Eugene C. Van Cooten (1820-1851) was a Dutch surgeon and missionary.Church Missionary Society. "Chapter VII: Forty Years Ago." ''One Hundred Years: Being the Short History of the Church Missionary Society'', 3rd ed., Church Missionary Society, 1899, pp. 85. He worked at Islington College, a part of the

Church Missionary Society College, Islington The Church Missionary Society Training College in Islington, north London was founded in 1820 to prepare Anglican missionaries of the Church Missionary Society for work overseas. Prior to the establishment of the College the CMS missionaries recei ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and traveled to the

Badagry Badagry, also spelled Badagri, (Gun language, Gun: Gbagli) is a coastal town and Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is quite close to the city of Lagos, and located on the north bank of Po ...

mission in

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

in March 1850.Stock, Eugene. "Three Missions and Three Bishops ." ''The History of the Church Missionary Society: Its Environment, Its Men and Its Work'', Church Missionary Soc., 1899, p. 117. He was among the first missionaries to work at the Yoruba mission in Badagry within the Church Missionary Society.Schram, Ralph. "The Missionary Movement in the West ." ''A History of the Nigerian Health Services with an Introduction by Sir Samuel Manuwa'', Ibadan University Press, 1971, pp. 59–78. He served from 1850 to 1851. Along with classmates, E. G. Irving and A. A. Harrison, they sacrificed their lives for their missionary work. He died in 1851."Van Cooten Voices." ''Eugene Celadon Van Cooten b. Abt 1820 d. 13 Mar 1851 Badagry, Yoruba, Nigeria: Van Cooten Genealogy'', www.vc.id.au/gen/getperson.php?personID=I60&tree=vc.

Early life

Van Cooten was born in 1820 to physician John Christopher Mathew Van Cooten and merchant's daughter Martha Keane Smithers. He had five siblings: Rosalie, Hendrik, Sydney, Maria and John. Eugene was the youngest. His mother left the family when he was a baby, but Eugene eventually got in touch with her again. In an 1846 letter to the Church Missionary Society, he described his mother's whereabouts and how her brother supported her."Van Cooten Voices." ''Van Cooten Family History - Marthe Keane Smithers'', www.vc.id.au/fh/smithers.html. Van Cooten attended Church Missionary Society Training College in London from 1847, also known as the Islington College or the Inslington Institution.

Mission

Van Cooten was known for his Christian character and desire to help others. He felt a call to serve after talking to Emily Primrose, a young lady from Suffolk, England, whose sister was under his care. He married Emily at the Church of England in Ipswick, Suffolk, London on October 11, 1849. He traveled to Badagry, Yoruba, Nigeria with Emily, Mr. and Mrs. Gollmer, Mr. and Mrs. Townsend, and Mr. and Mrs. Huber in March 1850."The Missionary Register ." ''The Missionary Register '', vol. 39, Seeley, Jackson, & Halliday, 1851, p. 471-77. The Yoruba mission was founded in 1844 when Samuel Crowther, Mr. Gollmer, and Rev.

Henry Townsend Henry Townsend may refer to: * Henry Townsend (Norwich) (1626–1695), early American colonist born in Norwich, Norfolk, England * Henry Townsend (Oyster Bay) (1649–1703), American colonist born in Oyster Bay * Henry Townsend (missionary) (1815� ...

were travelling to

Abeokuta Abeokuta is the capital city of Ogun State located at the south western part of Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, near a group of rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna; north of Lagos by railway, or by water. , Abeokut ...

. On their journey, they received news that the individual who would welcome them to the Abeokuta mission had passed.Headland, Emily, and H. E. Fox. "Brief Sketches of C. M. S. Workers: A Companion Volume to Brief Sketches of C. M. S. Missions." ''Brief Sketches of C. M. S. Workers: A Companion Volume to Brief Sketches of C. M. S. Missions'', 1897, pp. 5–

/ref> Thus the party stayed in Badagry, where they eventually established a mission. Mr. Gollmer remained with the Badagry mission.

Legacy

Van Cooten came to the mission in January 1850 with Emily and eight other missionaries. He traveled to neighboring towns, such as Okpa and Ilassa, to preach. He died in March 1851 after battling a fever while visiting the lands between Lake Ossa, Ossa and

Porto Novo , , ; ; ; also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe) is the capital and second-largest city of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people. In 1863, following British bombardment, Porto-Novo accepted French ...

. He was brought back to Badagry by canoe, where he died a few days later. Van Cooten is remembered as a sincere, incredibly devoted individual, who gave his time and efforts to spreading the Gospel.Tucker, Miss. "Abbeokuta: or, Sunrise within the Tropics: an Outline of the Origin and Progress of the Yoruba Mission." ''Abbeokuta: or, Sunrise within the Tropics: an Outline of the Origin and Progress of the Yoruba Mission'', 1853, pp. 264–266.

Bibliography

* Church Missionary Society. "Chapter VII: Forty Years Ago." ''One Hundred Years: Being the Short History of the Church Missionary Society'', 3rd ed., Church Missionary Society, 1899, pp. 85. * Stock, Eugene. "Three Missions and Three Bishops ." ''The History of the Church Missionary Society: Its Environment, Its Men and Its Work'', Church Missionary Soc., 1899, p. 117. * Schram, Ralph. "The Missionary Movement in the West ." ''A History of the Nigerian Health Services with an Introduction by Sir Samuel Manuwa'', Ibadan University Press, 1971, pp. 59–78. * "Van Cooten Voices."
Eugene Celadon Van Cooten b. Abt 1820 d. 13 Mar 1851 Badagry, Yoruba, Nigeria: Van Cooten Genealogy
'. * Church Missionary Society.
Accession 765: Papers of Eugene Van Cooten
'. University of Birmingham Cadbury Research Library Special Collections. * Church Missionary Gleaner. "Badagry." ''The Chinese and General Missionary Gleaner, Volumes 1-2'', Dec. 1851, pp. 54–55. * "The Missionary Register ." ''The Missionary Register '', vol. 39, Seeley, Jackson, & Halliday, 1851, p. 471-77. * Tucker, Miss. "Abbeokuta: or, Sunrise within the Tropics: an Outline of the Origin and Progress of the Yoruba Mission." ''Abbeokuta: or, Sunrise within the Tropics: an Outline of the Origin and Progress of the Yoruba Mission'', 1853, pp. 264–266. * "Van Cooten Voices."

'.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Cooten, Eugene 1820 births 1851 deaths Dutch surgeons Dutch Christian missionaries Anglican missionaries in Nigeria Christian medical missionaries Dutch expatriates in Nigeria History of the Yoruba people People from colonial Nigeria