Chapter V · People · Hero H030
Archbishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther
Africa's First Anglican Bishop — Translated the Bible into Yoruba
Summary
Former slave who became the first African Anglican bishop in modern history (1864). Captured as a child in a Fulani raid and sold into slavery, he was freed by the British Navy and educated in Sierra Leone and England. He produced the first Yoruba-language Bible translation, a Yoruba dictionary, and grammars for Hausa and Igbo, laying the foundations of literacy in Nigeria's major languages.
Record
Born
Died
State / origin
Category
Era
Legal link
Documented contributions
- 01Consecrated as Bishop of the Niger Territories in 1864 — first African Anglican bishop in modern history
- 02Translated the Bible and Book of Common Prayer into Yoruba
- 03Compiled the first Yoruba dictionary and grammar (1843, 1852)
- 04Produced Igbo and Hausa language grammars and vocabularies
- 05His literacy work underpins all subsequent education in Yoruba, enabling millions to read and write in their own language
Sources
Guardian Nigeria (2020); Church of England historical records; University of Birmingham archive
https://guardian.ng/opinion/heroes-of-the-struggle-for-nigerias-independence-pioneer-political-professional-and-business-leaders/Era context
Period falls outside the currently catalogued administrations — being compiled.
Tier 1 · primary
Courts. Gazettes. National archives.
Tier 2 · corroborating
OCCRP. HRW. BudgIT. TheCable.
Redline
Wikipedia is never a source.