Mission Stations

In the wake of the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815) which followed the savagery of the French Revolution (1789 - 1799), early 19th-century Europe sought stability, turning to the Papacy despite its weakened state. Simultaneously, Protestantism experienced a major revival in England and America, inspiring many—regardless of their social class—to study the Bible for themselves. 

This religious fervor led to the rise of new movements. Some groups, like the Ephrata Cloister, adopted doctrines such as the Seventh-day Sabbath, while others, such as the Shakers and Jemima Wilkinson's followers, were short-lived due to their emphasis on celibacy. This period also saw a rise in spiritualism, with figures like the Fox sisters gaining popularity for claiming to communicate with the dead.

Beyond personal faith, these revivals fueled widespread social reforms, including the abolitionist and temperance movements. A new wave of foreign missionary work expanded globally (specifically Africa, China, and India), supported by new Bible societies and the wealth of the Industrial Revolution. Robert Raikes' Sunday School movement also emerged to provide religious education to the young.

These interconnected shifts in religion, spirituality, and society created a dynamic and transformative era.

However, unlike in America and Europe where the fervour found fertile soil amongst the uneducated, low socio-economic groups, the majority of the slaves at the Cape Colony (who at the Cape were the focus of these new missionary societies) were illiterate. Missionaries taught enslaved people to read so they could study the Bible, which they believed was necessary for salvation. This education, however, primarily served the missionaries' goals of religious instruction and assimilation into colonial culture. Although literacy offered some enslaved individuals a path to better employment and social standing, it was often limited to a religious context and did not promote independent thought. While providing education, missionaries also helped reinforce the colonial system and introduced Western culture.

The towns of Malmesbury (c1743); Moorreesberg (c1898); Darling (c1853); Abbotsdale (c1856); Riebeeck West (c1858); Riebeek Kasteel (c1863); Kalbaskraal (c1898); Koringberg (c1923), and Wupperthal (c1830), situated at the southern tip of the closed bracket area encompassing the municipalities of the Swartland, Saldanha Bay, Bergrivier, Cederberg, and Matzikama, all came into being as a result of the emancipation of slaves from 1834 onwards and the establishment of mission stations to convert, educate, and house the former slaves. 

Sources: Gary Land : (1994), The Historians and the Millerites: An Historiographical Essay, Andrews University Seminary Studies, Autumn 1994, Vol. 32, No. 3, 227-24

https://museeprotestant.org

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/napoleonic-wars 

https://www.britishmuseum.org

​Database compiled from Baptism Records of the Anglican Church

Transcribed by Lara Seaward

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