Mrs Hannah Marshman (1767-1847)

Artist unknown

Hannah Marshman (née Shepherd) was a prominent missionary of the Baptist Missionary Society, and the first autonomously active female missionary. She was born to a landowner, John Shepherd, and his wife, Rachel. She married a weaver named Joshua Marshman. In 1799, both Hannah and her husband travelled to India to join in establishing and managing the activities of the Serampore Mission. At Serampore, Hannah supported the five missionary families that were a part of the mission. In 1800, she and her husband opened two boarding schools for English children (one for boys and one for girls). Using the income from this, she established the first free school for Indian children, providing education to girls who were traditionally barred from receiving an education. By 1815, Hannah and her husband had established forty-five schools within twenty miles of Serampore, and approximately one hundred and twenty-six schools across the subcontinent by 1818. She also provided shelter to widows and orphans in the mission. Hannah was known to be an ardent and perseverant figure with a strong passion for teaching. She outlived her husband, and died at the age of seventy-nine on 5th March 1847.