Page 34 - Three Score Years & Ten
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“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
Their third child, Marjorie Everall, had been born on 12 March 1913 so was almost a year old. Jessie
was nearly three and Percy four and a half. GFA and Fanny's second child, Aileen Margaret, was
born a few weeks after her grandparents' arrival. A month later Arthur Moore was asked to escort
young Mr. Percy Mather up to far away Urumchi to work with Mr. George Hunter. He was away for
three months.
THE GREAT WAR
World War I broke out in July 1914 and had its effect on CIM missionaries no less than on the rest of
the world. Many young men felt they should offer their services to their country and there was much
division of opinion as to whether the call to missionary service should or should not supersede their
call to defend their country. The decision was made that any who felt they should join up were at
liberty to do so but, if they did, they must resign from the Mission on the understanding that they could
reapply after the war was over. Each case for re-acceptance would be considered on its own merits.
Among those who joined up at that time was George's third son Arthur, and over in England his
younger brother Alf also joined up as soon as he was old enough.
In October 1914 Christian churches in Beijing called for prayer by all churches for peace in the world.
In Lanzhou George Andrew received a telegram asking him to arrange a meeting in the city, so he
visited the Governor of Gansu and discussed it with him.
"A meeting was held in the Cou Cong Tang Ancestral Hall and the reverence shown by officials of all
ranks, both military and civil, was most striking, showing that during the past few years the Chinese
are less prejudiced against Christianity.
"The meeting took place between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday, 18 October. Mr. Gou, one of the
Christians, acted as chairman, prayer was made by George Andrew Senior, and Scripture reading by
Mr. Shen, another Christian. An address was given by Mr. Zhong, a Christian business man, and
then Mr. Guai, the Governor's representative was called on to speak. He gave a very appropriate
address for the occasion, after which Dr. King closed with prayer."
In June 1916 Alfred Andrew, the youngest of George and Jessie's children, was killed in action in
France. He was one of sixteen Chefoo boys who gave their lives during World War I. It was a
terrible blow to the parents in far away Lanzhou. Jessie had some kind of presentiment that he was
gone before they received the news of his death. "During the morning" she wrote, "it came over me
that my dear laddie was either dead or in great danger and I had such a cry. Oh this cruel, cruel war!
How many more young lives are going to be sacrificed?" She found it hard to realise he was gone.
As for George; "Poor dad, he feels it intensely" she wrote to Esther, "last week he could hardly speak
to anybody."
Esther, who would have been such a comfort to her parents, was probably in Qingjiang with Arthur by
this time, as he had been asked to take charge of a temporary language school for the few men
students who were coming out during the war. GFA and Fanny were still in Lanzhou though GFA
spent a lot of time travelling in Gansu and Xinjiang.
POST WAR MOVEMENTS
In 1919 George and Jessie travelled with GFA and Fanny and their three children to the coast to go on
furlough again in England. The Moores must have already gone earlier in 1919. George and Jessie
were in England until February 1922. They had been missionaries in China for over forty years and
34
Amy Moore
Their third child, Marjorie Everall, had been born on 12 March 1913 so was almost a year old. Jessie
was nearly three and Percy four and a half. GFA and Fanny's second child, Aileen Margaret, was
born a few weeks after her grandparents' arrival. A month later Arthur Moore was asked to escort
young Mr. Percy Mather up to far away Urumchi to work with Mr. George Hunter. He was away for
three months.
THE GREAT WAR
World War I broke out in July 1914 and had its effect on CIM missionaries no less than on the rest of
the world. Many young men felt they should offer their services to their country and there was much
division of opinion as to whether the call to missionary service should or should not supersede their
call to defend their country. The decision was made that any who felt they should join up were at
liberty to do so but, if they did, they must resign from the Mission on the understanding that they could
reapply after the war was over. Each case for re-acceptance would be considered on its own merits.
Among those who joined up at that time was George's third son Arthur, and over in England his
younger brother Alf also joined up as soon as he was old enough.
In October 1914 Christian churches in Beijing called for prayer by all churches for peace in the world.
In Lanzhou George Andrew received a telegram asking him to arrange a meeting in the city, so he
visited the Governor of Gansu and discussed it with him.
"A meeting was held in the Cou Cong Tang Ancestral Hall and the reverence shown by officials of all
ranks, both military and civil, was most striking, showing that during the past few years the Chinese
are less prejudiced against Christianity.
"The meeting took place between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday, 18 October. Mr. Gou, one of the
Christians, acted as chairman, prayer was made by George Andrew Senior, and Scripture reading by
Mr. Shen, another Christian. An address was given by Mr. Zhong, a Christian business man, and
then Mr. Guai, the Governor's representative was called on to speak. He gave a very appropriate
address for the occasion, after which Dr. King closed with prayer."
In June 1916 Alfred Andrew, the youngest of George and Jessie's children, was killed in action in
France. He was one of sixteen Chefoo boys who gave their lives during World War I. It was a
terrible blow to the parents in far away Lanzhou. Jessie had some kind of presentiment that he was
gone before they received the news of his death. "During the morning" she wrote, "it came over me
that my dear laddie was either dead or in great danger and I had such a cry. Oh this cruel, cruel war!
How many more young lives are going to be sacrificed?" She found it hard to realise he was gone.
As for George; "Poor dad, he feels it intensely" she wrote to Esther, "last week he could hardly speak
to anybody."
Esther, who would have been such a comfort to her parents, was probably in Qingjiang with Arthur by
this time, as he had been asked to take charge of a temporary language school for the few men
students who were coming out during the war. GFA and Fanny were still in Lanzhou though GFA
spent a lot of time travelling in Gansu and Xinjiang.
POST WAR MOVEMENTS
In 1919 George and Jessie travelled with GFA and Fanny and their three children to the coast to go on
furlough again in England. The Moores must have already gone earlier in 1919. George and Jessie
were in England until February 1922. They had been missionaries in China for over forty years and
34
