British and Australian Anglican women in 19th Century China

Abstract

The Rev. Robert Stewart was educated at Marlborough College, a private school in England, and took his Master of Arts (MA) degree at Trinity College, Dublin, after which he began a law course. Following a deep spiritual experience in London, he decided to offer to the Church Missionary Society for missionary service in China.1 There is no information about the early education of Louisa Smyly.2 Robert and Louisa had known each other since childhood.3 Robert’s proposal to Louisa was prosaic, telling her of his CMS appointment to China; and then asking, “Would you like to be a missionary” followed by “Would you go to China?” to which she replied, “Yes, I should”; and finally the question, “Will you go with me?”4 The Stewarts, with the Rev. Llewellyn Lloyd, arrived in Fuzhou in September 1876, not long after their marriage and became central figures in the history of the CMS, CEZMS and the Dublin University Fukien Mission in Fujian Province.