Edward Steere

{{short description|English Anglican colonial bishop}} [[File:Edward Steere 001.jpg|thumb|lithograph of Edward Steere]] '''Edward Steere''' (1828 - 26 August 1882) was an English Anglican [[Colony|colonial]] [[bishop]] in the 19th century.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.zanzibarhistory.org/zanzibar_christians.htm|title=Zanzibar Christians|website=www.zanzibarhistory.org|accessdate=4 April 2025}}</ref>

==Life== Steere was educated at [[London University]] and [[ordained]] in 1850.<ref>[[The Times]], Tuesday, Aug 29, 1882; pg. 6; Issue 30598; col D ''Obituary''</ref> After [[Curate|curacies]] in [[Devon]] and [[Lincolnshire]], he joined [[William Tozer]] (Bishop in Central Africa) on a mission to Nyasaland in 1863.<ref>Heanley, R. M. ''A Memoir of Edward Steere, D.D. Ll.D., Third Missionary Bishop in Central Africa.'' (see External links).</ref> He was appointed [[Bishop in Central Africa]]<ref name="RangerKimambo1976">{{cite book|last1=Ranger|first1=Terence O. |last2=Kimambo|first2=Isaria N. |title=The Historical Study of African Religion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KPcGrcVAlowC|year=1976|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-03179-1}}</ref> in 1874 and died on 26 August 1882.<ref>[[The Times]], Tuesday, Sep 19, 1882; pg. 4; Issue 30616; col F ''Bishop Steere And His Work''</ref>

Steere spent several periods in Zanzibar, 1864–68, 1872–74, and 1877–82. In 1873 he placed the foundation stone at [[Christ Church, Zanzibar]], in Stone Town, Zanzibar. The cathedral was based on his vision; its concrete roof shaped in a [[barrel vault]] was Steere's idea. He also worked with [[David Livingstone]] to abolish slavery in Zanzibar. He is buried behind the altar in the church.<ref>'Workers at the church'</ref> David Livingstone's aides [[Chuma and susi|James Chuma and Abdullah Susi]] were part of an expedition led by Steere. Chuma was captain of the expedition and both men acted as interpreters.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Waller|first=Horace|date=1876|title=Paths into the Slave Preserves of East Africa|journal=LSE Selected Pamphlets|pages=9–23|jstor=60221873}}</ref>

==Works== Steere was a considerable linguist and published works on several East African languages and dialects, including [[Shambala language|Shambala]], [[Yao language|Yao]], [[Nyamwezi language|Nyamwezi]], and [[Makonde language|Makonde]]. But he is especially known for his work on [[Swahili language|Swahili]], publishing a ''Handbook of Swahili'' in 1870, and he also translated or revised the translation into Swahili of a large part of the Bible.<ref>{{Cite DNB |wstitle= Steere, Edward | volume= 54 |last= Harris |first= Charles Alexander |author-link= Charles Alexander Harris |pages = 141-142 |short=1}}</ref>

== Notes == {{Reflist}}

==See also== {{Portal|Christianity}} * [[Annie Allen (missionary)]]

== References ==

* {{Cite web | title = The Bishop Of Grahamstown ''(sic)'' On The Progress Of The Church | work = Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser | date = 13 August 1877 | access-date = 2014-09-07 | url = http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000206/18770813/044/0006 | via= [[British Newspaper Archive]] }} Steere was never Bishop of Grahamstown * {{Cite web | title = Ecclesiastical Intelligence | work = Morning Post | date = 8 January 1875 | access-date = 2014-09-07 | url = http://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000174%2f18750108%2f012 | via= The [[British Newspaper Archive]] and [[FindMyPast]] }}

== External links == {{commons category}} {{wikisource|works=or}} * {{Gutenberg author | id=9528| name=Edward Steere}} * {{Librivox author |id=12193}} * {{Internet Archive author |sname=Edward Steere}} * [https://books.google.com/books?id=XMgmAQAAIAAJ Robert Marshall Heanley (1898) ''A Memoir of Edward Steere, D.D., LL.D.'', Office of the Universities' Mission to Central Africa, London (Google ebook)] * {{Cite DNB |wstitle= Steere, Edward | volume= 54 |last= Harris |first= Charles Alexander |author-link= Charles Alexander Harris |pages = 141-142 |short=1}} * [https://books.google.com/books?id=7FlKAAAAcAAJ Steere's ''A Handbook of the Swahili Language as spoken at Zanzibar''] original 1870 edition. * [https://archive.org/details/handbookswahili00stee Steere's ''A Handbook of the Swahili Language as spoken at Zanzibar''] revised by A.C. Madan 1894.

{{S-start}} {{S-rel|en}} {{S-bef|before=[[William Tozer]]}} {{S-ttl|title=[[Bishop in Central Africa]]|years=1874 –1882}} {{S-aft|after=[[Charles Alan Smythies]]}} {{End}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steere, Edward}} [[Category:1828 births]] [[Category:1882 deaths]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of London]] [[Category:English Anglican missionaries]] [[Category:Anglican bishops in Central Africa]] [[Category:Anglican missionaries in Tanzania]] [[Category:Anglican missionaries in Malawi]] [[Category:British missionaries in Malawi]] [[Category:Edward Steere| ]]