Dandeson Coates Crowther: Difference between revisions

[[Archdeacon]] '''Dandeson Coates Crowther''' [[OBE]] (24 September 1844 - 5 January 1938) was borna onson Septemberof 24th[[Archbishop]] [[Samuel Ajayi Crowther]]<ref name=":1">J, 1844Hanciles, Jehu (1844–1938). "Crowther, Dandeson Coates (B)". ''Dictionary of African Christian Biography''.</ref> and a leader of the Anglican [[Church of England|Church]] in [[West Africa]]. He was born in [[Sierra Leone]].<ref name=":0">Hanciles, Jehu J. (October 1994). "Dandeson Coates Crowther and the Niger Delta Pastorate: Blazing Torch or Flickering Flame?". ''International Bulletin of Missionary Research''. '''18''' (4): 166–172. [[Doi (identifier)|doi]]:10.1177/239693939401800404. [[ISSN (identifier)|ISSN]] 0272-6122. [[S2CID (identifier)|S2CID]] 149088333.</ref> He iswas thea sonpart of [[Archbishop]]the [[SamuelChristian AjayiMissionary Crowther]].<ref name=":1">J, Hanciles, JehuSociety (1844–1938CMS). "Crowther,in Dandeson1870 Coatesand (B)".titled ''Dictionaryas "Archdeacon" of Africanthe Christian[[Niger Biography''Delta]] in 1876.</ref name=":1" /> He wasis acredited leaderwith ofinitiating the Christian"mass [[Churchmovement" oftowards England|Church]]Christianity in [[Westthe Africa]].1870s Heand was a part ofultimately the Christianfirst MissionaryAfrican Societysecession (CMS)from inthe 1870Anglican andChurch titledwhen ashe "Archdeacon" offounded the [[Niger Delta]] in 1876Pastorate.<ref name=":1" />

He was ordained at Saint Mary's Parish Church by Samuel Ajayi Crowther.<ref name=":0" /> Prior to this role, he held a few temporary roles. This included jobs such as secretary and chaplain<ref name=":2">CMS Register 1804-1894, List III, no. 155</ref> for his father Samuel Ajayi Crowther and Senior Pastor in [[Bonny Island|Bonny]], Niger Delta.<ref name=":0" />

== Early Lifelife ==

Dandeson Coates Crowther was the youngest son of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, who was the first African [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] Bishop in [[Nigeria]].<ref name=":1" /> His father, Archbishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, was born in 1807 in Osogun, [[Yorubaland]], Nigeria.<ref name=":3">"Samuel Ajayi Crowther | Slavery and Remembrance". ''slaveryandremembrance.org''.</ref> He was enslaved at 13 years old and traded to Portuguese slave ships.<ref name=":3" /> After [[Great Britain]] abolished the slave trade in 1807, Royal Navy patrols stopped Ajayi's captive ship in April 1822, transporting these newly freedmen to [[Freetown]], Sierra Leone.<ref name=":3" /> He was converted to the Anglican Church and adopted the name Crowther.<ref name=":3" /> Dandeson Crowther, born in 1844, was the youngest of his children.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

Dandeson Coates Crowther was edcuatededucated in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and England. He attended the [[CMS Grammar School, Lagos|Christian Missionary Society Grammar School]] located in [[Lagos]], Nigeria in 1860.<ref name=":2" /> He then relocated and attended the Christian Missionary Society College in [[Islington]], [[London]], graduating in 1863.<ref name=":0" /> He received a [[EnglandDoctor of Divinity|Doctorate of Divinity]], in [[United KingdomLambeth]], graduating in 18631921.<ref name=":02" />[[File:Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther and son Dandeson 1870.png|thumb|300px|Dandeson, with father [[Samuel Ajayi Crowther]]]]

== Mission: Call/Journey/Service/Return ==

HisDandeson Coates Crowther's journey as a [[missionary]] began in 1870 after he was ordained by his father.<ref name=":0" /> On 19 June 19th of 1870, he became a [[deacon]] at Saint Mary's Parish Church in Islington, London, England, United Kingdom.<ref name=":0" /> OnHe Marchreturned 12thto ofthe Niger Delta in 1871 to join the Christian Missionary Society Niger Mission. On 12 March 1871, he became a [[priest]] in Lagos, Nigeria.<ref name=":0" /> He returned to the Niger Delta in 1871 to join the Christian Missionary Society Niger Mission. He remained at Bonny Island, [[Rivers State]], Nigeria until becoming Archdeacon of the Niger Delta in 1876.<ref name=":2" /> He was specifically Archdeacon, often called "[[The Venerable|venerable]]," of the Lower Niger and Delta stations,<ref name=":2" /> and leadled the Southern Nigeria Province of the Christian Missionary Society Mission. He received a [[Doctor of Divinity|Doctorate of Divinity]] in [[Lambeth]], England, United Kingdom in 1921.<ref name=":2" />

Dandeson CoatesD.C. Crowther frequently travelled across continents,<ref name=":2" /> utilizing shipping lines between Great Britain and West Africa, such as the [[Elder Dempster Lines|Elder Dempster Line]].<ref>UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960, Liverpool, 1933 Aug 23</ref> He constantly travelled between London, England, United Kingdom and Nigeria, but when he got sick, he traveled to Freetown, Sierra Leone.<ref name=":2" />

Crowther struggled throughout his mission as some of the leaders of the Christian Missionary Society did not want any non-native Europeans to run the Mission. The backlash against African-born [[Clergy|clergymenclergy]]men skyrocketed after the Niger Crisis of 1890<ref name=":3" /> and even led to the death of Samuel Ajayi Crowther in 1891.<ref name=":3" /> Today, historians possess letters written by Dandeson Coates Crowther, expressing his realization of people attempting to kick him out of the Christian Missionary Society.<ref>Papers relating to Africa: Miscellaneous papers, letters and reports, 1880-1892. A3/1/1J <nowiki>https://www-amscholar-amdigital-co-uk.proxy.library.upenn.edu/Documents/SearchDetails/CMS_VII_Part1_Reel15_Vol1</nowiki></ref> He concluded his role as Archdeacon of the Niger Delta in 1926.<ref name=":2" /> In 1935, he was awarded the [[Order of the British Empire]], [[Knight|knightedknight]]ed by the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|King of England]], and made "[[Sir]]."<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Supplement to the London Gazette |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34119/data.pdf |access-date=15 January 2024 |issue=34119 |publisher=The Stationery Office, National Archives UK |date=28 Dec 1934 |pages=13}}</ref> He died at the age of 93 years old on 5 January 5th, 1938 in Freetown, Sierra Leone.<ref name=":2" />{{Portal|Christianity}}

Before passing away in 1938, Crowther was involved in the Delta Revolt and often fought for Africans to run their continent without the sole reliance on Europeans.<ref name=":0" /> The Niger Delta separated from the Christian Missionary Society after Crowther advocated for a self-governing African church, establishing the Niger Delta Pastorate in 1892.<ref name=":1" /> To carry out this mission, he often dabbled in translating work. He translated the [[Book of Common Prayer|Anglican Book of Common Prayer]], "Dusk to Dusk," into [[Igbo language|Igbo]], a language of [[Igboland|southeastern Nigeria]]. He also translated a portion of the book of [[Jeremiah]] of Thethe [[Bible]] into [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]], a language of [[South West (Nigeria)|southwestern Nigeria]].<ref name=":2" /> Following in the footsteps of his father, who translated Thethe Bible and Thethe Book of Common Prayer into Yoruba,<ref name=":3" /> Dandeson Coates Crowther, worked to keep Africans as involved with the Church as possible, while maintaining autonomy and freedom.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}