Sophia Cooke (27 February 1814 – 14 September 1895) was a British missionary and schoolmistress at what is now St. Margaret's Secondary School in Singapore. She arranged church services in Chinese and helped distribute bibles in Malay and Arabic. She founded the YWCA in Singapore.
Cooke would use her influence to persuade the Anglican chaplain to begin a mission there. The society paid Cooke's salary but she had to rely on fund raising to keep the school viable. She arranged for Christian services to be conducted in Chinese in the school grounds.[2] This demonstration is said to have encouraged the local churches to also offer worship in Chinese.[3]
The only other missionary when Cooke arrived was Benjamin Keasberry who was an independent missionary. He had created a Malay translation of the Bible in 1853 in roman letter and an Arabic translation in 1856 and he had the means to print it.[4] The bibles were distributed by the Singapore Ladies' Bible and Tract Society which Cooke had set up in 1857.[4] After nearly a decade Cooke returned to England for a break. She returned, but after 1869 she was periodically ill and had to return to England to recover.[2]
In 1870, the first lay chaplain of St. George's Church, Singapore, Major Malan, together with Cooke revived the Auxiliary by separating the Bible department from the Tract department of Cooke's society.[4]
^"Maria Dyer". Singapore Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
^ abcd"Cooke, Sophia (1814–1895), missionary and schoolmistress". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/49145. Retrieved 2021-03-15. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ abLee, Gracie. "Sophia Cooke". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board, Singapore. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
^ abcCanton, William (1904). A history of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Cornell University Library. London : J. Murray.
^"Sophia Cooke Ballroom - YWCA Fort Canning - Event Venue Hire - Tagvenue.com". Sophia Cooke Ballroom at YWCA Fort Canning. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
December 14, 2023
sophia, cooke, february, 1814, september, 1895, british, missionary, schoolmistress, what, margaret, secondary, school, singapore, arranged, church, services, chinese, helped, distribute, bibles, malay, arabic, founded, ywca, singapore, born27, february, 1814h. Sophia Cooke 27 February 1814 14 September 1895 was a British missionary and schoolmistress at what is now St Margaret s Secondary School in Singapore She arranged church services in Chinese and helped distribute bibles in Malay and Arabic She founded the YWCA in Singapore Sophia CookeBorn27 February 1814HilboroughDied14 September 1895 1895 09 15 aged 81 SingaporeNationalityUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandOccupation s educator and missionaryLife editCooke was born in Hilborough in Norfolk and for twenty years she worked as a governess before she was sent to Singapore nbsp Sample school work from the school she led The now oldest girls school in Singapore and the Far East was founded in 1842 by Maria Dyer a missionary of the London Missionary Society 1 In 1853 the Society for Promotion of Female Education in the East sent Cooke to Singapore to become the Principal of what was then called the Chinese Girls School The school provided a basic education for girls as well as a home for orphans 2 Cooke would use her influence to persuade the Anglican chaplain to begin a mission there The society paid Cooke s salary but she had to rely on fund raising to keep the school viable She arranged for Christian services to be conducted in Chinese in the school grounds 2 This demonstration is said to have encouraged the local churches to also offer worship in Chinese 3 The only other missionary when Cooke arrived was Benjamin Keasberry who was an independent missionary He had created a Malay translation of the Bible in 1853 in roman letter and an Arabic translation in 1856 and he had the means to print it 4 The bibles were distributed by the Singapore Ladies Bible and Tract Society which Cooke had set up in 1857 4 After nearly a decade Cooke returned to England for a break She returned but after 1869 she was periodically ill and had to return to England to recover 2 Cooke established of the Young Women s Christian Association in Singapore 3 in 1875 2 In 1870 the first lay chaplain of St George s Church Singapore Major Malan together with Cooke revived the Auxiliary by separating the Bible department from the Tract department of Cooke s society 4 Death and legacy editCooke died in Singapore St Margaret s Secondary School continues in Singapore 5 There is a Sophia Cooke Ballroom 6 and Sophia Road in Singapore is named for her References edit Maria Dyer Singapore Women s Hall of Fame Retrieved 2021 03 15 a b c d Cooke Sophia 1814 1895 missionary and schoolmistress Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press 2004 doi 10 1093 ref odnb 49145 Retrieved 2021 03 15 Subscription or UK public library membership required a b Lee Gracie Sophia Cooke Singapore Infopedia National Library Board Singapore Retrieved 5 May 2019 a b c Canton William 1904 A history of the British and Foreign Bible Society Cornell University Library London J Murray Our History stmargaretssec moe edu sg Retrieved 2021 03 15 Sophia Cooke Ballroom YWCA Fort Canning Event Venue Hire Tagvenue com Sophia Cooke Ballroom at YWCA Fort Canning Retrieved 2021 03 15 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sophia Cooke amp oldid 1143698356, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
