Silas Tertius Rand
Encyclopedia
Silas Tertius Rand was a Canadian Baptist clergy
man, missionary
, ethnologist, linguist and translator. His work centred on the Mi'kmaq people of Maritime Canada and he was the first to record the legend of Glooscap
.
in the Township of Cornwallis. He was a son of bricklayer Silas Rand and his wife Deborah Tupper. Though largely uneducated, his father taught the younger Rand to read and later sent him to school, which he attended until the age of 11. He then took up bricklaying with his father. At age nineteen, Rand was introduced to English grammar
and he began the study of languages. By age 21, he began teaching grammar. At 23, he entered Horton Academy (part of Acadia University
) to study Latin but he left the school a month later, learning Latin grammar at home while he worked as a bricklayer.
In 1833 he underwent a religious conversion. He was baptized and decided to devote his life to God. In 1834 he was ordained a Baptist minister. He took a position in Liverpool, Nova Scotia
where he met Jane Elizabeth McNutt, whom he married in 1838. The couple had twelve children. Rand was later a pastor in Windsor, Nova Scotia
and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
In 1846 he was offered an opportunity to travel to Burma as a missionary, but he elected instead to work among the Mi'kmaq. He obtained the support of the Protestant evangelicals of Halifax and in 1849 helped found the Micmac Missionary Society, a full-time Mi'kmaq mission. Basing his work in Hantsport, Nova Scotia
, where he lived from 1853 until his death, he travelled widely among Mi'kmaq communities, spreading the faith, learning the language, and recording examples of the Mi'kmaq oral tradition. He was poorly funded in his work, and had to resort to colportage, or begging to sustain his mission. By 1864 he decided to rely on unsolicited donations, trusting in faith to provide, and was thus expelled from the Society, which was dissolved, in 1870.
After a long period of disagreement with the Baptist church, he eventually returned to the church in 1885. He died at Hantsport in 1889.
, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Latin and modern Greek. He produced scriptural translations in Mi'kmaq and Maliseet, compiled a Mi'kmaq dictionary and collected numerous legends, and through his published work, was the first to introduce the stories of Glooscap to the wider world. He also kept a diary.
(L.L.D., 1886); Acadia College (D.D, 1886); and King's College
(D.C.L.).
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man, missionary
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...
, ethnologist, linguist and translator. His work centred on the Mi'kmaq people of Maritime Canada and he was the first to record the legend of Glooscap
Glooscap
Glooscap is a mythical culture hero, and "transformer" of the Wabanaki peoples...
.
Life
Silas Rand and was born in the community of Brooklyn Street about six miles west of Kentville, Nova ScotiaKentville, Nova Scotia
Kentville is a town in Kings County, Nova Scotia. It is one of the main towns in the Annapolis Valley, and it is the county seat of Kings County. As of 2006, the town of Kentville had a population of 5,815 people....
in the Township of Cornwallis. He was a son of bricklayer Silas Rand and his wife Deborah Tupper. Though largely uneducated, his father taught the younger Rand to read and later sent him to school, which he attended until the age of 11. He then took up bricklaying with his father. At age nineteen, Rand was introduced to English grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
and he began the study of languages. By age 21, he began teaching grammar. At 23, he entered Horton Academy (part of Acadia University
Acadia University
Acadia University is a predominantly undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada with some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level...
) to study Latin but he left the school a month later, learning Latin grammar at home while he worked as a bricklayer.
In 1833 he underwent a religious conversion. He was baptized and decided to devote his life to God. In 1834 he was ordained a Baptist minister. He took a position in Liverpool, Nova Scotia
Liverpool, Nova Scotia
Liverpool is a Canadian community and former town located along the Atlantic Ocean of the Province of Nova Scotia's South Shore. It is situated within the Region of Queens Municipality which is the local governmental unit that comprises all of Queens County, Nova Scotia...
where he met Jane Elizabeth McNutt, whom he married in 1838. The couple had twelve children. Rand was later a pastor in Windsor, Nova Scotia
Windsor, Nova Scotia
Windsor is a town located in Hants County, Mainland Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St. Croix Rivers. It is the largest community in western Hants County with a 2001 population of 3,779 and was at one time the shire town of the county. The region encompassing present day Windsor was...
and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
In 1846 he was offered an opportunity to travel to Burma as a missionary, but he elected instead to work among the Mi'kmaq. He obtained the support of the Protestant evangelicals of Halifax and in 1849 helped found the Micmac Missionary Society, a full-time Mi'kmaq mission. Basing his work in Hantsport, Nova Scotia
Hantsport, Nova Scotia
Hantsport is a rural Canadian town and seaport located in the western part of Hants County, Nova Scotia. Hantsport is located just south of the county boundary with Kings County, and sits on the west bank of the Avon River in a tidal estuary.The town is most best known for its history of...
, where he lived from 1853 until his death, he travelled widely among Mi'kmaq communities, spreading the faith, learning the language, and recording examples of the Mi'kmaq oral tradition. He was poorly funded in his work, and had to resort to colportage, or begging to sustain his mission. By 1864 he decided to rely on unsolicited donations, trusting in faith to provide, and was thus expelled from the Society, which was dissolved, in 1870.
After a long period of disagreement with the Baptist church, he eventually returned to the church in 1885. He died at Hantsport in 1889.
Linguist
Rand mastered many languages including Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, MohawkMohawk language
Mohawk is an Iroquoian language spoken by around 2,000 people of the Mohawk nation in the United States and Canada . Mohawk has the largest number of speakers of the Northern Iroquoian languages; today it is the only one with greater than a thousand remaining...
, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Latin and modern Greek. He produced scriptural translations in Mi'kmaq and Maliseet, compiled a Mi'kmaq dictionary and collected numerous legends, and through his published work, was the first to introduce the stories of Glooscap to the wider world. He also kept a diary.
Honours
Late in his life, Rand's work with the Mi'kmaq was recognized with honorary degrees from Queen's UniversityQueen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
(L.L.D., 1886); Acadia College (D.D, 1886); and King's College
University of King's College
The University of King's College is a post-secondary institution in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. King's is a small liberal arts university offering mainly undergraduate programs....
(D.C.L.).
Publications include
- The jubilee historical sketch of the Nova Scotia Baptist Association (Charlottetown, 1849)
- A short statement of facts relating to the history, manners, customs, language, and literature of the Micmac tribe of Indians, in Nova-Scotia and P.E. Island (Halifax, 1850)
- (Attributed) Ae Buk ov Samz in Mikmak (tr. The Book of Psalms) Published by the Phonetic Institute (Bath, 1854) Link large file
- A short account of the Lord’s work among the Micmac Indians . . . with some reasons for . . . seceding from the Baptist denomination (Halifax, 1873)
- A brief statement respecting the Micmac mission (1880)
- The dying Indian’s dream, a poem (Windsor, N.S., 1881)
- The Micmac mission (1882)
- Dictionary of the language of the Micmac Indians (Halifax, 1888)
- Hymni recentes latini: translationes et originales per Silam Tertium Randium (Halifa, 1888)
- Legends of the Micmacs edited and with a foreword by Helen L. Webster, (New York and London, 1893) Online version with preface by publisher Jacob Rabinowitz: Volume 1 Volume 2