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Name: HANDFORD, John William (Rev.)

image of individualimage of individual

Birth Date: 28 Mar 1854 Nottingham

Death Date: 2 Aug 1888 South Dakota, USA

First Date: 1876

Last Date: 1886

Profession: CMS missionary

Area: Mombasa

Married: 1876 Agnes Beatrice Baily b. 1860 Davenport, Lancs., d. 3 Sep 1945 Surrey

Children: Arthur Henry (1882-1971); Hedley William Mounteney (19 Sep 1883 London-1929); Isabella Emily Claudia (1886); Claudia (1887); Reginald (1888 USA); Hilda Beatrice (out of wedlock)

Book Reference: CMS, Temu, Reg Handford

General Information:

CMS 1875 - Age 21. Of Nottingham. 1874 at Prep. Instn. 1875, April 27, CM Coll and Dec 9 to Mombasa, EA. Conducted school for freed slave children. 1881, Feb 14 to England and entered CM College. 1883, May 20 Deacon by Bishop of London; 1883, Oct 18 Priest by Bishop Cheetham late of Sierra Leone. 1883, Oct 24 to EA; Secretary of Mission; 1886, May 10 to England and connexion closed. Died at Dakota, USA Aug. 2 1888. Married 1876, Nov 28 Agnes Beatrice Bailey who died Sept 3 1945. Parents of Mrs J.C.S. Beatty also a CMS Missionary
Temu - pp.83 - William Jones reported - "Of the 300 Makua who were landed at Freretown 10 years ago …. 100 have been driven away between the time of Streeter and Mr Handford (schoolmaster at Rabai during the time of trouble with the Bombay Africans) and only 8 of them now left and perhaps less ………. Those who were sent away during Mr Handford's time, it was just to suit his purposes. The God of Justice judged Mr Handford because he was arrested in Zanzibar with the native woman he was trying to run away with." (Price Report 1882)
CMS Archives - G/Y A5/1/9 - Correspondence regarding J.W. Handford 1883-1886 - J.W. Handford was accused of affairs with African women and letters are included from Bishop Hannington and Bishop Alan to this effect. J.W. Handford also gives his version of events in letters.
Web - Letter from R.C. Ramshaw to Dr R.W. Felkin, Jomvu 25 Nov 1880 - " …….. All the friends at Frere Town are well except Mrs Handford, who is extremely weak, and will no doubt soon have to go home. …."
Reg Handford - My great-grandfather Rev. John W. Handford - a quite pale Nottinghamshire fellow - was a missionary at Frere Town in the 1880s when he had an affair with a local lady of much color named Caroline, and this 'scandalous union' yielded a daughter 'Hilda Beatrice'.

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