To make up for a whole bunch of blog posts, I am publishing in post format the biographies I compiled for my world-famous “The Chronicle of the London Missionary Society for all articles relating to their Central Africa Mission from 1876-1905.” I appreciate your patience!
Adam Darling Purves
Born: March 18, 1865, at Dunse, Berwickshire, Scotland
Died: November 18, 1901, at Mbereshi [Jan 1902]
Mr. A.D. Purves married Elizabeth Ward on January 15, 1886. Appointed as an artisan missionary and leaving his wife behind, he left England on April 30, 1892 [Jun 1892]. He arrived at Fwambo in August 1892 [Jan 1893] and settled at Niamkolo. He was joined by his wife in 1894 and in 1897 the couple returned to England on furlough, arriving on August 19, 1897 [Oct 1897]. They departed England again on June 7, 1899 [Jul 1899]. He and his wife founded the mission station at Mbereshi, where he died of malaria [Jan 1902].
Elizabeth Purves, née Ward
Joining her husband two years after he first left for Central Africa, Mrs. Purves departed England on May 8, 1894 [Jun 1894] and reached Fwambo on August 29 [Jan 1895]. Mrs. Purves helped found the station at Mbereshi. Following the death of Mr. Purves, she returned to England, arriving September 6, 1902 [Oct 1902].
Rev. Bowen Rees
Born: March 16, 1857, at Lanybie, Carmarthenshire
Rev. Bowen Rees studied at Bala College and was ordained on May 22, 1884, at Pentteg, Ystalyfera [Jul 1884]. He departed England on June 11, 1884 [Jul 1884], intending to travel to Lake Tanganyika via Lake Nyasa. The route was blocked by fighting, and so he travelled to Zanzibar and arrived there September 26, 1884 [Feb 1885]. He arrived at Ujiji on February 12, 1885, but resigned [Nov 1885] and arrived back in England on December 30, 1885 [Feb 1886]. He was reappointed to South Africa.
Rev. William Govan Robertson
Born: August 27, 1869, at Whithorn, Scotland
Died: 1928†
Rev. W.G. Robertson had been a lay missionary with the Livingstonia Mission since February, 1891. In 1897 the London Missionary Society accepted his offer of service [Jul 1897]. He married Christian Tregorson Sim on June 23, 1897 [Aug 1897], and they departed England on July 7 [Aug 1897]. The couple had a son on August 11, 1898 [Oct 1898], but Christian died shortly thereafter on August 24 [Dec 1899]. Rev. Robertson sent his son to Scotland [Dec 1899]. Rev. Robertson returned to England on furlough, arriving on November 26, 1902 [Jan 1903]. On January 16, 1904, he married Edith Moorhouse [Mar 1904] and the couple departed England on April 21 to settle at Kawimbe [Jun 1904]. He was connected with the London Missionary Society until his death†.
Christian Tregorson Robertson, née Sim
Born: Oban, Scotland
Died: August 24, 1898, at Kawimbe [Dec 1898]
A good student in school and Bible-class, she married Mr. W.G. Robertson on June 23, 1897 [Aug 1897] and departed England with him for Central Africa on July 7 [Aug 1897]. At Kawimbe she taught children hymns with the aid of an organ [Dec 1898]. She gave birth to a son on August 11, 1898 [Oct 1898], but died shortly thereafter.
Edith Robertson, née Moorhouse
She married the widower Rev. Robertson on January 16, 1904 [Mar 1904] and on April 21 departed England with him to settle at Kawimbe [Jun 1904].
Notes:
Unless otherwise noted, missionary biographies are derived firstly from London Missionary Society: A Register of Missionaries, Deputations, Etc. From 1796 to 1923, prepared by James Sibree, D.D., Fourth Edition, published by the London Missionary Society, London, 1923. Brackets with [Month Year] indicate the issue of The Chronicle of the London Missionary Society which records the preceding event. Information denoted by a dagger (†) is from Christian Missionaries and the Creation of Northern Rhodesia 1880-1924, by Robert I. Rotberg, published by Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1965. Other sources are denoted by a footnote.
Pat in the World 
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