Martha Porter (missionary)
Martha Kilpin Porter (10 June 1800 – 30 March 1890) was a British missionary and educator who served in India with the London Missionary Society from 1835 to 1868. She was a pioneer in establishing orphanages and boarding schools for Hindu girls in southern India, initially in Visakhapatnam and later in Cuddapah (now Kadapa).
Early life
Martha Kilpin was born on 10 June 1800 at Mill Lane (now Mill Street) in Bedford, England. She was the eldest of seven children of John Kilpin and Elizabeth (née Jones). Her uncle, Thomas Kilpin, ran an ironmongers shop at 17 High Street, Bedford, and served as deacon of the Old Meeting House, Mill Lane, Bedford, where John Bunyan had once been minister. Martha attended the Old Meeting House from childhood and developed an early desire to devote her life to foreign missions.
Marriage
On 8 April 1835, Martha married the Reverend Edward Porter at St. Paul's Church, Bedford. Edward had been trained as a missionary at Homerton College, London, and was commissioned by the London Missionary Society. Following Edward's ordination in May 1835 at Bond Street Chapel, Leicester, the couple sailed for Madras (now Chennai), India, on 6 May 1835.
Missionary work in India
Visakhapatnam (1835–1844)
The Porters arrived in Chennai on 3 September 1835. Six weeks later they undertook a perilous journey to Visakhapatnam in southern India, arriving on 6 November. There they assisted the Reverend John Gordon and his wife in missionary work.
In 1836, Martha established an orphanage and boarding school for Hindu girls, one of only a few such institutions in India at that time. The scheme initially met with opposition from both European residents and Indian men, who considered female education a waste of time. One Indian man reportedly said, "Our wives are sometimes saucy now and if they learn as much as their husbands, what then?"
Despite this opposition, Martha opened her school with voluntary subscriptions. Her first pupil was a young girl purchased for one rupee, whom a woman had given up saying she "was tired of her, for she eats plenty, but worked none." The girl learned to cook, read, and write, and eventually taught other Indian girls. By 1837, there were sixty pupils at the school.
When the school became overcrowded and funds were insufficient for expansion, Martha wrote to the Missionary Chronicle seeking support. An anonymous benefactor in Hong Kong responded with three hundred rupees, enabling the construction of additional classrooms and a house for the matron.
Cuddapah (1844–1868)
On 2 February 1844, the Porters left Visakhapatam. After spending time in Chennai with Edward's brother, the Reverend William Porter, they arrived at Cuddapah (Kadapa) on 7 March 1844. During their time there, they established new boarding schools and conducted missionary services.
Health challenges and family
After nine years in India, Martha's health deteriorated due to the harsh climate. In 1845, she returned to England with their five children: Elizabeth Rebecca (born 1837), Edward Samuel (born 1839), Benjamin Kilpin Porter (born 1840), Annie (born 5 February 1842), and Harriet (born 24 October 1844). Edward remained in India to continue his missionary work.
After spending three years in England and recovering her health, Martha felt able to return to India. On 21 August 1848, she and Edward sailed back with their two youngest children, Annie and Harriet, leaving the three eldest in England for their education. They arrived in Chennai on 21 December 1848.
Tragedy struck soon after their arrival when their daughter Annie became seriously ill with gastric fever and died twelve days later, aged six. She was buried in Chennai Cemetery.
The Indian Mutiny and family tragedies
When the Indian Mutiny broke out on 10 May 1857, their eldest daughter Elizabeth had returned to India after completing her education. The family had to leave Kadapa for the safety. Elizabeth, who had been helping in the schools and teaching Bible classes, fell ill with fever in the oppressive climate and died on 28 February 1858, aged 21. She was buried in the chapel graveyard in Chennai.
The Porters returned to Kadapa, but 1858–1859 proved devastating. A cholera outbreak killed many people, and orphaned children were taken into the orphanage. In January 1860, Martha and Edward left Kadapa for Chennai, sailing for England in April 1860 and landing at Gravesend on 27 June 1860.
Upon arriving in Bedford, they learned that their son Benjamin was seriously ill with tuberculosis. He had been left in England in 1848 at age eight in the care of the Reverend Alexander Stewart of Palmer House School, Holloway, London, and had later moved to Bedford to serve his apprenticeship with printer and bookseller John Greaves Nall. Benjamin died on 8 August 1860, aged 20, and was buried at Foster Hill Road Cemetery in an unmarked grave (Grave C7 19).
Their son Edward Samuel Porter, who had trained as an Independent Minister at Cheshunt College, Hertfordshire, also contracted tuberculosis and died on 10 March 1862, aged 23. He was buried near his brother Benjamin at Foster Hill Road Cemetery in an unmarked grave (Grave C7 52).
Final years in India and retirement
Edward returned to India in September 1861, while Martha and their daughter Harriet initially remained in England. In October 1862, after Edward Samuel's death, Martha and Harriet returned to India. Harriet worked in the school teaching singing, needlework, and Bible classes.
On 21 December 1865, Harriet married John Hands Morrell Cox, Deputy Commissioner of the Revenue Settlement, and they lived in Bangalore. Tragically, Harriet died on 26 June 1866 and was buried the following day in Bangalore.
In 1868, after 33 years of service in India, Martha and Edward retired and returned to England, arriving at Southampton on 7 November 1868. They initially lived in Reading before moving to Alumhurst Road, Holdenhurst, Hampshire in 1880. Edward continued to work for the London Missionary Society despite suffering from recurrent fever.
Death and burial
Edward Porter died on 24 June 1882, aged 71, and was buried at Foster Hill Road Cemetery, Bedford, near his sons (Grave B3 240). Martha survived him by eight years, dying on 30 March 1890 at Moffat Villa, Bournemouth, at the age of 89. She was buried in the grave next to her husband Edward at Foster Hill Road Cemetery (Grave B3 251).
Legacy
Martha Porter was a pioneer in female education in India, overcoming significant cultural and religious opposition to establish schools and orphanages for Hindu girls. Her work in Visakhapatnam and Cuddapah laid important foundations for girls' education in southern India. Despite enduring the deaths of four of her five children and suffering from poor health throughout her time in India, she maintained her commitment to missionary work for over three decades.
Sources
- Porter, Edward. Short Records of the Missionary Work of the Rev. Edward Porter. 1885.
- Register of Missionaries Deputations 1796-1896, Page 93.
- Northampton Mercury, 30 July 1796 and 1824.
- Eastbourne Chronicle, 27 January 1894.
- Bedfordshire Mercury, 13 March 1908.
- Bedfordshire Mercury, 12 April 1890.
- The Weekly Review London, 1 August 1863.
- Hastings and St Leonards Observer, 27 January 1894.
- Family Search Census Records 1841-1881.
- Free BMD (Births, Marriages and Deaths Register).
External links
See also
- London Missionary Society
- Christianity in India
- Women in Christianity
- History of education in India