James Hannington
Encyclopedia
James Hannington was an Anglican missionary
, saint
and martyr
.
in Sussex
, England
, on 3 September 1847. A poor scholar, he left school at fifteen to work in his father's Brighton
counting house
. At twenty-one, Hannington decided to pursue a clerical career, and entered university at St. Mary's Hall
, Oxford
, where he again proved to be a desultory student. In 1872, the death of his mother spurred a change in Hannington's life: he was awarded his B.A.
, and on 1 March 1874 was ordained as a deacon, and took charge of the small parish of Trentishoe
in Devon
.
Around 1882, Hannington heard of the murder of two missionaries on the shores of the Victoria Nyanza. This led to him offering himself to the Church Missionary Society, and he left England on 17 May, setting sail for Zanzibar
on 29 June, as the head of a party of six missionaries. Crippled by fever and dysentery
, Hannington was forced to return to England in 1883.
In June 1884, having recovered, he was ordained bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, and in January 1885, Hannington again departed for Africa. After arriving at Freretown, near Mombasa
, Kenya
, he decided to focus on opening a new route to Uganda
: together with his team, he safely reached a spot near Victoria Nyanza on 21 October, but his arrival had not gone unnoticed, and under the orders of King Mwanga II
of Buganda
, the missionaries were imprisoned in Busoga
by Basoga chiefs.
After eight days of captivity, by order from King Mwanga II, Hannington's men were killed, and on 29 October 1885, Hannington himself was stabbed in both sides. As he died, his alleged last words to the soldiers who killed him were: "Go, tell Mwanga I have purchased the road to Uganda with my blood." Joseph Mukasa
, a Roman Catholic
priest and an official at Mwanga's court, rebuked the king for the deed, and was beheaded for it. Hannington and his companions were among the first Martyrs of Uganda
. Hannington's feast day in the Church of England
is October 29. A dedication stone, erected in his memory along with the Bishop Hannington Memorial Church
in 1938, bears the inscription "Thou hast turned my heaviness into joy".
. Bishop Jim: The story of James Hannington. London, 1955. Reprinted by
James Clark Company, 1978. ISBN 0-7188-2387-7
ISBN 978-0-7188-2387-0
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...
, saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
and martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
.
Life
Hannington was born at HurstpierpointHurstpierpoint
Hurstpierpoint is a village in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. Together with Sayers Common it forms one of the Mid Sussex civil parishes, with an area of 2029.88 ha and a population of 6,264 persons....
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, 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...
, on 3 September 1847. A poor scholar, he left school at fifteen to work in his father's Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
counting house
Counting house
A counting house, or compting house, literally is the building, room, office or suite in which a business firm carries on operations, particularly accounting. By a synecdoche, it has come to mean the accounting operations of a firm, however housed...
. At twenty-one, Hannington decided to pursue a clerical career, and entered university at St. Mary's Hall
St. Mary's Hall
-UK:* St. Mary's Hall, Coventry, England*Stonyhurst Saint Mary's Hall, preparatory school to Stonyhurst College, Lancashire, England-USA:* St. Mary's Hall at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C....
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, where he again proved to be a desultory student. In 1872, the death of his mother spurred a change in Hannington's life: he was awarded his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, and on 1 March 1874 was ordained as a deacon, and took charge of the small parish of Trentishoe
Trentishoe
thumb|220px|The Trentishoe area on Donn's one inch to the mile survey of 1765.Trentishoe is a village in North Devon, England. It is in the Shirwell deanery of the Church of England...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
Around 1882, Hannington heard of the murder of two missionaries on the shores of the Victoria Nyanza. This led to him offering himself to the Church Missionary Society, and he left England on 17 May, setting sail for Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
on 29 June, as the head of a party of six missionaries. Crippled by fever and dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
, Hannington was forced to return to England in 1883.
In June 1884, having recovered, he was ordained bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, and in January 1885, Hannington again departed for Africa. After arriving at Freretown, near Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, he decided to focus on opening a new route to Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
: together with his team, he safely reached a spot near Victoria Nyanza on 21 October, but his arrival had not gone unnoticed, and under the orders of King Mwanga II
Mwanga II of Buganda
Danieri Basammula-Ekkere Mwanga II Mukasa was Kabaka from 1884 until 1888 and from 1889 until 1897. He was the thirty-first Kabaka of Buganda.-Claim to the throne:...
of Buganda
Buganda
Buganda is a subnational kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Ganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day Uganda, comprising all of Uganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala, with the exception of the disputed eastern Kayunga District...
, the missionaries were imprisoned in Busoga
Busoga
Busoga is a traditional Bantu kingdom in present-day Uganda.It is a cultural institution that promotes popular participation and unity among the people of Busoga, through cultural and developmental programs for the improved livelihood of the people of Busoga. It strives for a united people of...
by Basoga chiefs.
After eight days of captivity, by order from King Mwanga II, Hannington's men were killed, and on 29 October 1885, Hannington himself was stabbed in both sides. As he died, his alleged last words to the soldiers who killed him were: "Go, tell Mwanga I have purchased the road to Uganda with my blood." Joseph Mukasa
Joseph Mukasa
Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe was a Ugandan Roman Catholic and the majordomo at the court of Mwanga II of Buganda, recognized as a martyr and saint by the Catholic Church...
, a Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
priest and an official at Mwanga's court, rebuked the king for the deed, and was beheaded for it. Hannington and his companions were among the first Martyrs of Uganda
Martyrs of Uganda
The Uganda Martyrs were Christian converts who were murdered for their faith in the historical kingdom of Buganda, now part of Uganda.-Charles Lwanga and his companions:...
. Hannington's feast day in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
is October 29. A dedication stone, erected in his memory along with the Bishop Hannington Memorial Church
Bishop Hannington Memorial Church
Bishop Hannington Memorial Church is an Anglican church in the West Blatchington area of Hove, in the English city of Brighton and Hove. Built between 1938 and 1939, it commemorates James Hannington, First Bishop of East Equatorial Africa, who was murdered in Uganda in 1885 on the orders of King...
in 1938, bears the inscription "Thou hast turned my heaviness into joy".
Biography
Joyce ReasonJoyce Reason
Joyce Reason was a British author of missionary biographies and historical fiction for young readers.- Life and Works :Joyce Reason was born in Canning Town, London...
. Bishop Jim: The story of James Hannington. London, 1955. Reprinted by
James Clark Company, 1978. ISBN 0-7188-2387-7
ISBN 978-0-7188-2387-0
See also
- Anglican Church of KenyaAnglican Church of KenyaThe Anglican Church of Kenya is part of the Anglican Communion, and includes 30 dioceses. The Primate of the Church is the Archbishop of Kenya.-Official name:...
- Anglican Church of TanzaniaAnglican Church of TanzaniaThe Anglican Church of Tanzania is a member of the Anglican Communion based in Dodoma. It consists of 26 dioceses headed by their respective bishops. It seceded from the Province of East Africa in 1970, which it shared with Kenya...
- Church of UgandaChurch of UgandaThe Church of the Province of Uganda is a member church of the Anglican Communion. Currently there are 34 dioceses which make up the Church of Uganda, each headed by a bishop....
- Bishop of UgandaBishop of UgandaThere has been a diocese of Uganda in the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches.The Anglican diocese of Uganda was formed in 1897 as a division of the diocese of Eastern Equatorial Africa...
- Saints in AnglicanismSaints in AnglicanismIn a catholic sense the term "saint" refers to any spiritually saved person—however, since the 10th century, the title "Saint" is only given to persons who have been officially recognised by the Church for outstanding Christian service and conduct. In the days when the Church of England was...
- Saints portal