Hester Needham | |
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Born | 23 January 1843 London, England, United Kingdom |
Died | 12 May 1897 |
Occupation | Missionary ∙ Travel writer |
Era | Victorian era |
Notable work | God First or Hester Needham's work in Sumatra |
Relatives | William Needham (father) Camilla Bosanquet (mother) |
Hester Needham (23 January 1843 - 12 May 1897) was a British women missionary and travel writer. She is known for the posthumous publication of God First or Hester Needham's work in Sumatra, a travel book published in 1899. A copy is part of one of the Special Collections of Maastricht University.[1] It is the only known book written by a female missionary in Indonesia during those times. The book comprises Needham's letters and diaries, arranged by Mary Enfield. It also includes a preface written by Sarah Geraldine Stock and a chapter about the biography of the author.[2] Needham stayed in Sumatra from 1889 to 1897, where she died.[2] She traveled there to take part in the missionary work of the Rhenish Missionary Society, as the first evangelist woman of the mission.[3]