Samuel Dyer
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Samuel Dyer (January 20, 1804 – October 24, 1843), Christian missionary to China in the Congregationalist tradition, was a pioneer missionary to the Chinese in Malaysia. He arrived in Penang in 1827. The Dyers lived in Malacca and then finally in Singapore. Samuel was known for creating a steel typeface of Chinese for printing that was accurate, aesthetically pleasing, and practical. He died in Macao in 1843 before being able to live in China itself at his newly assigned designation of Fuzhou. He was buried in the Old Protestant Cemetery in Macau) next to the graves of Robert Morrison and his wife. Dyer's orphaned daughter, Maria Jane Dyer married James Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission.
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[edit] Family and Early Work
Samuel Dyer was born in Greenwich, England to John Dyer and Eliza (Shepherd). He studied law and mathmatics at Cambridge University. He studied Chinese under Robert Morrison and in 1824 applied to the London Missionary Society. He was married to Maria Tarn in 1827 and shortly afterward the newlywed couple set sail for what was then called India, but today is known as Malaysia, where the only way to live in the vicinity of native Chinese could be obtained.
Samuel and Maria had five children. Maria Dyer (1829-1831), Samuel Dyer, Jr. (1833-1898), Burella Hunter Dyer (1835-1858), Maria Jane Dyer (1837-1870), and Ebenezer Dyer (1842-aft. Oct. 1843)
[edit] Quote
“"If I thought anything would prevent my dying for China, the thought would crush me."”
His tombstone inscription reads:
“SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THE REV SAMUEL DYER Protestant Missionary to the Chinese, Who for 16 years devoted all his energies to the advancement of the Gospel among the emigrants from China settled in Pinang Malacca and Singapore. As a Man, he was amiable & affectionate, As a Christian, upright, sincere, & humble-minded, As a Missionary, devoted zealous, & indefatigable. He spared neither time, nor labour nor property, in his efforts to do good to his fellowmen. He died in the confident belief of that truth which for so many years he affectionately & faithfully preached to the Heathen. He was born 20 February, 1804, Sent to the East by the London Missionary Society And died at Macao, 24 October. 1843. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (1Th 4:14)”
[edit] Chronology
Youth
- 1804 Samuel Dyer born at Greenwich, 4th son of John Dyer, Sec. of Greenwich Hospital who knew Robert Morrison when he was studying in Greenwich (Memoir p 2) Various dates are given for his birth January 20 (Register of London Missionary Society Missionaries p 29) January 16 (Memoir, margin correction in pen) February 20 (tombstone; confused with date of commissioning)
- Dyer is educated at home until age 12
- 1816 Enters boarding school at Woolwich, a borough of E. London
- 1820 Conversion to Christianity at Paddington Chapel under ministry of J. Stratten;
- Teaches Sunday School at Paddington Chapel.
- 1822 Admitted into Paddington Chapel, Paddington, NW London
- Enters University of Cambridge; studies law, classics and mathematics
- 1823 Withdraws from University of Cambridge in 5th term, refusing for conscience sake to declare himself a member of Church of England in order to graduate (Memoir p 19)
- 1824 Studies Chinese under Robert Morrison with Maria Tarn & Mary Ann Aldersey.
- Applies to London Missionary Society
- Enters Gosport to study theology under Dr. David Bogue
- 1825 Health suffers because of intense study at Gosport, walking long distances to preach in villages on Sunday, and abstemiousness. Goes to Islington to recuperate, study theology, Chinese and art of printing, punch cutting and type-founding (Memoir p 42)
- 1826 Enters London Missionary Society training center at Hoxton where his chief attention was given to Chinese language, reading the Chinese Bible for devotions
- 1827 Samuel Dyer is ordained at Paddington Chapel where he preaches, teaches and is commissioned as a missionary of the Gospel (Memoir p 45)
- Marries Maria Tarn, eldest daughter of Joseph Tarn, Director of London Missionary Society
Sent to Asia
- Dyers sail for Straits Settlements (Malaysia) (Register of LMS Missionaries p 29) & arrive in Penang; were to have gone on to Anglo Chinese College in Malacca; lack of workers leads them to stay in Penang & settle in Chinese sector of town
- Dyers study Minnan Dialect (Hokkien)
- Maria opens school for girls with 23 students – but it closes later in the year
- 1828 Samuel preaches in Chinese (5 months after arrival)
- Is committed to literature production - Bibles, tracts, books, etc. & develops moveable, metal-cast type with controlled vocabulary
- 1829 Birth of daughter, Maria (SOAS document)
- 1831 Maria, daughter, dies
- Visits Malacca, HQ of London Missionary Society – Chinese Ministries
- 1833 Samuel, son, born
- Chinese community request school
- Works on revision of Matthew’s Gospel (Memoir p 203)
- 1834 Calls to England for workers
- Samuel’s mother dies
- [[Robert Morrison (Scottish)|Robert Morrison] dies.
- 1835 Burella Hunter, daughter, born
- Move to Malacca - London Missionary Society China Mission headquarters
- Establish 2 schools; curriculum includes: reading, writing, sewing and embroidery (Memoir p 119)
- Works with Liang Fa (baptized by William Charles Milne in 1819)
- Recognizes the strategic importance of his metal-type printing & proceeds with the revision of the Bible (Memoir p 142)
- 1837 Maria Jane, daughter, born
Furlough in England & Return to Asia
- 1839 Arrives in England; Maria, wife, ill with serious attack on liver
- 1841 Leave England for Singapore with 3 children and Ms Buckland
- 1842 Arrive in Singapore, rent mission-house of American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions (Memoir p 240)
- Works with John Stronach of London Missionary Society; learning Chaozhou dialect
- Work includes: revision of Bible (Memoir p 231), translations, preparation of books, type-casting, printing (Memoir p 233), compiles comparative vocab. of Chinese language (Memoir p 228, 242, 257)
- Prints: Two Friends by William Charles Milne, Commentary on 10 Commandments by Walter Henry Medhurst Miracles of Christ
- Chaozhou Christian teacher compiles Life of Christ (Memoir p 241-2)
- Conducts religious services through the week; visits house-to-house; evangelizes in the bazaars; visits junks in harbor (Memoir p 241-3)
- Maria establishes Chinese Girls’ Boarding School with 20 students in their home (site of Raffles Hotel, later Saint Margaret’s Girls School)
- Moves London Missionary Society press from Malacca to Singapore on J Legge’s suggestion
- Ebenezer, son, born (Memoir p 232, 235)
- Treaty of Nanking is signed
Final Days
- 1843 Leaves with John Stronach for London Missionary Society Conference in Hong Kong
- Is appointed Conference Secretary
- Dyers are appointed to Fuzhou
- Visits Guangzhou where he has severe attack of fever & is cared for by Peter Parker, M.D.
- Samuel Dyer Dies in Macau ; is buried next to the grave of Robert Morrison
[edit] See also
- 19th Century Protestant Missions in China
- List of Protestant missionaries in China
- Christianity in China
[edit] References
- The Memoir of Samuel Dyer: Sixteen Years Missionary to the Chinese by Evan Davies, John Snow, London, 1846
- http://www.genealogy.com/users/y/o/r/Brian-York-Burnsville/?Welcome=1091209026
- The Story of the China Inland Mission Volume I; Mary Geraldine Guinness, Morgan & Scott, 1894
- Hudson Taylor & The China Inland Mission Volume One: In Early Years; The Growth of a Soul; Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor, China Inland Mission, London, 1911
- The Jubilee Story of the China Inland Mission; Marshall Broomhall, Morgan & Scott, 1915
- Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret; Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor, China Inland Mission, London, 1932
- Hudson & Maria; Pioneers In China; John Pollock, 1964
- Hudson Taylor & China’s Open Century Volume One: Barbarians at the Gates; Alfred James Broomhall; Hodder and Stoughton and Overseas Missionary Fellowship, 1982
- From Jerusalem to Iriyan Jaya; Dr. Ruth Tucker, Zondervan
- Hudson Taylor: A Man In Christ; Roger Steer, Paternoster, 1990
- It Is Not Death to Die; Jim Cromarty, Christian Focus, 2001
- Christ Alone - A Pictorial Presentation of Hudson Taylor's Life and Legacy; OMF International, 2005
- Griffiths, Valerie, Not Less Than Everything, Monarch Books & OMF International, Oxford, 2004
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Dyer, Samuel |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Missionary in China |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 20, 1804 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Greenwich, England |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 24, 1843 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Macau, China |
