Throughout her time in Singapore, Sophia had to deal with conservative attitudes and prejudices that made it hard for women to succeed. Even when she was a full-fledged missionary, some male counterparts still expressed doubt about whether women should get involved in education. But others were quick to point out that God had, through Sophia, enabled the cause of Christ to advance greatly through the schools and the people she reached out to.

Her efforts in the twin fields of evangelism and education left an indelible mark on Singapore’s history. Her success in getting Chinese parents to send their girls to school complemented similar efforts being made by others, paving the way for more girls’ schools to be opened.

Both of Sophia’s schools continue to influence lives today. The Tamil Girls’ School became the Methodist Girls’ School, while the Anglo-Chinese Girls’ School is today Fairfield Methodist School, named after a generous American donor who helped the school acquire a new building. They continue to nurture generation after generation of students who have brought their Christian faith to all parts of society, whether in medicine, politics, commerce, or social work.

As one missionary principal noted in an article in 1920, “The question ‘Does it pay’ is entirely out of place here where results can be seen every day.” A generation of educated Christian women, she noted, would touch civilisation “at its most vital points”.10

Sophia retired in 1927 and returned to Australia. Before she died on 3 July 1945, she visited Singapore several times and met many of the girls whose lives she had touched and changed.

One of those girls was Ellice Handy, a former pupil and boarder of Nind Home who became the first Asian principal of the Methodist Girls’ School. She recalled how Sophia had taught them that the Bible was the “rule of life”. Miss Blackmore, she said, had never missed her evening prayers with the whole school. Every Friday, every girl had to recite a verse, and Sophia would always help those who struggled, correcting them in the gentlest way when they struggled. As Ellice concluded, “She was a mother to us all.”11

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Bibliography:

  1. “Sophia Blackmore”. Roots. Accessed 11 August 2017. https://roots.sg/learn/ resources/publications/singapore-council-of-womens-organisations/01-sophia- blackmore.
  2. “Sophia Blackmore”. Wikipedia. Edited 11 March 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Sophia_Blackmore.
  3. Doraisamy, Theodore R., ed. Sophia Blackmore in Singapore: Educational and Missionary Pioneer 1887–1927. Singapore: General Conference Women’s Society of Christian Service, Methodist Church of Singapore, 1987.
  4. Frost, Mark Ravinder and Yu-Mei Balasingamchow. Singapore: A Biography. Singapore: Didier Millet & Hong Kong University Press, 2009.
  5. Lau, Earnest. From Mission to Church: The Evolution of the Methodist Church in Singapore. Malaysia: Armour Publishing, 2008.
  6. Lau, Ernest. Sophia Blackmore. Singapore: Methodist Church of Singapore, 1995. http://www.trac-mcs.org.sg/images/pdf/boardofministry/Sophia%20Blackmore. pdf.
  7. Tan, Bonny. “Sophia Blackmore”. National Library Board. Posted 2008. http:// eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1339_2008-10-10.html.
  8. Tym, “Book preview: The education of Singapore girls”. Singapore: A Biography (blog). Posted 5 October 2009. http://www.singaporebiography.com/labels/ Modern%20Times.html.

Endnotes:

  1. Doraisamy, Sophia Blackmore in Singapore, 4.
  2. Ibid, 2.
  3. Ibid, 3.
  4. Ibid, 63.
  5. Ibid, 5.
  6. Ibid, 63.
  7. Ibid, 16.
  8. Ibid, 22.
  9. Ibid, 61.
  10. Ibid, 66.
  11. Ibid, iii.