Born December 2, 1848, near Aberdeen, Scotland. 2^nd of 7 siblings. Father: shoemaker. Raised Presbyterian. Childhood distinctions: timid, impressionable. Never married. 1858 family moved to Dundee. 1859 father, 3 siblings died over next four years. 1859 began part-time in weaving mill. 1862 worked full-time. 1864 became very active in church. 1876 accepted for training by Presbyterian mission society, sailed for Calabar (part of what is now Nigeria). 1880 opened Old Town mission. 1882 took in first twin babies. 1885 assigned to Creek Town. 1886 reconnoitered murderous Okoyong area. 1888 settled at Ekenge among Okoyong, began several years of incredible adventure. 1891 on furlough to Scotland recognized as outstanding missionary, began writing articles touting abilities of Africans. 1892 appointed Vice-Counsel to administer justice to Okoyong. 1896 relocated to Akpap. 1898 took four of her 'children' on furlough to Scotland. 1903 left Akpap to begin ministry among Aros and Ibibios. 1906 broke with mission society, took judgeship. 1907 major decline in health. 1910 opened mission in Ikpe. 1914 feted in Nigeria with Silver Cross. Died January 13, 1915.

          Go to anecdotes on Mary Slessor's...                               
                                                                Humanity
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                                                                Defining Moment

         Go to this page to learn five values that made her a hero of history.

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ABOUT THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MARY SLESSOR:
Aye, Efiong U., Hope Waddell Training Institution: Life and Work, 1894-1978.          PB
Brent, Peter, Black Nile: Mungo Park and Search for the Niger.                                      PB
Buchan, James, The Expendable Mary Slessor. Edinburgh: St. Andrew Pr., 1980.    PB
Buchan, James, Peacemaker of Calabar: The Story of Mary Slessor. Exeter:
     Religious and Moral Education Press, 1984
Christian, Carol, Tales of the Cross River.                                                                                  PB
Christian, Carol and Gladys Plummer, God and One Redhead: Mary Slessor              PB
     of Calabar. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1970.
Church, R. J. H., West Africa: A Study of the Environment and of Man's                     PB
     Use of It. London: Longmans, Green & Co. , 1968. 
Crowder, Michael, A Short History of Nigeria. New York: Praeger, 1966. 
Crowder, Michael, West Africa: An Introduction To Its History. Addison-                  PB
     Wesley, 1977. 
Crowder, Michael, West Africa Under Colonial Rule.                                                            PB
Ellis, J. J., Mary Slessor, the Dundee Factory Girl who became a devoted
     African Missionary. Kilmarnock: John Ritchie Ltd., 1920.
Forde, Cyril Daryll . Efik Traders of Old Calabar.                                                                    PB
Ilogu, Edmund, Christianity and Ibo Culture.                                                                          PB
Imoagene, Oshomha, People of the Cross River Valley and the Eastern Delta.            PB
Knock, Esther E., The Missionary Heroine of Calabar:  A Story of Mary                      PB
     Slessor, 1956.
Livingstone, W. P., Mary Slessor of Calabar: Pioneer Missionary. 1915, the                PB
     'standard' biography reprinted Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984.
Luke, James, Pioneering in Mary Slessor's Country. London: The Epworth
     Press, 1929.
McFarlan, Donald M. , Calabar: The Church of Scotland Mission, 1846-1946.
     Thomas Nelson and Son Ltd., 1946.
McFarlan, Donald M., White Queen: The Story of Mary Slessor. London:
     Lutterworth Press, 1963.
Metz, Helen Chapin, ed., Nigeria: A Country Study. Washington, DC: Library          HC
     of Congress, 1992.
Mitchison, Lois, Nigeria: Newest Nation. New York: Praeger, Inc., 1960. 
Moorhouse, Geoffrey, The Missionaries. Philadelphia and New York: J. B.                  PB
     Lippincott Company, 1973.
Nair, Kanna K., Politics and Society in south East Nigeria: A Study of Power,           PB
     Diplomacy and Commerce in Old Calabar.
O'Brien, Brian (pseud.), She Had A Magic. Dutton, 1958.
Oku, Ekei Essien, The Kings and Chiefs of Old Calabar, 1785-1925.                                  PB
Ruel, Malcolm, Leopards and Leaders: Constitutional politics among a                      PB
     Cross River People.
Syme, Ronald, Nigerian Pioneer: Mary Slessor. Morrow, 1964.                                        PB
Uchendu, Victor Chikezie, The Igbo of Southeast Nigeria.  HBJ, 1965.                            PB
Uya, Okon Edet. A History of Oron People of the Lower Cross River Basin.                  PB
Wariboko, Waibinte E., Planting Church-Culture at New Calabar: some                      HC
     Neglected Aspects of Missionary Enterprise…1865-1918. Itl Scholars, 1998.
Wellman, Sam, Mary Slessor: Queen of Calabar. Barbour, 1998.                                        PB
Wellesley, Dorothy, Sir George Goldie: Founder of Nigeria.                                                PB
Williams, Harry, Nigeria Free. New York: Roy Publishers, Inc., 1962.