Samuel Benjamin FELLOWS

FELLOWS, SAMUEL BENJAMIN (b. Codnor Park, Derbyshire, England, 26 Oct 1858; d. Mount Barker, WA, 21 Oct 1933). Methodist missionary, British New Guinea.

Samuel was the son of Methodist lay preacher Samuel Fellows and his wife Mary. He was educated at Codnor Park National School and then employed from the age of thirteen in rolling-mills at Forge. Raised in a staunch Wesleyan family, he experienced a steady spiritual growth. He attended Sunday school from twelve and at eighteen 'decided for Christ' and became a class teacher.

As a young man Fellows migrated with his family to New Zealand and, after engaging in home mission work at Dunedin, nominated for the ministry. He trained at Wesley College, Auckland. Ordained in 1888, he served at Riverton and Invercargill. In 1891 he was invited by the Rev George Brown to join the pioneering Methodist expedition to British New Guinea. Based first at the original station of Dobu, he established the stations of Panaeati (1892) and Kiriwina (1894).

Described by fellow-missionary Matthew Gilmour as 'red-haired and emotional', Fellows was a volatile and autocratic missionary who developed a pungent style of preaching. Winning the interest of his flock with the aid of his piano-accordion, he spoke of the love of God and of His 'dealings with the ungodly at the Day of Judgment'. Uninhibited by any doubts about a literal hell, he painted graphic images of sinners thrust into a prison of fire. His preaching also contained a mixture of morality and imperial sentiment, as a diary entry for 15 Nov 1891 illustrates: 'Spoke of duties of natives as subjects—honour placed by Britishers cm Queen and pleaded for lightening of labours of women ... Then went on to speak of Albert the Good as having only one wife and bashed polygamy'. Occasionally he took himself to task for 'too much bashing' but generally believed preaching at 'red-hot pitch' was necessary to impress his 'sin-hardened converts'. George Brown found him rather too 'domineering'. Besides recording the process of evangelism and the daily routine of mission life, Fellows' diary reveals his constant striving for 'sanctification' and the comfort of his belief in Divine Providence.

During his ten years in the mission field Fellows founded two circuits, reduced two languages to writing, and made translations of the Scripture, hymns and catechism in both. In 1901 Fellows left New Guinea owing to the illhealth of his wife (Sarah née Hanna, whom he had married in 1894). He served as minister in Queensland and Western Australia, as secretary for overseas missions (1902-06, 1913-14), and as president of the Western Australian conference (1912).

D Langmore, Missionary Lives. Papua 1874-1914 (Honolulu 1989)

DIANE LANGMORE