- John Marrant
John Marrant (born
June 15 1755 - diedApril 15 1791 ) was one of theUnited States ' first blackpreacher s [ [http://blackhistoryreview.com/biography/JohnMarrant.php "Black History Review" "John Marrant, America's first black preacher1755-1791"] ] and missionaries. He also wrote three books about his experiences as a preacher.Early life and career
Marrant was born in
New York City in 1755. Following the death of his father, he moved with his mother toFlorida , Georgia andCharleston, South Carolina . He was able to read and spell by the age of 11. Marrant was taught how to play theFrench horn andviolin entertaining the local gentry at balls. [ Notable Black American Men Book II, Thomson Gale, 2006. "John Marrant"]At the age of 13 Marrant was taken to hear
Methodist preacher George Whitefield and was converted. After disagreements with his family about his conversion, Marrant wandered in the wilderness relying on God to feed and protect him. He was found by aCherokee hunter and taken to a Cherokee town where he was sentenced to death. However, Marrant was spared allegedly due to the miraculous conversion of the executioner. ["Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", "John Marrant"]Marrant lived with the Cherokees for two years before returning to Charleston where his own family didn't recognise him. He continued his missionary work with
slave s, despite the objection of their owners, until the start of theAmerican Revolution . [ [http://blackhistoryreview.com/biography/JohnMarrant.php "Black History Review" "John Marrant, America's first black preacher1755-1791"] ]Later life and career
Marrant claimed that he was impressed into the
Royal Navy for six years before being discharged in 1782, but Royal Navy records do not show him as having served with the Navy. ["Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", "John Marrant"] In 1782 Marrant started training as a Methodist Minister at the Huntingdon Methodist Connexion. He is shown on the New York City Inspection Roll of Negroes as the owner of Melia Marrant and two children, although Devona Mallory in "African American Lives" claimed that it was his family. [ Notable Black American Men Book II, Thomson Gale, 2006. "John Marrant"]He was ordained in 1785 and sent to
Nova Scotia to minister to several thousandAfrican-American s who had fled north during the fighting. [ Notable Black American Men Book II, Thomson Gale, 2006. "John Marrant"]Marrant moved to
Boston, Massachusetts in 1787 before returning briefly in 1788 toNova Scotia to marry Elizabeth Herries. ["Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", "John Marrant"] In 1788 he became the chaplain of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons in Boston which led the successful movement to abolish slavery in 1788. [ [http://blackhistoryreview.com/biography/JohnMarrant.php "Black History Review" "John Marrant, America's first black preacher1755-1791"] ]Marrant traveled to
London in 1790. Marrant died inIslington in 1791. ["Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", "John Marrant"]Writings
In 1785 he published "A Narrative of the Lord's Wonderful Dealings with John Marrant, A Black" with the assistance of Reverend William Aldridge who transcribed it. This proved to be very popular, going to 17 editions, although Marrant did not receive much financial benefit from it, as not all of the printings were authorised. [ [http://blackhistoryreview.com/biography/JohnMarrant.php "Black History Review" "John Marrant, America's first black preacher1755-1791"] ]
Critics have noted that the narrative has a very different tone to his later publications. However,
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has argued in "The Signifying Monkey" that many early African American narratives were transcribed by white editors which would explain the different writing style.He delivered a sermon in 1789 noting the equality of men before
God which was published. [ [http://blackhistoryreview.com/biography/JohnMarrant.php "Black History Review" "John Marrant, America's first black preacher1755-1791"] ] His final published work was a journal published in 1790.Books
* "A Narrative of the Lord's Wonderful Dealings with John Marrant, A Black", 1785.
* "A Sermon Preached on the 24th Day of June 1789...at the Request of the Right Worshipful the Grand Master Prince Hall, and the Rest of the Brethren of the African Lodge of the Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons in Boston", 1789.
* "A Journal of the Rev. John Marrant, from August the 18th, 1785, to the 16th of March", 1790.
References
External links
* [http://blackloyalist.com/canadiandigitalcollection/]
* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=2048 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]
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