Algernon “Algie” Stanley Smith (14 February 1890 – 28 July 1978) was a British

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

missionary in

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

and

Ruanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...

Personal life

Early life

Algernon Charles “Algie” Stanley Smith was born on 14 February 1890 in Luara Shansi, China, the son of

Stanley P. Smith Stanley Peregine Smith (19 March 1861 – 31 January 1931) was a British Protestant Christians, Christian missionary to China. Early life Stanley Smith was the son of Henry Smith F.R.C.S., and his wife Alice Underwood, of 13 John Street, Berkele ...

, and his Norwegian wife Sophie de Reuter, who were missionaries in China. His mother died when he was only one year old. His father remarried after two years, and had three more children, his half brothers and sister. At the age of six he went to a boarding school at Chefoo for three years, until the family went to England in 1899. They left for furlough so were not in China at the time of the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, was an anti-foreign, anti-imperialist, and anti-Christian uprising in North China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious F ...

Education

After two years in England Algie’s parents returned to China leaving Algie in England for his education. During this period the “Watney Sisters”, Alice and Emily of

Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...

, Surrey were his guardians. They were daughters of

James Watney James Watney (18 December 1800 16 March 1884) was an English brewing, brewer and landowner who resided at Haling Park, Croydon, and Beddington, Surrey. He was born to Daniel Watney (1771–1831) of Mitcham, Surrey and Mary Galpin (1771–1830 ...

the brewer, and through their inherited wealth were very strong supporters of Christian Mission and of their local church. Through their sponsorship Algie was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

where he matriculated in 1908 and studied medicine. Having completed his studies at Cambridge he went on to further medical studies at

St George's Hospital St George's Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Tooting, London. Founded in 1733, it is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals. It is run by the St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It shares its main hospital site i ...

, London, qualifying in 1914.

Family

On 7 January 1919 Algie married Lillian Zoe Sharp (1891-1980), sister of his great friend and fellow missionary Leonard Sharp, at

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...

parish church. They had two sons and two daughters: *Olive Nora Stanley-Smith (1920-2013) *Alice Eve Stanley-Smith (1922-2006) *Dr Geoffrey Stanley-Smith (1924-2014) *James Stanley-Smith (b. 1929)

Missionary Career

Missionary call

Although his parents were missionaries, Algie’s call to missionary service was personal and based on his own faith and calling. Together with his friend Leonard Sharp, he accepted the call to missionary service while at Cambridge in 1910. Dr Algie Stanley Smith and his close friend Dr Leonard Sharp were convinced that God had called them to work in Ruanda and offered to the

Church Missionary Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British Anglican mission society working with Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as ...

for that work.

Missionary service

Both Smith and Sharp were accepted by CMS. They started work at

Mengo Hospital Mengo Hospital, also known as Namirembe Hospital, is a private, faith-based, community, teaching hospital in Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda. Location The hospital is located on Namirembe Hill in Rubaga Division in northwestern ...

in Uganda. In December 1916 they made an exploratory visit to Ruanda. The CMS Uganda missionary committee received an appeal for medical help from Rwandans in Ruanda and Kigezi in 1917. The committee in London were unable to agree to this expansion of work because of the lack of funds, but the two doctors began to raise funds independently and by 1919 were able to guarantee support both for four years' work and for a hospital. In the early days support was given and organised by 'Friends of Ruanda', but in 1926 the Ruanda Council was formed as a CMS committee in charge of the administration of the work. In 1929 it took full financial responsibility for the mission, though it was not separated from the CMS mission in Uganda until 1933.Mid-Africa Ministry (MAM) http://www.mundus.ac.uk/cats/44/1238.htm

Legacy

Algie died on 28 July 1978 in Chorley Wood. The Rwanda Mission continued to send missionaries to Uganda, Ruanda, Burundi and Eastern Congo. Ruanda Mission changed its name t
Mid-Africa Ministry (MAM)
and in 1999 was re-integrated into CMS and continues to provide health care.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Algernon Stanley 1890 births 1978 deaths Healthcare in Uganda English Protestant missionaries Protestant missionaries in Uganda Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Christian medical missionaries British expatriates in Uganda Protestant missionaries in Rwanda British expatriates in Rwanda