George N. Gordon
Encyclopedia
George N. Gordon was a Protestant Canadian missionary to the Pacific Islands. Due to the murder of he and his wife, they were considered to be martyrs of modern times by many.
George Gordon was born to Scottish parents near Alberton, Prince Edward Island
in Canada. In 1848 he was converted to Christianity and began distributing Bible
s and religious tracts. In 1850, he attended Presbyterian Theological Hall in West River, Nova Scotia
. Gordon began his missionary work in Halifax
City Mission where he would minister to the poor about the gospel of Christ.
He arrived on the coast of Erromango
, an island near Vanuatu
, in the Pacific Ocean, in June 1857 to evangelize among the natives. About forty natives of Erromango were converted to Christianity. However, in March 1861 sandalwood
traders intentionally exposed the natives to measles
, and Gordon spent most of his time caring for them, however, the two children of one of the island's chiefs had died in his care, and the chief thought that he had put a spell on his children, he banded together a group of warriors and killed both George and his wife on May 20, 1861.
George Gordon was born to Scottish parents near Alberton, Prince Edward Island
Alberton, Prince Edward Island
Alberton is a Canadian town located in the western part of Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is situated in the township of Lot 5....
in Canada. In 1848 he was converted to Christianity and began distributing Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
s and religious tracts. In 1850, he attended Presbyterian Theological Hall in West River, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. Gordon began his missionary work in Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
City Mission where he would minister to the poor about the gospel of Christ.
He arrived on the coast of Erromango
Erromango
Erromango is the largest island in Tafea Province, the southernmost province of Vanuatu. Its highest point is Mount Santop, at 886 m. Its largest villages are Port Narvin and Dillons Bay . The former main village was Ipota...
, an island near Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
, in the Pacific Ocean, in June 1857 to evangelize among the natives. About forty natives of Erromango were converted to Christianity. However, in March 1861 sandalwood
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted...
traders intentionally exposed the natives to measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
, and Gordon spent most of his time caring for them, however, the two children of one of the island's chiefs had died in his care, and the chief thought that he had put a spell on his children, he banded together a group of warriors and killed both George and his wife on May 20, 1861.