Page 32 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 32
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
Among the men was Arthur Moore, later to become George Andrew's son-in-law. They arrived in
Shanghai on 23 October and were quickly sent off to Ganjing to the Language School before the
women's party could reach Shanghai! I don't know how well Esther and Arthur knew each other
before this. They must have occasionally met at farewell or other CIM meetings, but they certainly
had no opportunity to see each other in Shanghai. They probably did not see each other until late
1907 when they both met in Lanzhou after Esther was designated to work with her parents in Gansu,
and Arthur was appointed to go to far away Urumchi to join Mr. Hunter in his lonely station. Until he
was more used to life and conditions in those far north western areas, Arthur was to be guided by
George Andrew in preparation for penetrating to distant Xinjiang.
Esther travelled up to Gansu under the care of the Misses Garland, two Australian sisters who worked
together in South Gansu under Esther's father as Superintendent. Many years later when my
daughter, Dorothy Moore (later Stephens), who was Esther's granddaughter, was doing her nursing
training in Melbourne, one of her close friends was the daughter of Mr. Green who was a nephew of
the Misses Garland.
I don't know how Arthur got there, but it was not long before he and Esther were mutually attracted to
each other and, within a year they had announced their engagement. They planned to be married as
soon as possible after the two years the Mission required for pre-marriage language study was
complete.
GEORGE JUNIOR (GFA)
1908 proved to be an eventful year for the Andrew family. Not only was Esther to marry Arthur Moore
at the end of the year in Shanghai, but George Junior was returning to China as an accepted
missionary candidate of the CIM. At the same time, among the women candidates coming out was
George's fiancée, Fanny Riley. Fanny was also the child of CIM missionaries and had been just a
year behind Esther at school, so she and George had known each other from childhood.
George Junior (whom I shall call GFA in future to distinguish him from his father George) and Fanny
arrived in China in October 1908 and went to language schools in Ganjing and Yangzhou. Ganjing
was close enough to the coast for GFA to get time off to attend his sister's wedding in Shanghai on 11
December. With her two younger brothers on holiday from Chefoo, Esther rejoiced to have not only
her parents, but three our of her four brothers at her wedding. Only Arthur Andrew was missing.
ALL TOGETHER IN GANSU
George and Jessie travelled down to Shanghai with Esther and Arthur in November, and arrived in
early December. The Andrews had many friends in Shanghai, but so did Arthur Moore who had lived
there when he was a detective in the Shanghai Police Force, so the wedding was a happy social event
and the young couple were made much of.
When it was all over, GFA returned to Ganjing to finish his language study there, and George and
Jessie and Arthur and Esther travelled back to Gansu during early 1909. By the time they settled
back in Lanzhou Esther was pregnant so it was decided they should stay there until after the baby's
birth rather than taking the long journey up to Urumchi where medical help would not be available.
GFA finished at Ganjing and joined his parents and sister later in the year at Lanzhou.
32
Amy Moore
Among the men was Arthur Moore, later to become George Andrew's son-in-law. They arrived in
Shanghai on 23 October and were quickly sent off to Ganjing to the Language School before the
women's party could reach Shanghai! I don't know how well Esther and Arthur knew each other
before this. They must have occasionally met at farewell or other CIM meetings, but they certainly
had no opportunity to see each other in Shanghai. They probably did not see each other until late
1907 when they both met in Lanzhou after Esther was designated to work with her parents in Gansu,
and Arthur was appointed to go to far away Urumchi to join Mr. Hunter in his lonely station. Until he
was more used to life and conditions in those far north western areas, Arthur was to be guided by
George Andrew in preparation for penetrating to distant Xinjiang.
Esther travelled up to Gansu under the care of the Misses Garland, two Australian sisters who worked
together in South Gansu under Esther's father as Superintendent. Many years later when my
daughter, Dorothy Moore (later Stephens), who was Esther's granddaughter, was doing her nursing
training in Melbourne, one of her close friends was the daughter of Mr. Green who was a nephew of
the Misses Garland.
I don't know how Arthur got there, but it was not long before he and Esther were mutually attracted to
each other and, within a year they had announced their engagement. They planned to be married as
soon as possible after the two years the Mission required for pre-marriage language study was
complete.
GEORGE JUNIOR (GFA)
1908 proved to be an eventful year for the Andrew family. Not only was Esther to marry Arthur Moore
at the end of the year in Shanghai, but George Junior was returning to China as an accepted
missionary candidate of the CIM. At the same time, among the women candidates coming out was
George's fiancée, Fanny Riley. Fanny was also the child of CIM missionaries and had been just a
year behind Esther at school, so she and George had known each other from childhood.
George Junior (whom I shall call GFA in future to distinguish him from his father George) and Fanny
arrived in China in October 1908 and went to language schools in Ganjing and Yangzhou. Ganjing
was close enough to the coast for GFA to get time off to attend his sister's wedding in Shanghai on 11
December. With her two younger brothers on holiday from Chefoo, Esther rejoiced to have not only
her parents, but three our of her four brothers at her wedding. Only Arthur Andrew was missing.
ALL TOGETHER IN GANSU
George and Jessie travelled down to Shanghai with Esther and Arthur in November, and arrived in
early December. The Andrews had many friends in Shanghai, but so did Arthur Moore who had lived
there when he was a detective in the Shanghai Police Force, so the wedding was a happy social event
and the young couple were made much of.
When it was all over, GFA returned to Ganjing to finish his language study there, and George and
Jessie and Arthur and Esther travelled back to Gansu during early 1909. By the time they settled
back in Lanzhou Esther was pregnant so it was decided they should stay there until after the baby's
birth rather than taking the long journey up to Urumchi where medical help would not be available.
GFA finished at Ganjing and joined his parents and sister later in the year at Lanzhou.
32
