Margaret Elizabeth Smith

1858 - 1900  (41 years)

• Name	Margaret Elizabeth Smith
  Born	26 Oct 1858	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 2]
  Gender	Female
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/194282723
  Residence	1871	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Church of England
  Interesting	1900
  	missionary murder war
  Occupation	, China
  	missionary
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-215641
  Died	12 Jul 1900	Datong, , Shanxi, China   [2]
  Buried	Saint James Anglican Cemetery, Wilmot Township, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Person ID	I215641	Generations
  Last Modified	25 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	William Crowe Smith,   b. CALC 3 Dec 1826, Sedgefield, , Durham, England ,   d. 20 Oct 1889, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 62 years)
  Mother	Henrietta Elizabeth Mallett,   b. 8 Mar 1834, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 18 Apr 1920, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 86 years)
  Family ID	F30728	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Margaret Elizabeth Smith China's Book of Martyrs

  
  

• Notes

  Margaret Smith - July 12, 1900 - Datong, Shanxi Margaret Elizabeth Smith was born in New Hamburg, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Her father was an English farmer from Durham who had settled in Canada hoping for a prosperous and peaceful life. Four children were born to the Smiths, with Margaret coming into the world in 1858. Margaret did not receive a high level of education, but those who knew her could not tell, for she applied herself wholeheartedly to everything she put her hand to. At the age of 23 she attended a church service where a message on Ananias and Sapphira was preached. She fell under intense conviction of the Holy Spirit, and for the next few weeks could hardly eat or sleep. She finally surrendered her life to Christ. In 1891 Margaret's older sister, Annie, went to China as a missionary. Margaret considered following her, but was undecided until Annie died from fever only a year later. She "could no longer hold herself back from God, but joyfully gave herself to Him to take her sister's place. The same event led to a younger sister, Eliza, to take the same position."[1] Margaret Smith went for mission training in Chicago, and finally sailed for China in 1896 as a member of the China Inland Mission. The new missionary was appointed to Datong in northern Shanxi Province, where she assisted Stewart and Kate McKee. Smith became a close friend of another Canadian single missionary, Jessie Thompson from Montreal. Thompson was a trained nurse, while Smith had an effective ministry sharing the gospel with Chinese women. In October 1899 Thompson suddenly died after a short illness. Margaret Smith was deeply affected by the loss of her friend, but she rededicated herself to God's service. She was captured and killed by the Boxers on July 12th. She was 42-years-old. © This article is an extract from Paul Hattaway's epic 656-page China's Book of Martyrs, which profiles more than 1,000 Christian martyrs in China since AD 845, accompanied by over 500 photos. https://www.asiaharvest.org/china-resources/shanxi/1900-margaret-smith ________________________ Margaret Elizabeth Smith was born in New Hamburgh, Ontario, Canada, in 1858. Her father was a farmer from Durham, in England, who had gone to Canada as an emigrant, and settled there. She had godly parents and a refined home, where all the influences which these bring were amongst her early privileges. When twenty-three years of age, she was led to decision for Christ at the weekly Bible class which she attended. One of her sisters having gone to China as a missionary, and after a year's work there died of fever, this seemed to Miss Smith God's call to her to take up work for Him in that heathen land. After two years' training in Chicago and Toronto, she sailed for China in 1896 in connection with the China Inland Mission, and was stationed in Ta-tung-fu. There she spent three years of useful and happy service before she was called up higher. .... On June 14, 1900, the Boxer movement made its first appearance in Ta-tung-fu, in North Shan-si. ... Mr. and Mrs. C. S. I' Anson and three children ; Mr. and Mrs. Stewart M'Kee and two children ; Miss M. Aspden, and Miss M. E. Smith \emdash all of the China Inland Mission. On June 24 the crowd assembled and burst into the mission compound, Mr. and Mrs. M'Kee and their daughter Alice, with Miss Aspden and Miss Smith, having barely time to escape. A number of the crowd rushed after them, and threw stones. Mr. M'Kee fell stunned with a wound in his head, and Mrs. M'Kee had her ankle injured and fell insensible, and they were left for dead. Recovering, they took refuge in a shop, and finally gained the Yamen. Mr. and Mrs. Anson and children, living in another compound, had also fled to the Yamen, where they were kindly received. The Hsien magistrate did his best to protect them, and for a few days they remained in his Yamen. On June 27 they were taken back to Mr. M'Kee's house, and given a guard of fifty soldiers to protect them. On the evening of June 30, Mrs. M'Kee gave birth to a son. The guard of soldiers were gradually withdrawn, till on July 12 only two remained. The same evening a minor official called, and advised them all not to leave the house nor let any one of their converts come near them. An hour later, the crowd burst in upon them. The house was surrounded by three hundred horse and foot soldiers, so that there was no chance of escape, while the Boxers did their fiendish work. Mr. M'Kee and Mr. Anson were killed first, and then the women and children. Alice M'Kee hid in the cow-house, but was discovered, and thrown into the flames of the burning houses. In all, about one hundred persons, including Catholic and Protestant missionaries and Christian natives, were killed in Tatung. . The China martyrs of 1900. A complete roll of the Christian heroes martyred in China in 1900, with narratives of survivors by Forsyth, Robert Coventry, 1854-1922 _________________ MISS M. E. SMITH TA-T UNG, SHAN-SI Suffered martyrdom, July 12, 1900. Miss Margaret Elizabeth Smith was from Canada, having been born at New Hamburg, Ont. Her father was a native of Durham, England, and had come to this country to settle in the new land as a farmer, New Hamburg being finally his choice of location. Here several children were born, and among them, in 1858, as one of four daughters, Miss Margaret Elizabeth. Miss Smith received the usual education of a Canadian farmer s daughter, but her parents being very refined people, much was added to her life in the way of general culture which others in like circumstances did not receive. This was especially true in religious matters, as her father and mother were exceedingly godly people, so that deep spiritual impressions were made upon her from her earliest childhood. It was not until Miss Smith was twenty-three years of age, however, that she was brought to the Lord. This blessed event occurred in connection with her attendance at her weekly Bible Class, where the Holy Spirit, on a particular evening, brought deep conviction to her through the story of Ananias and Sapphira, which, though there followed a few weeks of bitter struggling, finally led her to the Master s feet as a surrendered soul. She was at this time connected with the Methodist Church, the only one in her neighbourhood ; but her former and later connection was with the Church of England. In October 1890, her older sister, Miss Annie, applied to the C.I.M., and a year later left for China. This dedication of her sister to missionary service much impressed Miss Margaret, and when, somewhat over a year afterwards, her sister in China fell asleep as a result of a fever, she could no longer hold herself back from God, but joyfully gave herself to Him to take her sister s place. Her younger sister offered too, but sickness prevented her from going to China. She now sought for the preparation needed, and with this in view, went to Chicago and had a year and four months training at the Bible Training School of Miss Emma Dryer. She then returned to Toronto, and entered the Church of England Deaconess Home. She eventually sailed in 1896, in company with the Misses Pasmore, Walter, McClenahan, Hall, Waterman, and Palmer. The station which was chosen for Miss Smith was that of Ta-t ung, in North Shan-si, and she had the privilege of going there, together with Miss Jessie Thompson, of Montreal, in 1897. Here she became associated with Mr. and Mrs. McKee, the heads of the station, though she became the companion in a special manner of Miss Thompson. A ripe and holy friendship sprang up between these two friends, and their companionship in the Lord became very blessed. Miss Thompson, being a trained nurse, became particularly interested in medical work, and Miss Smith was her faithful assistant in this, and particularly in spiritual ministry to the Chinese women. But the friendship formed and continued in Christ, so far as its earthly relationship is concerned, was destined to be broken, for Miss Thompson was taken suddenly ill in October 1899, and upon the seventh of that month, passed away to her eternal reward. Miss Smith felt this blow more keenly than any other affliction which had ever come to her, and repeatedly expressed her sorrow in the letters which she wrote to friends at home. But in spite of her sorrow and her loneliness, there was no thought of turning back from her service. With new courage and devotion, which she obtained from waiting upon God, she set her face toward the future, her only thought being to glorify the name of her precious Master in the saying of souls. The letters referred to were about the last received from her. Quiet days followed, full of happy and helpful service. Then came the outburst of anti-foreign and anti- Christian fanaticism, and the tide of persecution, setting north ward as well as southward in the province, finally reached Ta-tung, sweeping everything before it. Not one was left of all that goodly company of blood-bought witnesses. Who now will take her place, and witness as she has witnessed for Christ H. W. FROST. Last letters and further records of Martyred Missionaries of the China Inland Mission, Edited by Mashall Broomhall, B. A. China Inland Mission

  
  

• Sources

  [S190] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - 1871, Div. 1 Page 29. [S3231] Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/194282723.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 26 Oct 1858 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Church of England - 1871 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - missionary - - , China Died - 12 Jul 1900 - Datong, , Shanxi, China  = Link to Google Earth