George Lawrence Davis
George Lawrence Davis | |
|---|---|
 George Lawrence Davis (on the right) working at his printing press | |
| Born | 1830 Monmouth (Wales) |
| Died | 1894 (aged 63–64) Caldes de Montbui (Barcelona) |
| Occupation | Missionary |
George Lawrence Davis (Monmouth, Wales, 1830 – Caldes de Montbui, 9 January 1894)[1] was a Welsh missionary and educator. He developed important evangelical, educational, and healthcare work in Catalonia during the second half of the 19th century, being the promoter of the Evangelical Hospital of Barcelona and various schools.
Biography
[edit]Arrival in Spain and time in Barcelona
[edit]
He arrived in Madrid from Leominster (Herefordshire) in 1863. After travelling through different parts of Spain with an armored cart full of Bibles,[2] he settled in the town of Gràcia (Barcelona). There he actively worked on the foundation of schools for children and adults, and in a printing press he founded himself, he edited several cultural and religious magazines such as La Aurora de la Gracia.[3]
During that time, he founded the church at 47 Ferlandina street, affiliated with the Brethren assemblies, alongside other missionaries such as Henry Payne.[1] In the healthcare and social aid field, he founded a hospital called "El Buen Samaritano" (The Good Samaritan),[4] an institution that would become the embryo of the current Hospital Evangèlic de Barcelona.[5]
Relocation to Caldes de Montbui
[edit]Seeking the remedies of the thermal water spas for health reasons, he moved to Caldes de Montbui (Vallès Oriental). In this town, he continued his educational work by founding an institution popularly known as the Escola dels pobres (School of the poor), which became a key entity in the town's literacy.[6] In parallel, he started the community that today is the Evangelical Church of Caldes de Montbui.[7]
Work and educational legacy
[edit]His impact on the education of the working classes was highly notable. In just seven years, over 10,500 students of different ages, from young children to adults, passed through the classrooms created by George Lawrence. A modern and open pedagogy was offered in these evangelical centers. The missionary fervently believed that "schooling was the great hope of the country," which is why he dedicated a large part of his life to literacy.[8]
In recognition of his social and educational work, the town of Caldes de Montbui created the George Lawrence Route to spread his history. Likewise, following a popular consultation, the city council decided to change the name of the old street named after the military man Espartero to George Lawrence Street, exactly the street where the church he started is located.[9][10]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Carod-Rovira, Josep Lluís (1 July 2019). "Memòria protestant 2019" (in Catalan). Retrieved 25 February 2026.
- ↑ Menéndez Pelayo, Marcelino. Historia de los Heterodoxos Españoles (Madrid, 1880–1882)
- ↑ "La Aurora de la Gracia 1874-1876" (in Spanish). Centro de Estudios de la Reforma. Retrieved 2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ↑ "George Lawrence, fundador de l'Escola dels Pobres". Església Evangèlica de Caldes de Montbui (in Catalan).
- ↑ "George Lawrence Davis i l'Escola dels Pobres". Valors (in Catalan). 30 April 2020.
- ↑ "La consulta popular tria George Lawrence Davis i Can Rius com a nous topònims calderins" (in Catalan). Portal de Participació Ciutadana. Ajuntament de Caldes de Montbui. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ↑ "Entitats i associacions: Església Evangèlica de Caldes de Montbui" (in Catalan). Ajuntament de Caldes de Montbui. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
- ↑ Maria Coll. Revista Sàpiens n. 196 (in Catalan). p. 68. ISBN 84-239-4524-3.
- ↑ "El missioner Lawrence Davis li pren un carrer de Caldes al militar Espartero" (in Catalan). Nació Digital. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
- ↑ "El carrer Espartero de Caldes es dirà George Lawrence" (in Catalan). El 9 Nou. 17 February 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
External links
[edit]- The Gospel in Spain. George Lawrence, 1872.
- Sketches from Missionary Life in Spain. Ernesto Trenchard, 1934.
- George Lawrence Exhibition. Biblioteca de Caldes de Montbui, 2014.
- Evangelical Church of Caldes de Montbui, 2020.
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