Page 78 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 78
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
happened to be there. One of his sayings whic I often heard Percy tease him about, which always
caused mirth, was "Be that as it may, in the fullness of time, we arrived at the monastery of Kumbum
on the plains of Kokonor."
MARRIAGE
At New Year 1911, George had other things on his mind. He set off with two companions to meet
and marry Fanny Riley at Chengdu in Sichuan. It took 28 days to get there across the Min Shan (the
Min Ranges). Bishop Cassells, one of the famous "Cambridge Seven", performed the ceremony on 1
February 1911. The reception was held in the home of Mrs. Ritchie, wife of the head of the Postal
Service in Sichuan. As Ella Reid, Mrs. Ritchie went through the Chefoo Schools with Esther Moore
(GFA's older sister) and they were lifelong friends. There were six Chefooites present at George and
Fanny's wedding.
Wedding of George Findlay
Andrew (GFA) and Fanny Riley
at Chengdu, Sichuan, China, 1st
February 1911.
Bishop and Mrs Cassells on left
with old Mr. James next to
Fanny.
The couple on the far right is
probably Mr. and Mrs. Ritchie in
whose home they were married.
He was Commissioner for Posts
and Telegraphs in China.
The Rileys had three children, the eldest son was named Paul and was killed in World War I, When
Fanny and her twin sister Jenny were born, Mrs. Riley died as a result of their birth. When dying, she
bequeathed her children to Miss Kidd, the nurse who cared for her. Miss Kidd later became Mr.
Riley's second wife and, after his death, she married Mr. James of the CIM but continued to take care
of the Riley children as well as her own James children.
It took 42 days to get back to Lanzhou as Fanny was carried in a sedan chair. 1911 was the year of
the Revolution and conditions all over China were very unsettled. In Xining where Esther and Arthur
were alone in June of that year, their lives were endangered by an anti-foreign uprising, and only by
the mercy of God were they saved from death and enabled to go for a time to Lanzhou until things
settled down.
George's health seems to have been giving trouble at this time, and a brief mention of him in the
Mission magazine says that on 10 October he left for Beijing for medical advice. His absence from
the work in Lanzhou at that time was probably made possible by the fact that Arthur and Esther Moore
were still unable to return to Xining and remained in Lanzhou until the following May. George and
Fanny's elder child George Leslie, was born in Lanzhou on 2 April 1912.
Mr. and Mrs. George Andrew Senior were on furlough and Arthur and Esther were transferred there
on the return of the Ridleys from furlough to Xining. The Learners took over from the Preedys and
Arthur Moore seems to have done the secretarial work for the district. George Findlay was in charge
of the Boys' School during this time, but ill health seems to have dogged him a great deal of the time.
At the end of 1914, Arthur Moore was writing to Mr. Hoste that
78
Amy Moore
happened to be there. One of his sayings whic I often heard Percy tease him about, which always
caused mirth, was "Be that as it may, in the fullness of time, we arrived at the monastery of Kumbum
on the plains of Kokonor."
MARRIAGE
At New Year 1911, George had other things on his mind. He set off with two companions to meet
and marry Fanny Riley at Chengdu in Sichuan. It took 28 days to get there across the Min Shan (the
Min Ranges). Bishop Cassells, one of the famous "Cambridge Seven", performed the ceremony on 1
February 1911. The reception was held in the home of Mrs. Ritchie, wife of the head of the Postal
Service in Sichuan. As Ella Reid, Mrs. Ritchie went through the Chefoo Schools with Esther Moore
(GFA's older sister) and they were lifelong friends. There were six Chefooites present at George and
Fanny's wedding.
Wedding of George Findlay
Andrew (GFA) and Fanny Riley
at Chengdu, Sichuan, China, 1st
February 1911.
Bishop and Mrs Cassells on left
with old Mr. James next to
Fanny.
The couple on the far right is
probably Mr. and Mrs. Ritchie in
whose home they were married.
He was Commissioner for Posts
and Telegraphs in China.
The Rileys had three children, the eldest son was named Paul and was killed in World War I, When
Fanny and her twin sister Jenny were born, Mrs. Riley died as a result of their birth. When dying, she
bequeathed her children to Miss Kidd, the nurse who cared for her. Miss Kidd later became Mr.
Riley's second wife and, after his death, she married Mr. James of the CIM but continued to take care
of the Riley children as well as her own James children.
It took 42 days to get back to Lanzhou as Fanny was carried in a sedan chair. 1911 was the year of
the Revolution and conditions all over China were very unsettled. In Xining where Esther and Arthur
were alone in June of that year, their lives were endangered by an anti-foreign uprising, and only by
the mercy of God were they saved from death and enabled to go for a time to Lanzhou until things
settled down.
George's health seems to have been giving trouble at this time, and a brief mention of him in the
Mission magazine says that on 10 October he left for Beijing for medical advice. His absence from
the work in Lanzhou at that time was probably made possible by the fact that Arthur and Esther Moore
were still unable to return to Xining and remained in Lanzhou until the following May. George and
Fanny's elder child George Leslie, was born in Lanzhou on 2 April 1912.
Mr. and Mrs. George Andrew Senior were on furlough and Arthur and Esther were transferred there
on the return of the Ridleys from furlough to Xining. The Learners took over from the Preedys and
Arthur Moore seems to have done the secretarial work for the district. George Findlay was in charge
of the Boys' School during this time, but ill health seems to have dogged him a great deal of the time.
At the end of 1914, Arthur Moore was writing to Mr. Hoste that
78
