Wakefield (nee Brewin), Rebecca (1844-1873)

Rebecca Brewin was born in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire on 19 August 1844, and baptised in the Wesleyan Methodist chapel. At the age of 25 she married Rev. Thomas Wakefield  and went out to East Africa with him. They had two children, Helena Rebecca (1870-1943) and Herbert, who only lived for a month dying on 12 July 1873. Rebecca followed on 16 July 1873, and they are both buried at the mission station at Ribe, Kenya.

Rebecca’s brother Robert was also a UMFC minister, and he wrote a biography of Rebecca that ran to three editions. The understanding of her role in the establishment of Methodism in East Africa seems to have evolved. In 1879 she is described as “the wife of the Rev. T. Wakefield” By 1888 she is recognised as “missionary in East Africa”. Both editions are available to read online.

Rebecca and Thomas are also the subject of a modern biography by Barbara Wolstenholme.

References

Brewin, Robert Memoirs of Mrs Rebecca Wakefield: wife of the Rev T. Wakefield, United Methodist Free Churches missionary in Eastern Africa 2^nd ed. London: Hamilton, Adam, 1879 313pp  see here for an online copy

Brewin, Robert Memoirs of Mrs Rebecca Wakefield: missionary in East Africa 3rd ed. London: Andrew Crombie, 1888 313pp see here for an online copy

Wolstenholme, Barbara  Not Dear to Themselves: The Story of Thomas and Rebecca Wakefield and the Establishment of the Methodist Church in East Africa Loughborough: Teamprint, 1994.