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Name: WATSON, Albert
Birth Date: 15 Oct 1873 Kilpike, Banbridge, Co. Down
Death Date: 1958 Derby ?1956 Torquay
First Date: 1919
Profession: Seventh Day Adventist missionary, Gendia Mission, Rusinga Island
Area: Kisumu
Married: Hilda Makepeace Blair b. 7 May 1891, d. 1964 Torquay
Children: Albert Hamilton (27 Nov 1921 Kaimosi-12 Dec 1985 Binfield, Berks.); Charles Douglas (22 Mar 1923 South Kavirondo-26 May 2009))
Book Reference: Red 25, Hut, Red 22, Gazette
General Information:
Gazette - 12/11/1919 - Register of Voters - Lake Area - Albert H. Watson - Missionary - Kisii
1939 England and Wales Register living with wife in Paignton, as retired misssionary
https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=7JHX&highlight=arn Albert H. Watson was born in 1873 in Banbridge, Northern Ireland. He became an Adventist in 1891 from the work of Elder William Hutchinson, who held a number of evangelistic meetings around Northern Ireland. While his brother [Joseph] went to the United States [and Malawi], Albert remained in Ireland and worked on the farm near Banbridge. On occasions he would travel around the Banbridge area selling the Present Truth magazine. One day as Albert worked at the plough on his farm near Banbridge, he received the news that his brother had died in Africa following a short illness. His brother had barely started his work in Africa when he became ill and died on December 11, 1903, leaving behind his American wife who was the granddaughter of J. M. Aldrich, one of the pioneers of the Adventist publishing work. Albert immediately prepared himself to take his brother’s place as a missionary in Africa. A photograph of students and staff at Stanborough College in the school year 1911--12 shows both Albert and Hilda. He moved to Belfast to do some evangelistic work. Later he located in Dublin where he worked for several years, often doing tract work. On August 29, 1912, Albert was elected as the elder at the organization of the Dublin church and continued evangelistic work in the area.
In June 1913 Albert Watson moved to British East Africa. After a brief stay at the mission station at Gendia, he went on to Rusinga Island on Lake Victoria. There was already a school at Rusinga with forty children in attendance. Earlier that year, Pastor L. R. Conradi, then the president of the European Division, had visited Rusinga and had sought and obtained permission to establish a new mission station. Rusinga at that time was only accessible by boat, although today a causeway takes you there by car from Mbita Point. The island is elongated in shape, approximately ten miles (16 km) end to end at the longest point and three miles (5 km) at its widest point. The people of the island were mainly from the Suba, a Bantu people who had lived for years with the Nilotic Luo people having come by boat from the ancient Buganda kingdom fleeing from war. The people of the islands lived largely by subsistence agriculture and fishing.
Watson was received by the Paramount Chief Nyakriga of Rusinga, who had welcomed the Adventists earlier. Watson settled at Kiwegi Hill in Waregi village in the east of the island where the Adventist mission was located. Waregi School was already operating, and Watson continued the work at the school and also superintended running the mission. Some of the pioneer Adventists on the island included Samwel Kaoga, Daudi Ogoe, Zakaria Sudhe, Petro Orwa, James Owala, and Mathayo Opiyo.
When World War broke out in 1914, it was particularly difficult for the Adventist missionaries in British East Africa. Watson was immediately placed in detention and moved to Kaimosi, 100 miles north of Gendia, where the main Adventist mission station was located. Despite being British, Watson remained in detention at Kaimosi until October 1916 when he and the other Adventist missionaries were released. The government authorities had been reluctant to release the Adventists after they learned that the headquarters of the European Division were in Hamburg Germany, the nation they were at war with. Those in detention with Watson included A. Carscallen, Alfred Matter, J. D. Baker, E. B. Philips, L. E. A. Lane, B. L. Morse, and their spouses. Following a direct appeal to the government authorities, the Adventists were released and allowed to return to their mission stations.
Watson was more fortunate than the rest, his station had not been looted as much as the other stations were. It had remained largely untouched, thanks to Daniel Onyango, who had been placed in charge while Watson was away. When Watson returned, the work expanded further. The church took in new believers who were baptized at the Gendia Mission. The school continued to grow in attendance.
In 1921 Watson returned to the British Union and spent a “furlough” year in Belfast during which time he married Miss Hilda Blair. Hilda was a Bible instructor in Britain. They returned to Kenya in 1922 to continue the mission work, initially locating in the Mwanza district of Tanganyika.They had two sons, Albert and Charles, both born at Gendia.
In 1930 Pastor and Mrs. Watson returned to the British Union permanently. Albert’s work was not over as he was to pastor in Newcastle, Rugby, Torquay, and Exeter, and also served in Ireland and Wales. In 1953 Watson retired and moved to Derby. He remained there until June 28, 1958, when he passed away. He was survived by his wife and sons.
https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=7JHX&highlight=arn Albert H. Watson was born in 1873 in Banbridge, Northern Ireland. He became an Adventist in 1891 from the work of Elder William Hutchinson, who held a number of evangelistic meetings around Northern Ireland. While his brother [Joseph] went to the United States [and Malawi], Albert remained in Ireland and worked on the farm near Banbridge. On occasions he would travel around the Banbridge area selling the Present Truth magazine. One day as Albert worked at the plough on his farm near Banbridge, he received the news that his brother had died in Africa following a short illness. His brother had barely started his work in Africa when he became ill and died on December 11, 1903, leaving behind his American wife who was the granddaughter of J. M. Aldrich, one of the pioneers of the Adventist publishing work. Albert immediately prepared himself to take his brother’s place as a missionary in Africa. A photograph of students and staff at Stanborough College in the school year 1911--12 shows both Albert and Hilda. He moved to Belfast to do some evangelistic work. Later he located in Dublin where he worked for several years, often doing tract work. On August 29, 1912, Albert was elected as the elder at the organization of the Dublin church and continued evangelistic work in the area.
In June 1913 Albert Watson moved to British East Africa. After a brief stay at the mission station at Gendia, he went on to Rusinga Island on Lake Victoria. There was already a school at Rusinga with forty children in attendance. Earlier that year, Pastor L. R. Conradi, then the president of the European Division, had visited Rusinga and had sought and obtained permission to establish a new mission station. Rusinga at that time was only accessible by boat, although today a causeway takes you there by car from Mbita Point. The island is elongated in shape, approximately ten miles (16 km) end to end at the longest point and three miles (5 km) at its widest point. The people of the island were mainly from the Suba, a Bantu people who had lived for years with the Nilotic Luo people having come by boat from the ancient Buganda kingdom fleeing from war. The people of the islands lived largely by subsistence agriculture and fishing.
Watson was received by the Paramount Chief Nyakriga of Rusinga, who had welcomed the Adventists earlier. Watson settled at Kiwegi Hill in Waregi village in the east of the island where the Adventist mission was located. Waregi School was already operating, and Watson continued the work at the school and also superintended running the mission. Some of the pioneer Adventists on the island included Samwel Kaoga, Daudi Ogoe, Zakaria Sudhe, Petro Orwa, James Owala, and Mathayo Opiyo.
When World War broke out in 1914, it was particularly difficult for the Adventist missionaries in British East Africa. Watson was immediately placed in detention and moved to Kaimosi, 100 miles north of Gendia, where the main Adventist mission station was located. Despite being British, Watson remained in detention at Kaimosi until October 1916 when he and the other Adventist missionaries were released. The government authorities had been reluctant to release the Adventists after they learned that the headquarters of the European Division were in Hamburg Germany, the nation they were at war with. Those in detention with Watson included A. Carscallen, Alfred Matter, J. D. Baker, E. B. Philips, L. E. A. Lane, B. L. Morse, and their spouses. Following a direct appeal to the government authorities, the Adventists were released and allowed to return to their mission stations.
Watson was more fortunate than the rest, his station had not been looted as much as the other stations were. It had remained largely untouched, thanks to Daniel Onyango, who had been placed in charge while Watson was away. When Watson returned, the work expanded further. The church took in new believers who were baptized at the Gendia Mission. The school continued to grow in attendance.
In 1921 Watson returned to the British Union and spent a “furlough” year in Belfast during which time he married Miss Hilda Blair. Hilda was a Bible instructor in Britain. They returned to Kenya in 1922 to continue the mission work, initially locating in the Mwanza district of Tanganyika.They had two sons, Albert and Charles, both born at Gendia.
In 1930 Pastor and Mrs. Watson returned to the British Union permanently. Albert’s work was not over as he was to pastor in Newcastle, Rugby, Torquay, and Exeter, and also served in Ireland and Wales. In 1953 Watson retired and moved to Derby. He remained there until June 28, 1958, when he passed away. He was survived by his wife and sons.