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{{Short description|American Christian missionary}}
'''Eliza Agnew''' (February 2, 1807 – June 14, 1839) was an American [[Presbyterian]] [[missionary]]. She was born in New York City to James and Jane Agnew.
{{Infobox person
| name = Eliza Agnew
| image = ElizaAgnew1894.png
| alt = The face of a white woman, wearing a bonnet tied under her chin.
| caption = Eliza Agnew, from a 1894 publication.
| birth_name =
| birth_date = February 2, 1807
| birth_place = New York
| death_date = June 14, 1883
| death_place = Ceylon
| occupation = Missionary
}}


'''Eliza Agnew''' (February 2, 1807 –June 14, 1883) was an American [[Presbyterian]] [[missionary]] who taught for over forty years in [[Uduvil]], Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). She was known as the "Mother of a Thousand Daughters" for her many alumnae, and was the first unmarried American woman missionary in Ceylon.
==Background==


== Early life ==
On December 28, 1839, at a revival meeting at the Orange Street Presbyterian Church, she converted to Christianity. She was educated in and lived in New York City for nearly 32 years, devoting her service to the home, to the "Sabbath-school", and in the distribution of Scripture and [[Tract (literature)|tracts]]. After her parents died, she secured appointment to the Ceylon Mission of the American Board of Boston in 1839. She sailed from [[Boston, Massachusetts]] to [[Jaffna]], [[Ceylon]] ([[Sri Lanka]] as of 1972), aboard the ''Black Warrior''. She served as teacher for 42 years without furlough in the Female Boarding School in [[Uduvil]], just north of Jaffna, Ceylon. ''The Missionary Herald'' (September, 1863) rewarded her pioneering efforts in Ceylon towards helping girls and women with the following quote: "It is largely owing to the work she was permitted to do that female education is more advanced here (Ceylon) than in almost any other heathen land." She was a woman of prayer, concerned with the spiritual welfare of her students. Of one thousand people of three generations under her influence, six hundred adopted to Christianity. She visited and assisted graduates and ex-pupils with home economics and spiritual affairs. Then she resigned as principal of the school in 1879 and moved to [[Manipay]], just west of the school. She resided in the home of Misses M. and M.W. Leitch, American Board missionaries in Manipay. She died from a paralytic stroke in June 1883 and was buried in Uduvil near the school over which she presided.
Eliza Agnew was born in New York City in 1807, the daughter of James and Jane Agnew. As a girl, she was inspired by an 1823 revival meeting at the [[Orange Street Presbyterian Church]] to dedicate her life to church work.<ref>{{Cite book|last=American Council of Learned Societies|url=http://archive.org/details/dictionaryofamer01ilamer|title=Dictionary of American biography|date=1943|publisher=New York, C. Scribner's Sons|others=University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign|pages=125|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> She began her service in the home, to the "Sabbath-school", and in the distribution of Scripture and [[Tract (literature)|tracts]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Child|first=Abbie B.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WIpNAAAAYAAJ|title=Modern Apostles of Missionary Byways|publisher=Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions|year=1899|pages=70–80|chapter=Miss Eliza Agnew: Ceylon's 'Mother of a Thousand Daughters' (1807-1883)}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last1=Kurian|first1=George Thomas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=73xfDQAAQBAJ&q=%22James+and+Jane+Agnew%22+New+York&pg=PA36|title=Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States|last2=Lamport|first2=Mark A.|date=2016-11-10|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-1-4422-4432-0|pages=36|language=en}}</ref>

== Missionary work ==
After her parents died, Agnew secured appointment to the Ceylon Mission of the American Board of Boston in 1839. She sailed from [[Boston, Massachusetts]] to [[Jaffna]], [[Ceylon]], aboard the ''Black Warrior''.<ref name=":0">Katherine Hastings. [https://books.google.com/books?id=30c1AQAAMAAJ&dq=Abbie+G.+chapin&pg=PA409 "Ceylon: Miss Eliza Agnew"] ''Life and Light for Woman'' 24(September 1894): 409-412.</ref> She served as teacher for 42 years without furlough in the Female Boarding School in Uduvil, just north of Jaffna, Ceylon. "I gave it all up when I left America," she said of her unbroken tenure at Uduvil.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hubbard|first=Ethel|url=http://archive.org/details/elizaagnew00hubb|title=Eliza Agnew|date=1917|publisher=Boston : Woman's Board of Missions|others=Columbia University Libraries}}</ref> She was known as "Mother of a thousand daughters," and was the first unmarried American woman missionary in Ceylon.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Agnew, Eliza (1807-1883)|url=https://www.bu.edu/missiology/2017/08/16/agnew-eliza-1807-1883/|access-date=2020-11-14|website=History of Missiology}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=White|first=Ann|date=March 1988|title=Counting the Cost of Faith. America's Early Female Missionaries|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/church-history/article/counting-the-cost-of-faith-americas-early-female-missionaries/CEAAC535ED2FCD8809883C9670BA9DBC|journal=Church History|language=en|volume=57|issue=1|pages=19–30|doi=10.2307/3165900|jstor=3165900|s2cid=162932686 |issn=1755-2613}}</ref>

Agnew oversaw the building of new dormitories at Uduvil as the school grew in size and prestige.<ref name=":1" /> She visited and assisted graduates and ex-pupils with home economics and spiritual affairs. She resigned as principal of the school in 1879 and moved to [[Manipay]], just west of the school. She resided in the home of Misses Mary and Margaret W. Leitch, American Board missionaries in Manipay.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Leitch|first1=Mary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5i4dAAAAMAAJ&q=Agnew&pg=PA116|title=Seven Years in Ceylon: Stories of Mission Life|last2=Leitch|first2=Margaret W.|date=1890|publisher=American Tract Society|language=en}}</ref> She died from a paralytic stroke in June 1883 and was buried in Uduvil near the school over which she presided.<ref name=":0" />


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
*Johnson, Allen, ed. ''Dictionary of American Biography''. New York:Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936.
*''Who Was Who in American Biography: Historical Volume, 1607&ndash;1896.'' Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1963.


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}



{{DEFAULTSORT:Agnew, Eliza}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agnew, Eliza}}

Revision as of 17:25, 20 April 2023

Eliza Agnew
The face of a white woman, wearing a bonnet tied under her chin.
Eliza Agnew, from a 1894 publication.
BornFebruary 2, 1807
New York
DiedJune 14, 1883
Ceylon
OccupationMissionary

Eliza Agnew (February 2, 1807 –June 14, 1883) was an American Presbyterian missionary who taught for over forty years in Uduvil, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). She was known as the "Mother of a Thousand Daughters" for her many alumnae, and was the first unmarried American woman missionary in Ceylon.

Early life

Eliza Agnew was born in New York City in 1807, the daughter of James and Jane Agnew. As a girl, she was inspired by an 1823 revival meeting at the Orange Street Presbyterian Church to dedicate her life to church work.[1] She began her service in the home, to the "Sabbath-school", and in the distribution of Scripture and tracts.[2][3]

Missionary work

After her parents died, Agnew secured appointment to the Ceylon Mission of the American Board of Boston in 1839. She sailed from Boston, Massachusetts to Jaffna, Ceylon, aboard the Black Warrior.[4] She served as teacher for 42 years without furlough in the Female Boarding School in Uduvil, just north of Jaffna, Ceylon. "I gave it all up when I left America," she said of her unbroken tenure at Uduvil.[5] She was known as "Mother of a thousand daughters," and was the first unmarried American woman missionary in Ceylon.[6][7]

Agnew oversaw the building of new dormitories at Uduvil as the school grew in size and prestige.[3] She visited and assisted graduates and ex-pupils with home economics and spiritual affairs. She resigned as principal of the school in 1879 and moved to Manipay, just west of the school. She resided in the home of Misses Mary and Margaret W. Leitch, American Board missionaries in Manipay.[8] She died from a paralytic stroke in June 1883 and was buried in Uduvil near the school over which she presided.[4]

References

  1. ^ American Council of Learned Societies (1943). Dictionary of American biography. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. New York, C. Scribner's Sons. p. 125 – via Internet Archive.
  2. ^ Child, Abbie B. (1899). "Miss Eliza Agnew: Ceylon's 'Mother of a Thousand Daughters' (1807-1883)". Modern Apostles of Missionary Byways. Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions. pp. 70–80.
  3. ^ a b Kurian, George Thomas; Lamport, Mark A. (2016-11-10). Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-4422-4432-0.
  4. ^ a b Katherine Hastings. "Ceylon: Miss Eliza Agnew" Life and Light for Woman 24(September 1894): 409-412.
  5. ^ Hubbard, Ethel (1917). Eliza Agnew. Columbia University Libraries. Boston : Woman's Board of Missions.
  6. ^ "Agnew, Eliza (1807-1883)". History of Missiology. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  7. ^ White, Ann (March 1988). "Counting the Cost of Faith. America's Early Female Missionaries". Church History. 57 (1): 19–30. doi:10.2307/3165900. ISSN 1755-2613. JSTOR 3165900. S2CID 162932686.
  8. ^ Leitch, Mary; Leitch, Margaret W. (1890). Seven Years in Ceylon: Stories of Mission Life. American Tract Society.
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