William Henry Pierce (missionary) facts for kids

William Henry Pierce (1856-1948) was an important First Nations leader and a Christian missionary from British Columbia, Canada. He was a member of the Tsimshian nation. He is famous for writing a book called From Potlatch to Pulpit. This book was the first ever published by a Tsimshian person.

Early Life and Family

William Henry Pierce was born on June 10, 1856, in Fort Rupert, British Columbia. His father, Edward Pierce, was a Scotsman who worked for the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). His mother was a Tsimshian woman from the Gispaxlo'ots tribe. Sadly, his mother passed away when William was only three weeks old.

After his mother's death, William was taken by his maternal grandfather to Lax Kw'alaams (also known as Port Simpson). There, he grew up learning the traditions and ways of the Tsimshian culture. His "uncle by adoption" was Arthur Wellington Clah, who also worked for the HBC.

William Pierce even saw a famous event when he was young. His uncle, Arthur Wellington Clah, helped save the life of a missionary named William Duncan. Chief Ligeex of the Gispaxlo'ots was upset because church bells were ringing during a special family event.

Becoming a Missionary

Later, William Pierce visited Victoria, British Columbia. There, he became a Christian after meeting a Methodist missionary named Reverend Thomas Crosby. When Reverend Crosby was assigned to Port Simpson, William Pierce became his interpreter. This meant he helped translate between Crosby and the local people.

This experience led William Pierce to become a missionary himself. First, he helped informally, and then he was officially ordained in 1886. He worked to share Christianity with First Nations people in many coastal villages in British Columbia. These places included Alert Bay, Bella Bella, Port Essington, Greenville, and Klemtu. He even traveled to Wrangell, Alaska.

William Pierce worked at Kispiox for fifteen years, starting in 1895. In 1910, he moved to Port Essington, where he continued his missionary work until he retired in 1933. After retiring, he lived in Prince Rupert.

His Marriages

In 1876, William Pierce married a Haida woman named Emma Leusate. Reverend Thomas Crosby helped them get married. Later, in 1890, William married again. His second wife was Margaret Hargraves, an Englishwoman. She was a teacher at the Methodist mission school in Port Essington.

His Important Book

In 1933, William Henry Pierce published his book, From Potlatch to Pulpit. This book shares his life story and how he became a Christian. It also contains a lot of valuable information about traditional Tsimshian customs, beliefs, and how they lived throughout the year. It's a very important book because it was the first one written and published by a Tsimshian person.

Later Life

William Henry Pierce passed away in 1948. His life story shows how he connected different cultures and beliefs in British Columbia.