John Gibson Paton

Born in Scotland in 1824, John Gibson Paton trained for Christian ministry and was ordained in the Reformed Presbyterian Church. He became best known for missionary work in what is now Vanuatu, especially on the island of Tanna and later on Aniwa, where he worked among local communities for many years.

His life was marked by severe hardship. Soon after arriving in the New Hebrides, he lost his first wife and infant son, and he also lived through violent conflict and repeated danger. Even so, he continued his mission work, later writing well-known autobiographical accounts that helped make his story famous far beyond the Pacific.

In later years he traveled widely to raise support for mission work and became an influential advocate for Presbyterian missions. He died in 1907, remembered both for his resilience and for the books and speeches that kept his experiences alive for later generations.