Charles Pearson (priest) facts for kids

Charles William Pearson (born 1847, died 1917) was an important Anglican missionary who helped start the Church of Uganda. He was one of the first people to travel through Sudan on his way to Uganda. Later in his life, he became a church leader in England.

About Charles William Pearson

His Early Life and Family

Charles William Pearson was born in a town called Whitehaven, in Cumberland, England. His birthday was December 7, 1847. His father, William Pearson, was a butcher, and his mother was Sarah Johnson.

Charles went to St. Bees Grammar School. He had three brothers and two sisters. His younger brother, Henry, also became an Anglican priest, just like Charles.

Life at Sea

Before becoming a missionary, Charles Pearson worked as a sailor for several years. He was a merchant seaman, meaning he worked on ships that carried goods.

From 1867 to 1870, he worked as an ordinary sailor on a ship called the Tenasserim. Later, he became a Third Mate and then a Second Mate on different ships. In 1875, he qualified to be a First Mate. However, the ship he was on, the Brittania, was unfortunately wrecked in October 1875.

Becoming a Missionary in Uganda

In 1876, Charles Pearson decided to become a missionary. He studied at the Church Missionary Society College, Islington. In 1878, he was chosen to lead a group of four missionaries to Uganda. They were going to replace four missionaries who had sadly died there.

The first group of missionaries had arrived in Uganda in 1876. But after a year, two of them were killed, and two others died from fever.

The Long Journey to Uganda

Pearson and his friends, Robert William Felkin, John William Hall, and George Litchfield, started their journey by ship. They sailed to Suakim, a port city on the Red Sea.

Sadly, John William Hall became sick in Suakim and had to go back to England. The rest of the group continued their journey. They crossed a desert and then traveled up the Nile River. In Khartoum, they met a famous explorer named Colonel Gordon, who tried to convince Pearson to stay and work in Sudan instead.

But Pearson and his team kept going. After more than nine months of travel, they finally reached Rubaga in Uganda on February 14, 1879.

Challenges in Uganda

When they arrived, they were welcomed by Mutesa I, who was the King of Buganda. Just one week later, a group of Roman Catholic missionaries from France also arrived. This created some difficulties.

King Mutesa I cleverly tried to play the different groups against each other – the Arab traders, the British (Anglican missionaries), and the French (Catholic missionaries). The Christian missionaries, perhaps a bit naively, didn't expect to be used in political games. Their different Christian groups also argued, which made their message less effective. For example, the Catholics wouldn't kneel for Anglican prayers, and the Anglicans wouldn't kneel for Catholic prayers.

Charles Pearson spent most of his time in Uganda working on translating texts. After two years, he had to return to England because of his health. He took a different, easier route back home, traveling through the East Coast and Zanzibar.

Life as a Priest in England

After returning to England, Charles Pearson studied theology at Oxford University. He became a deacon in 1886 and a priest in 1887.

For four years, he worked as an assistant priest at St Ebbe's Church in Oxford. Then, he worked for the Church Pastoral Aid Society (CPAS) in Nottingham for three more years.

In July 1893, he became the Vicar of Walton, a church in Aylesbury. He stayed there until he passed away on June 20, 1917. Charles Pearson was known for being very good at languages. He learned 17 different languages and was an excellent translator. He worked for various publishers and missionary groups, helping them translate important documents.

Family Life

Charles Pearson married Elizabeth Birkett in Oxford in 1882. They had a large family with three sons and four daughters.