Arthur Dudley Stewart

Arthur Dudley Stewart was born on 8 October 1877 in Foochow, China. His father, Rev. Robert Warren Stewart and his mother, Louisa Kathleen Stewart (née Smyly) were both members of well-known Dublin families. They had gone out to Fukin as C.M.S. missionaries in 1875. Arthur spent his early years in Foochow and spoke Foochow dialect before he learned to speak English.

In 1882, the Stewarts went on furlough, and when they returned to China, Arthur and two young brothers were left in the care of their grandfather, Mr. J.R. Stewart of Gortletteragh, Dunlaoghaire. Here Arthur was brought up, except that, when his parents returned to furlough, he and the other children joined them in England and the family was reunited for a few months. Later the three boys went to Haileybury. When Arthur was sixteen, his parents returned to China for the fourth and last time, taking with them the five younger children – the Stewarts were indeed a large family.

Then came the unfortunate tragedy of the uprising of the Chinese party, known to foreigners as ‘the vegetarians’ This was semi-political party, whose aim was mainly anti-government, but partly anti-foreign. This party had few, if any, branches outside the province of Fukin; and even there was not taken serious either by the authority or by the foreigners. All foreigners were called in to Foochow, but after a couple months the provincial governor declared that all trouble was over; and a number of missionaries went up the hill station of Hwasang for a brief holiday. On 1 August 1895, a party of ‘Vegetarians’ attacked and killed fifteen including Mr and Mrs Stewart and two of their children. The event is known as Kucheng massacre.

The tragedy of his parents’ death made a deep impression on Arthur. From an early age, he had determined the ministry with a possible view to later going out to the Mission Field; but the loss of his parents made him determined to carry on the work which had been interrupted by their untimely deaths. It would seem strongly that he influenced other members of his family, since four followed his examples at various times.

In 1898, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge where he completed his university and theological training. He was ordained in 1901, becoming curate at St. Paul’s Canonbury, North London. Four years later he was accepted as a candidate by the Church Missionary Society and sailed for Hong Kong, accompanied by a younger sister, Kathleen in November 1905. It would appear strange that Hong Kong should have been selected rather than Fukien, which had not only been the scene of his parents’ work, but also his early home. It seems that the Church Missionary Society at the time considered that there were great possibilities in Hong Kong and South China, which up to then had been somewhat neglected; while Fukien was comparatively well provided, principally by members of the Dublin University Mission, which had been founded and organised during his last furlough by Robert Stewart, who was himself a T.C.D. man. It was to Hong Kong consequently that Arthur Stewart was sent.

After a preliminary period of language study, he was appointed to the Staff of St. Stephen's College- then in its infancy. Kathleen Stewart joined the staff of St. Stephen's Girls College, Hong Kong. The Chinese Church of Hong Kong was still in its initial stage, though Christian work of a sort had been carried on for nearly sixty years by that time. There was but one Chinese Church on the Hong Kong Island, St. Stephen’s in Pokfulam Road. There was, however, a small but enthusiastic group of Chinese Christian scattered throughout the eastern part of the city, and under Stewart’s leadership, these used to meet on Sundays in the small chapel in the basement of the Bishop’s House. Many of these “catacomb Christians” came from beyond Happy Valley, facing a two-hour walk to attend the service and never missing. This congregation extended rapidly and after a year or two outgrew the church. Then services were held out of doors on what was then the Bishop’s tennis court; in rainy weather the verandas were used.

Meanwhile, the Parent Committee of the CMS had decided to close down the training school for Chinese catechists which had been started by the Rev. A. Bunbury in 1900, and carried on, by permission of the Bishop, in St. Paul's College, Hong Kong: this venture having proved unsuccessful. Bishop Lander then invited the C.M.S. to re-open and take charge of the former school which had been started in the early days of the Colony and had continued to exist spasmodically “by fits and starts” – it had been closed and re-opened at least three times. The C.M.S. gratefully accepted the offer and appointed Arthur as the Headmaster. In September 1909, St. Paul’s College was re-opened, the staff compromising Stewart himself and Thomas Chan. Growth was rapid and further additions were made to the staff- Ho Wing Kin, Lam Tung, Fung Man Sui, Wei Wing Hon, Wei Wing Yuet, all former students of St. Stephen’s College.

The growth of the school coincided with the increase in numbers of the little band of Christmas in the Bishop’s Chapel, and Rev. Stewart conceived the idea of satisfying two needs at the same time. By cutting away the side of the hill west of Glenealy it was possible to erect a building, with classrooms below and a church above. This was completed by the end of 1911, and thus St. Paul’s Church came into being. For many years the Church was also used on weekdays as a school chapel.

In its earlier years there was a service in English on Sunday evenings in St. Paul's Church for the benefit of those Chinese, returned students and the like, who now frequent St. John’s Cathedral. Here Arthur Stewart was at his best. His fluent, eloquent sermons in simple English words which all could follow were the subject of keen discussion among students afterwards in every University Hostel.

That handsome young Irishman with the graceful pulpit manner, the musical voice, the remarkable eyes and the amazing fluency of speech must be well remembered and loved by hundreds of men and women who heard him in those days, Hong Kong was a family then compared with its immensity today, rather less than half a million souls. Everyone knew Arthur, and he knew almost everyone. At Government House he was welcomed as warmly as at the Chinese Ladies Prayer Meetings, which have been such a remarkable feature of St. Paul’s Church and of other Chinese churches throughout many years.

For some years he continued the double role of Headmaster and Vicar of the parish. During those years, he School continued to grow. Branch schools of St. Paul's College, Hong Kong were formed in Hollywood Road, at Shaukeiwan and Aberdeen, and in far off Rabaul, staffed in every case by Old Paulines. It is not possible to follow the careers of Arthur’s student in details.

Stewart carried on his work in Hong Kong for 28 years, for 21 of which he was the headmaster of St. Paul's College, Hong Kong. In 1930, he resigned from the headmaster of St. Paul’s and in 1933 retired completely from work in Hong Kong. He then became vicar of Lyonsdown in New Barnet, London, in succession of his father-in-law, Bishop Gerald Heath Lander. A farewell meeting was given in the City Hall and was addressed by His Excellency the Governor, Sir William Peel. Fifteen years of successful work in England followed which was recalled by Bishop Sherwood Jones at the moving funeral held in Lyonsdown Church, London.

• Fragrant Stream
• Wayfarer P.47-50, 1957 English edition

• St. Paul's College