propose to draw in profile the outline of one of the most wonderful and fascinating stories of modern times, the narrative of the founding of the Huguenot College at Wellington, Cape Colony. Wellington, forty-six miles from Cape Town, is a gem set in a ring of mountains—the Drakenstein and Paarl ranges. It is now more than two centures since some three hundred Huguenots, who had fled from France to Holland after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, accepted the invitation of the Dutch East India Company and settled at the Cape. What the *This sketch is taken from "The Miracles of Missions, No. XVIII.’’ writ¬ ten by Rev. A. T. Pierson. D. D., for the "Missionary Review of the WorlJ,’’ June, 1891. 'A few changes are made to bring it up to date, June, 1894. 2 THE HUGUENOT COLLEGE AND Puritans were to America, these devoted refugees be¬ came to South Africa. By law Dutch was the language of the colony; and so in a few generations, the French ceased to be their language and almost the nationality of these refugees was lost. Early in this century the colony passed into the hands of Great Britain, and the Dutch Reformed churches, already established, became large¬ ly supplied with Scotch Presbyterian pastors. One of these was Rev. Andrew Murray, who was settled over the congregation at Graaff Reinet. He married a Germano-Huguenot lady, and five of their sons became ministers of the Gospel in the colony, and four of their daughters the wives of ministers. The second son, also called Andrew, is the pastor of the church at Wellington, and the now famous au¬ thor of the most precious devotional books which perhaps during the past half century have been issued from the English press. This man of God, Andrew Murray, over twenty years ago, buried two young children at his African home; and as Mrs. Murray expressed it, “their hands seemed emptied and ready for some work with which the Lord was waiting to fill them.” The bereaved husband and wife went in December, 1872 to the sea¬ side to rest, and there they read together the marvel¬ lous life of Mary Lyon. So thrilled were they by that story of heroism that they sought to obtain everything that could further inform them of the subsequent his¬ tory of the Holyoke Seminary and its pupils, and eagerly devoured the story of Fidelia Fiske, the Mary Lyon of Persia. About this time the descendants of those Hugue- SEMINARIES, SOUTH AFRICA. 3 not refugees living at Wellington and in its vicinity, were proposing to build some monument or memorial to their ancestors, and Mr, Murray was strongly im¬ pressed that the best memorial they could rear was just such a school for their daughters. The schools scattered through South Africa were few of them fit¬ ted to train immortal souls for service here and glory hereafter. Every indication of human need or divine Providence seemed to point to this as the time and place for a new Holyoke. And after much thought, consultation and prayer, letters were written to the Massachusetts Holyoke asking for a graduate to found a similar school at the Cape of Good Hope. These letters awakened unusual interest at the pa¬ rent Seminary, and were put into the hands of Miss Abbie P. Ferguson, a graduate of the class of 1856, who was at that time conducting a successful work in New Haven, Conn. Her mind was so deeply im¬ pressed that God was calling her to Africa, that she could not rest until she had laid herself at the Lord’s feet to 20 wherever He might lead. She found that already Miss Anna E. Bliss, of the class of 1862, had signified her willingness to respond to this call, and all interested felt that it was a work for two rather than one alone. Just at this time, across the Atlantic special prayer was arising that Jehovah Jireh would provide a teacher, and so once more prayer and its answer joined in a blessed harmony, man’s perform¬ ance and God’s purpose. Before the letters reached Wellington telling of the decision of these teachers, Mr. Murray, with characteristic faith, had sent pas¬ sage money to America, and when the news of the de¬ cision of Miss Ferguson and Miss Bliss reached the 4 THE HUGUENOT COLLEGE AND colonists, the open letters were bedewed with the tears of thanksgiving. They had asked one teacher and God had given two. Mr. Murray rehearsed the whole story of this marked leading of God, commended the prepared work to the Lord in prayer, and pledges were given on the spot to insure the support of the new school. Though not a rich people, in a few weeks £1,500 ($7,500) had been given by the Wellingtonians alone, one widow giving one-sixteenth of the whole amount, all her little patrimony. Miss Ferguson and Miss Bliss sailed for Africa in September, 1873, arrived in about eight weeks. They found that a large building with grounds had been bought for the school, the life of Mary Lyon had been translated into Dutch, and many young people were ready to enter as pupils into the new Huguenot Seminary, and others came for training as teachers seeking higher fitness for their calling. The Seminary was formally opened January 19, 1874, and the large assemblage which that day prayer¬ fully committed the work to the Lord will never be forgotten. During the first term there were forty students from fifteen to forty years of age p and the Bible and prayer were from the first characteristic features of the school life, the first hour of each day being given to instruction in the Holy Word, and a half hour each morning and evening being re¬ served for the quiet of personal communion with God. The devout and earnest purpose of these teachers was to educate Christian character. God honors those who honor Him. One morning the Scripture SEMINARIES, SOUTH AFRICA. 5 lesson was on the new birth, and before that day had gone thirteen had taken their place on the Lord’s side. Even those whom candor compelled to con¬ fess that they were unsaved, could not rest content without salvation, and when another meeting was called for those who felt that they were Christ’s, every one in the school came. And after all these years have put the confession to the test, nearly every one has remained faithful, and not a few have been fill¬ ing positions of singular usefulness. As might be expected the saved became saviours. Children were gathered from the streets, and a Sun¬ day School was formed; through the children access was obtained to their parents ; cottage meetings—as many as fourteen in or near the village—were con¬ ducted by the young ladies; the navvies and their families were reached by the same consecrated work¬ ers, and Wellington Seminary became a fountain of living waters. The Seminary building became to strait for the growth of the institution and a new building became a necessity ; its corner stone was laid November 19, 1874, the two buildings together costing f8,ooo ($40,000). Two more teachers were sent for, and Miss Wells and Miss Bailey came from America, November 1874, and soon after Miss Spijker from Holland to teach Dutch and French. In July, 1875 the new building was ready for use; the pupils increased from forty to ninety, and the school was divided into two departments—one pre¬ paratory. In December, 1875, Miss Landfear came from New 6 THE HUGUENOT COLLEGE AND Haven, Conn., to share the growing burden of the work; and still later. Miss Brewer of Stockbridge, Mass. In the mean time other educational institutions were opened, largely due to the influence of Welling¬ ton. In 1874 the Bloemhof Seminary at Stellenbosch began an important career of usefulness under the care of Miss Gilson from America. During 1875 ^ request was sent to America from Worcester, by Rev. Wm. Murray, the minister there, for two teachers. And as at Wellington, the spirit of faith and prayer anticipated the arrival of the teachers in preparing for the school and sending for¬ ward the passage money. The Misses Smith, two sisters of Sunderland, Mass., responded. In April, 1876 the Seminary building at Worcester was com¬ pleted. At the opening Rev. Andrew Murray spoke on the great need of multiplying such Christian schools in Africa, and it was determined to ask for six more teachers from over the seas. At the same time. Miss Helen Murray, who had been one of the students at Wellington, began work at Graaff Reinet, taking charge of the Midland Sem¬ inary with twenty-five boarders and as many day scholars. A revival during the first term put the significant seal of God’s approval on the work at its very incep¬ tion, and nearly all the pupils rejoiced in Jesus. During 1877 Messrs. Andrew and Charles Murray visited America, and in answer to their appeal for teachers thirteen more went to Africa that year. And when in September, 1877, the Messrs. Murray returned. Rev. Geo. Ferguson, brother to the princi- SEMINARIES, SOUTH AFRICA. 7 pal of the Huguenot Seminary at Wellington, came with them to take in charge an institute for training young men as evangelists and missionaries, and has since been engaged in that work at Wellington, send¬ ing out many efficient workers into different parts of Africa. When this noble band of workers arrived in 1877 to reinforce the Christian educational work in Africa, a feast of rejoicing and thanksgiving filled an eight days like the feasts of ancient Israel. The windows were illumined, the flowers hung in festoons or bloomed in bouquets as on an Easter morning, and the Lord was magnified in the praises of his own. One day twenty-seven Americans dined in the build¬ ing where, four years before, two teachers began their pioneer work. The teachers at Graaff Reinet, too far away to participate in person, flashed greet¬ ings over the electric wires. After a few days the new teachers began to dis¬ perse to Worcester, Stellenbosch, Graaff Reinet, etc. Miss Clary, who had been one of the teachers at Mt. Holyoke, chose Pretoria in the Transvaal, be¬ cause the work was most difficult and discouraging, and within a year she was not, for the Lord took her, and her unfinished work still calls for women of like spirit to undertake in the name of the Lord. Three teachers were added to the staff at the Hu¬ guenot Seminary, Wellington, Miss Cummings, Miss Knapp and Miss Newton, and the standard of the school kept rising higher and higher both intellectu¬ ally and spiritually. During 1878, stimulated by the reports of the Ten Years’ Work of the Woman’s Board of Missions 8 THE HUGUENOT COLLEGE AND in America, the Huguenot Missionary Society was or¬ ganized, and became speedily the parent of many mission circles. Missionary offerings had been the habit at the weekly devotional meetings, and had been sent to Mrs. Schauffler in Austria, to Dr. Ber¬ nardo and Annie Macpherson in London, and to the Basuto, Natal, and East Indian missions, but now the work took organized form, and before the year closed a member of the school offered herself as a missionary, and subsequently went as their represen¬ tative to the heathen in the Transvaal. This same year, 1878, the first graduating class left the Huguenot Seminary. To trace the after ca¬ reers of these graduates may give some hint of the streams which flow from this fountain. One of the four. Miss Malberle was next year a teacher in her Alma Mater, and then took the prin- cipalship of Prospect Seminary in Pretoria. Miss de Leeuw and Miss Mader started a boarding school in the Orange Free State. Miss Wilson went to teach in the Rockland Seminary at Cradock. In Decem- be, 1879, seven more young ladies received diplomas, and all became teachers. Meanwhile God continued to bestow His Grace, and again in 1879 nearly all of the inmates of the school became disciples of Christ. In April, 1880, Miss Ferguson left for rest and change, and visited her native land, returning the next year. In 1882 another building was erected to accommodate an increased number of boarders, and during the same year a normal department was or¬ ganized, and a model school opened for the training of the younger children of the village, where the students of the normal class have practice in teach- SEMINARIES, SOUTH AFRICA. 9 ing, and learn the most approved methods, kinder¬ garten, etc. Books and chemical and philosophical apparatus, a Williston observatory and telescope, etc. were furnished by generous friends, and far and wide the “daughters” of Miss Ferguson and her fel¬ low teachers scattered to diffuse new blessings. The pressure of pupils and too little room made it necessary again to enlarge, and a cottage adjoining the school grounds was purchased. In 1884 Miss Cummings of Strafford, Vermont, one of the teach¬ ers, came home for a year’s visit. The needs of Wel¬ lington were so laid upon her heart that she felt sure that God meant to supply them. The Lord honored her prayer of faith. The Hon. E. A. Good- now of Worcester, Mass., donated a building costing £3,000 ($15,000). The upper story, used as a chapel, seats 500, while the lower floor is devoted to art rooms and class rooms. Other friends donated the furnishings for the building. Miss Ferguson made a famous journey in 1887-8. In October, 1887, she left the Seminary for her year’s vacation. The first three months of it she spent in visiting the Midland province of the colony where some of the Seminary “Huguenots” are located as missionaries and teachers. She returned to Wellington in December and met two of her pupils from Basutoland, and returned with them to their home. They went by train from Wellington to Kimberly (where the diamond mines are), spent several days with school daughters there. A bullock wagon, drawn by fourteen oxen belonging to the missionaries was sent to meet them. Leaving Kimberly on the 28th of December, they reached Morijah on the loth of January, outspanning in the 10 THE HUGUENOT COLLEGE AND heat of the day, and travelling often by moonlight. Two Christian natives who had long been in the mission family had charge of the party—Eleazer and Nkloroso. 1 have before me the plan of the journey as Miss Ferguson sent it from Morijah. Here are extracts from her diary. “February 5, at Hermon (Basutoland); February 12, Mofuka’s for the baptism of the sister of the old chief Moshesh, over eighty years old, and others. February 19, Leribe, Mr. Coillard’s old station. Feb¬ ruary 27, Bethlehem, Orange Free State, with Mrs. Theron, one of our former Huguenot teachers. March 3, Heilbron, Orange Free State, where four of my Hu¬ guenot daughters live. March 8, Vredefort, Orange Free State, the minister from Wellington. March 12, Potchefstroorm, Transvaal, where I have several daughters. Here Mrs. Gonin, wife of the missionary at Saul’s Poort, Transvaal, meets me with her bul¬ lock wagon and we go on to Rustenburg, where one of my daughters is in the school with her father who is the principal. March 19 to April 20, in Saul’s Poort, Mabie’s Kraal and Mochuli, the latter in Bri¬ tish Bechuanaland. In all these places we have our girls who are missionaries. The last of April 1 go to Pretoria, Transvaal, where there are quite a num¬ ber of my girls, then on to Wakkerstroom, where one of my daughters is teaching, and from there to Utrecht, where Mr. Murray’s sister is the minister’s wife. The last of May to Rorke’s Drift, Natal, to my friend Baroness Posse, who is in mission work there. June and July I expect to spend in Natal with the American missionaries.’’ .Mwera ] 2 3 4 6 6 7 8 9 to tl A Reprinted from “The ENCvcLOPiEDiA of Missions,” Fdnk