Peter Hartwig (missionary)

Peter Hartwig (1778, Prussia – 1815, Sierra Leone) was a German seminarian and medical missionary, who worked on behalf of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in West Africa. Hartwig was one of the first two missionaries sent to Africa by CMS. His work in Sierra Leone, specifically in Freetown, shaped the region, pioneering the expansion of the Church Missionary Society and advancing Western influence and beliefs in that area.

Early life and education

At the age of 25, Hartwig joined the Church Missionary Society and began his studies alongside fellow Lutheran Melchior Renner at the Berlin Seminary Missionary School under Dr. Jänicke. He spent 15 months in Clapham, England, where he learned both English and the Susu language. Hartwig studied Susu at the School for Africans under William Greaves, a missionary from Edinburgh who had previously worked in Sierra Leone before returning to the UK.

Hartwig's decision to become a missionary was initially motivated by his desire to avoid serving in the military, as revealed in a letter written by fellow missionary Gustavus Reinhold Nylander: "He did not like to be a soldier in the Prussian army and for fear of being forced to it was custom in Prussia, he joined the mission, only to get out of his native country by that means" (CMS Archives, CA1/E1/110, Nylander to Pratt, Freetown, 10 July 1807).

In 1804, Hartwig married Sarah Windsor, an Englishwoman who had worked as a governess in the household of Reverend John Venn. That same year, Hartwig was ordained as a Lutheran minister and set sail for West Africa.

Mission work

Life and impact in West Africa

Hartwig and Renner were sent to the Freetown settlement in Sierra Leone. Freetown was created for formerly enslaved Africans who were previously in America and Britain. However, the settlement struggled with frequent sickness and a limited food supply. The missionaries were given specific instructions and duties, with the primary goal of converting the Susu people who resided in the area to Christianity. Hartwig was to be supervised by a locally based Corresponding Committee composed of Sierra Leone Company officials. In addition, he was instructed to maintain frequent contact with the CMS by sending periodical reports as well as keeping a journal describing his experiences.

Relations with Renner

Renner and Hartwig had a tense relationship, creating a strain on their work in Sierra Leone. For the first two years of the mission, much of the correspondence to the CMS centered around the eruptive and intense conflicts between Hartwig and Renner.

As Hartwig was learning Susu and Arabic, he was instructed by the CMS to make regular journeys outside the colony to assess the character and customs of the local populations living further inland. His frequent absence left Renner to shoulder the responsibilities in Freetown alone, confined to what he felt was a place ravaged by sickness and starvation. The disagreements between the two often became violent, so much so that colony officials assigned a newly-arrived missionary to accompany them and maintain order.

Struggles with mission work and the Church Missionary Society

Establishing strong ties with the local community was important to the success of a mission, offering missionaries access to scarce medical resources, critical information, travel opportunities, and increased influence and respect. Hartwig, however, struggled with building these connections, largely due to his ongoing health problems. Often bedridden from severe illness, his opporunities for social interaction were greatly restricted. His wife Sarah suffered from even more frequent bouts of illness, so even when Hartwig was in good health, he had to take time away from the community to care for her. In 1805, the Hartwigs traveled to Bullom Shore in Sierra Leone to recuperate. During this time, Renner gradually strengthened his integration into Freetown and successfully negotiated his appointment as chaplain of the Company's church in Freetown. When Peter returned, he had little time to settle back into Freetown before he was sent on a trip to the Rio Pongo, from late February to May 1805. Peter was often sent to work outside of Freetown due to his poor health, and by 1806, the Corresponding Committee made plans to return Sarah back to London for health reasons. Even though Peter was sent on the Pongo trip for his health, he did assess potential sites for a mission and grew to love the area. When he returned to Freetown, he repeatedly expressed his desire to leave the settlement and travel to the Pongo. By March 1806, Hartwig failed to secure any role within Freetown that the Committee deemed useful or acceptable. Their dislike of Hartwig began to grow, considering him incompetent and someone who needed to be controlled.

Furthermore, the language barrier proved a difficult challenge. The missionaries were instructed to preach to the local population in English, a challenge for many, including Hartwig, since English was not their native language. Hartwig's accent often drew criticism, and his sermons were frequently described as difficult to understand. In their letters to home, fellow missionaries noted his struggles with the language, while the Corresponding Committee in Freetown blamed his accent for his ineffectiveness in reaching the community.

Despite his linguistic talents, demonstrated by his translations into Susu and Arabic, Hartwig's difficulties with English pronunciation remained a persistent issue. In 1807, he left the colony without authorization, traveling to Rio Pongo and taking some CMS property with him. This led to his dismissal and accusations of involvement in the slave trade, although his final letters suggest an alternative perspective on these events.

"I am as put in irons. I will go into the Rio Pongas but I am limited on all sides. So I go with a slave dealer & speak kindly to him, I am called one too. Will I avoid it, there is no other way. But then again I have to please the corrupt fancy of a Committee here. What Disasters” (CMS Archives, CA1/E1/95, Hartwig to Pratt, Sierra Leone, 29 January 1807).

Hartwig did not keep the CMS sufficiently informed about his work, another factor that contributed to his departure in 1807. One of the expectations the Society emphasized from the beginning of the mission was to send regular letters describing the events that occurred. However, Hartwig's correspondence was infrequent, and with the discovery of numerous letters he sent to friends abroad, the Society felt he was not taking his responsibilities seriously.

Later life

In 1814, Hartwig returned to his work in Sierra Leone with the CMS, now employed as a linguist and translator. However, he died shortly after from yellow fever in 1815. His wife, Sarah, who had traveled to rejoin him after appealing to the Society in London for his reinstatement with the CMS, passed away just six weeks after he did. Hartwig had served the Church Missionary Society for four years and lived in Sierra Leone for an additional seven years independent of the Society.

Background of Sierra Leone at the time

In the early 19th century, the Freetown Settlement was governed by the British-led Sierra Leone Company, which was struggling to maintain control. The settlement's population was a mix of diverse groups, including many settlers who had originally left the United States after the 1763 American War of Independence and relocated to Africa. These individuals were supported by British abolitionists and wealthy investors who saw potential in establishing a profitable settlement in West Africa. The Sierra Leone Company had established strict rules and expectations that newcomers were required to abide by. By the time the first missionaries arrived in 1804, Freetown was a diverse and complex region.

With them, the CMS missionaries brought western ideals, including the introduction of western education and healthcare. One of their most significant contributions to the region was the establishment of schools for children in West Africa. The first CMS schools were built along the Rio Pongo, where slave traders and the Susu people resided. Gradually, the schools expanded and more were built closer to Freetown and the Bullom Shore. However, the integration of their western ideals also came with the imposition of their personal beliefs. European missionaries established these schools with an agenda to convert the native people to their religion. The ability to read the bible was the measure of progress and learning. Furthermore, the educational efforts did not relate to the local needs.

By 1808, the financial strain of sustaining the colony led to the collapse of the Sierra Leone Company, prompting the British Crown to annex Freetown. The settlement then became a hub for enforcing the Act to Abolish Slavery, with a Vice Admiralty Court established to adjudicate cases involving captured slave ships. Within a decade, the population of freed individuals rescued from these ships had surpassed the number of the original settlers.

In 1816, the Church Missionary Society concentrated its operations in Freetown, granting the missionaries full authority over the growing population of newly arrived freed Africans. This authority extended to overseeing their education, religious life, and social conduct. From this point onwards, the CMS became more structured and played a pivotal role in shaping Christian communities among the freed African population in Sierra Leone. While other missionary groups had previously operated in Serra Leone, the CMS distinguished itself as the most enduring and successful.