Robert+Moffat

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 * [[image:Robert Moffat.png width="265" height="316" caption="Robert Moffat" link="Robert Moffat"]] || ==1795-1883==

** Robert Moffat ****, ** (born Dec. 21, 1795 , Ormiston, [|East Lothian] , Scot.—died Aug. 9, 1883 , Leigh, Kent, Eng.), Scottish missionary to Africa and [|Bible] translator, who was known for his efforts to improve local living standards in Africa. He was also the father-in-law of the missionary and explorer [|David Livingstone] (1813–73). With little training, Moffat was assigned in 1816 by the [|London Missionary Society] to go to [|South Africa]. After spending seven years in several locations that were disrupted by warfare among Zulu tribesmen, he settled at [|Kuruman], southeast of the Kalahari (desert). There he lived for 49 years, building one of the foremost Protestant missionary communities in Africa. He traveled widely, and he encountered numerous tribes and mastered the [|Tswana] language, into which he translated the Gospel According to Luke (1830). Through his influence the number of converts rose rapidly, and by 1857 he had completed a Tswana translation of the entire Bible. In 1838 he wrote // A Book of Hymns in Chuana //(Tswana). Though criticized by some as paternalistic, he laboured not only to alter the conduct but also to raise the standard of living of African peoples by introducing improved methods of agriculture and irrigation. On his first meeting with Livingstone, in 1840, Moffat recognized Livingstone’s capacities and urged him to come to Africa, directing him to the region north of the Kalahari. After the death of his wife, Mary, with whom he shared his work for half a century, Moffat lived his remaining 13 years in retirement in [|England]. || http://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Moffat ||  ||
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