Don Roulston Buzzard

Appendix 4.5
Nellie’s nine years of service in China
Return to China

(All information on this page is from the Church Missionary Society unless otherwise stated.)

It was reported by Nellie, in the Gleaner Magazine 1st November 1926, that she had returned to Hong Kong after her furlough but was filling in time at the Blind Institute in Kowloon. She also mentioned that Dr. Samuel Sing, who was the doctor at Pakhoi, was captured by pirates.

Nellie had returned in July of 1926, and was to relieve Miss Rogers at the Limchow Women’s School. However, the delay in Nellie getting back to Pakhoi was because of the violent Anti-British Boycott of Schools in Pakhoi, which forced the closure of the day and boarding schools. This was reported on 15th July 1926 at an ECM.

Boycott of Schools at Pakhoi

By November 1926, things had settled down in Pakhoi and Nellie wrote her Annual Letter of 1926 (Transcript) from Linchow. Her opening remarks were “few general impressions by me just back to the front”.

Meanwhile Dr. Sing, who was captured by pirates was no closer to release. More news on the fate of Dr. Sing was gathered. It seems the pirates had a market for captives and sold these people amongst themselves.

Dr. Sing still in pirate hands

The unrest at Pakhoi and Linchow flared up again in December 1926 and Nellie was reported in the Gleaner Magazine 1st January 1927 as saying the CMS schools at both location were closed due to Bolshevist influences. At an ECM on 16th December 1927 advice was given that Nellie, in view of the prevailing conditions, should not proceed to Linchow until after a Miss Hollis (who was on furlough) had return. By doing this, it is assumed Nellie would not be alone at Limchow. Up and until November and early December 1927 she had visited other towns as was reported in the Gleaner Magazine 1st March 1927.

At another ECM meeting on 1st March 1927, Nellie was invited to return to Victoria House in Hong Kong to relieve another worker who was on furlough. In the minutes of the same meeting it was divulged that a ransom of $1240 was paid to the pirates for the release of Dr. Sing. The funds were to come out of the Pakhoi Leper Fund.

Nellie to Kowloon, Dr. Sing ransom paid

The Gleaner Magazine 1st May 1927 places Nellie in charge of the Victoria Home and Orphanage in Kowloon as the situation, earlier in the year, was not safe for missionaries in Pakhoi and Limchow. However, by August 1927 she was back at Limchow as she wrote her Annual Letter of 1927 (Transcript) to the CMS.

No more was heard from Nellie until she wrote her Annual Letter of 1928 (Transcript) in the August of that year. She opens with the letter stating that in she wished to be in Limchow in the September of 1927 but the Bishop decided she was needed in Victoria House, Kowloon. She was to move to Limchow in February 1928.

Nellie’s final letter to the Gleaner was dated May 1929 and appeared in the Gleaner Magazine 1st August 1929. The letter was printed with a picture of Nellie and a note from the editor: “We tender our deepest and affectionate sympathy to Miss Smith’s relatives.”