Alfred Saker
| Alfred James Lymmonds Saker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
28 July 1814 Wrotham, Kent, United Kingdom |
| Died | 12 March 1880 (aged 65) |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Missionary in Cameroon, Africa |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Ann Helen Jessup (1816-1886) |
Alfred Saker (21 July 1814 in Wrotham, Kent — 12 March 1880 in Peckham) was a British missionary. In 1858 he founded the Cameroon city of Victoria, since renamed Limbé, with Jamaican settlers from Fernando Pó when Spanish authorities no longer allowed Baptist churches there.
Alfred Saker wished to be known under no other designation than a "Missionary to Africa".
He was a leader of the early British Baptist missionaries that established churches on Fernando Po Island and Cameroon. His 1844-1876 mission work included translation - between 1862 and 1872 - of the Bible into the Duala language.
On the West African coast, from the highlands of Sierra Leone and Liberia, the coast scenery and lowlands present no feature of interest till the mouths of the river Niger and the Rio-del-Rey are passed. Then the two grand volcanic peaks of Fernando Po and Cameroons rivet the attention. The first navigators saw the fires of these volcanoes from their vessels and deemed this passage to be the gate of hell. With terrors, they imagined the continent beyond were the home of demons and evil spirits.
In 1482-84, Diego Cam, the Portuguese commander, from Fernando Po, was the first European to reach the Congo River and district.
In 1796, Mungo Park revealed the position of the Niger and its upper waters. Till 1830, its course to the ocean was not determined. During these years, the slave-trade had been carried on along the coasts of Africa.
In 1772 the freedom of the enslaved African on British soil was secured. From the year 1815, English cruisers patrolled; rescued captives being placed in the Sierra Leone. The treaties with the native encouraged legitimate trade in useful commodities in lieu of human lives traffic. The improved commercial relations opened the way for permanent missions.
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