author
John Gibson Paton
1824–1907
A Scottish missionary whose life took him from industrial Glasgow to the islands of the South Pacific, he became known for his determined work in what is now Vanuatu. His story mixes deep religious conviction, personal loss, and remarkable endurance in dangerous conditions.
4 Audiobooks
John G. Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides, volume 1 (of 3) : An autobiography edited by his brother
by John Gibson Paton
The Story of John G. Paton; Or, Thirty Years Among South Sea Cannibals
by John Gibson Paton
About the author
Born in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, on May 24, 1824, John Gibson Paton first worked as a city missionary in Glasgow before preparing for overseas mission work. He later traveled to the New Hebrides, now Vanuatu, where he became one of the best-known Protestant missionaries of the nineteenth century.
Paton began work on Tanna in 1858, where he faced extreme hardship. His first wife died soon after their arrival, and their infant son also died, yet he continued the work despite violence, illness, and repeated threats to his life. He later served on Aniwa, where he became known not only for preaching but also for practical efforts in education and local industry.
Beyond his work on the islands, Paton spent years traveling in Britain, Australia, and North America to raise support for missions in the South Pacific. He also spoke strongly against "blackbirding," the kidnapping and forced labor of Pacific Islanders. His autobiography helped make his life widely known, and he died in 1907 after decades of influence on missionary history.