PART II : THE SECOND PERIOD (1886 - 1905)
The second period of the History of the Canadian Mission in Princes Town, a period which brings us into the twentieth century was an era mixed with Misfortunes and Successes. It began with the advent of Rev. W. L. Macrae to the princes Town Field in 1886, who spent almost two decades in the "MISSION."
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A great tragedy struck when only three years after arriving in Princes Town, Rev Macrae lost his beautiful young wife who was only twenty - seven years old. She fell victim to a tropical disease and was buried at the Lothian's Cemetery in 1889. Her tombstone has remained to this day.
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During that nineteen year period, Rev. Macrae also served as Field Missionary in Mt. Stewart, Iere Village, Riversdale, Brothers, Jordan Hill and Barrackpore. The records indicate that in Princes Town alone, Rev. Macrae performed 360 baptisms during the time he served.
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In 1891 - 1892, he went on furlough to Canada and during that period Rev. A. W. Thompson served as minister in Princes Town. Rev Macrae served St. Andrew's until 1905, after which he returned from active Ministerial Service.
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The effectiveness of Rev. Macrae's work is reflected in the fact that four persons who were baptized by him in Princes Town eventually became Ministers of the Church. The first was Rev. James Rameshwar who was baptized at the age of ten in 1893 and who died in 1915.
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The second Minister was Rev. Thomas Ali Hosein, who was baptized by Rev. Macrae at the age of three and was still alive at the time of writing of this article. The third Minister was Rev. Collin Pragsingh who was baptized by Macrae at the age of twenty in 1895. Rev Collin Pragsingh also served the Princes Town Filed as a Catechist in the Fairfield Estate, Cragnish from 1910 - 1914. He died in 1955.
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The fourth person who was baptized by Rev. Macrae and who became a Minister of the Church was the late Rev. Stephen Byron Ramrattan. At the time of writing of this article,the oldest surviving membership of the St. Andrew's Church , Mr. Dwarika, age 96 was also baptized by Rev. Macrae in 1880.
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At that time, a letter written by Rev. W. L. Macrae to the St. Andrew's Church, on the occasion of the Church's Jubilee Celebration in 1926 was founded by Rev. Kalloo in San Fernando. The letter addressed to Rev. R. D. Macintosh in 1934, gave us a vivid picture of the job of the Missionary and his concept of the People of Princes Town. Rev Macrae wrote in 1934 saying ,
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"In those early days, in order to visit and inspect our Mission Schools,
erect new buildings and open up new work, the Missionary had to travel
not in a comfortable motor car, but usually in the saddle,
over unmade traces and muddy roads, and not
infrequently on foot, yet it would be difficult for an earnest Missionary
to find a more inviting field of labour, or a finer class of people who
would be more kind to a Missionary and more willing to be
instructed than these dear men and women scattered over
the sugar and cocoa plantation in your
beautiful Savana Grande District." 1
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The energetic and faithful missionary activity of Rev. Macrae came to an end in 1905 with his retirement from active service, with Princes Town being his last pastorate in Trinidad in which he served. He , however, died in Canada, 32 years after his retirement. That was in 1937.
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The year 1905 came to an end with the ushering in of a new ear of work in Princes Town. It was the founding of an institution in November 1905, called the "Iere Home for Girls." This institution was dedicated to the task of protecting and training East Indian girls.
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While this institution can be accused of de-culturalising East Indian girls, it represented the Missionaries' concern for the Education of the East Indians female, a fact, which was thought of as being unnecessary by many, even up to a decade ago. At the time of writing of this article, the Iere Home was still at work serving girls from poor, and in some cases, broken homes.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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1. W. L. Macrae's Letter to Dr. D. R. McIntosh
1st August 1934
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