The Legacy of William Shellabear

Abstract

William Shellabear (1862-1948) was one of the pioneer Kealy. The Kealy family had close ties withBrethren, Baptist, and Methodist missionaries to British Malaya, yet he is Wesleyan churches and introduced Shellabear to St. Matthew's betterknownamongMalayMuslims thanamongChristians. His Anglican Church, then served by a former Church Missionary editions of classical Malay literature are still in print, and his Society missionary to India. Shellabear quickly found himself studies of the Malay language and orthography are still in use by exposed to a Christian society in which evangelistic and mission­ linguists. His Christian works in Malay did not find a place in a ary commitments were more important than maintaining sectar­ church, which came to be dominated by ethnic Chinese and ian differences. After a three-month period spent working in Indians who spoke English or their own vernacular languages. isolation on the Isle of Wight, during which he reflected on his Nonetheless, Shellabear left a Christian legacy in Malaya. spiritual state, and with the urging of Fanny Kealy, the sixteen­ From 1891 to 1948 he introduced and guided changes in attitudes year-old daughter of John Kealy, Shellabear made a definite toward Malays and Islam, which made it possible for Methodist commitment to Christ. A short time later he beganto court Fanny missionaries to relate positively to Malays while maintaining the and under her influence gave up smoking and drinking. By the integrity of their evangelistic outreach. These changes involved time he received orders to ship out to Singapore in 1886, he and first a reevaluation of Malay culture, and then of Malay religion Fanny were engaged to be married, and he had become an and spirituality. In an era in which Christian-Muslim relations enthusiastic witness to Christianity among the other soldiers. and Malay religious aspirations were dominant themes of an all­ In Singapore Shellabear began to learn the Malay language too-strident Christian discussion, the legacy of a missionary who in order to lead a group of Malay soldiers, and it became his most could retain both his integrity as an evangelist and the respect of important pastime. Dissatisfied with the missionary commit­ those whom he sought to convert is worthy of study. ment of the Anglican church in Singapore, he became part of the