James Sibree

James Sibree
James Sibree, c. 1905
Born	1836 Hull, England
Died	1929 (aged 93)
Cause of death	car accident
Nationality	British
Education	Hull Collegiate School; Spring Hill College
Occupation	missionary, civil engineer, and author
Employer	London Missionary Society
Known for	work in Madagascar
Title	Reverend, Doctor

James Sibree (1836–1929) was an English missionary in Madagascar with an interest in the natural history and cultural history of the island. He was a contemporary of the French naturalist Alfred Grandidier and wrote detailed books about the flora and fauna of Madagascar, the country's general history, and the mission history on the island. He also helped revise the Malagasy Bible and wrote several works in the Malagasy language. He was a vocal advocate of Malagasy independence prior to the French invasion of Madagascar in 1895. Sibree also designed and helped build almost 100 new mission buildings and 50 churches in Madagascar. He was a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and earned an honorary degree from the University of St Andrews. Swiss zoologist Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major named Sibree's dwarf lemur after him in 1896.

Son of a Congregational minister, he apprenticed as a civil engineer before travelling to Antananarivo, Madagascar in 1863 on assignment from the London Missionary Society (LMS) to oversee the construction of four churches. After returning to England in 1867, he was ordained in 1870. He returned to Madagascar from 1870 to 1877, leaving again following difficulties with the Malagasy government. After spending a few years in England and South India, he returned to Madagascar again in 1883 and stayed until 1915. He died in 1929 due to a car accident. He and his wife had five children, four of which also become missionaries.

Born in 1836 in Hull, England to the Congregational minister, Rev. James Sibree, and Martha Goode Aston, he attended Hull Collegiate School and apprenticed as a civil engineer at the Local Board of Health in Hull from 1859 to 1863. In 1863, he travelled to Antananarivo, Madagascar after being assigned by the London Missionary Society (LMS) to oversee the architecture of four large stone churches, each of which was dedicated as a memorial to a recent martyr. The churches were located at Ambatonakanga, Ambohipotsy, Andohalo, and Manjakaray. Along with the churches, he was also involved with the construction of other mission buildings before returning to England in 1867. Upon his return, he studied for the Congregational ministry at Spring Hill College in the Moseley area of Birmingham, England from 1868 until 1870. During that time, he acted as a deputator for the LMS. In 1870, he was ordained in Hull and got married.