Mary Moffat

Mary Moffat born Mary Smith (1795 – 9 January 1871) was a British missionary who became a role model for women involved in missionary work. She was the wife of Robert Moffat, the mother of Mary Moffat Livingstone and David Livingstone was her son-in-law. She was seen by Victorian Britain as an ideal missionary wife and role model for Tswana women, but it is unproven whether Africans saw her in this role. Life Moffat was born in Salford in 1795. She came from a Christian family and she met Robert Moffat whilst he was a prospective missionary working as a gardener for her father. Robert Moffat was being trained by William Roby. She and Robert agreed that she should join him as a missionary but she had a strong family relationship. The engagement was put off at one point after she heard of "sexual misbehaviour" amongst missionaries in Africa. Against the advice of the London Missionary Society Robert Moffat set out for southern Africa in 1816. The LMS advised that missionaries should be male and married. Mary went out to join him in 1819 and they were married on 27 December at St Georges Church (St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town was not started until 1830). Robert and Mary's first child, Mary, was born in a grass hut in Griquatown in 1821. They were outside Britain's Cape Colony as they created the mission to the Tswana people. Robert, Mary and little Mary moved to Kuruman in 1824 where the mission became known as the Moffat Mission. They built a church, created a water supply and raised a family. However progress was slow and five years later they had not made a single convert. The children were sent back to England for many years in order that they could be educated.