
Catherine Schuil
Photo courtesy of the British Union Conference.
Schuil, Catherine Jeanette (1899–1974)
By Godfrey K. Sang
Godfrey K. Sang is a historical researcher and writer with an interest in Adventist history. He holds a B.A. in History from the University of Eastern Africa Baraton and a number of qualifications from other universities. He is a published author. He is the co-author of the book On the Wings of a Sparrow: How the Seventh-day Adventist Church Came to Western Kenya.
First Published: November 11, 2024
Catherine Jeanette Schuil was a British missionary educator, administrator, and curriculum developer for the Adventist schools in Kenya. She served for over two decades before returning to England in 1951 after her mother became ill and needed her care.
Early Life
Catherine “Jean” Schuil (pronounced SCOYLE) was born in Willesden, London, on November 23, 1899.1 She was the eldest of the three children of Johamnes “John” Schuil, an electrical engineer by trade, and Ellen Schuil.2 Her parents were of Dutch origin and had settled in northern England before she was born. Catherine was raised at Tyneside in Newcastle in northeastern England. Her father owned a factory that manufactured electric goods.3
Becoming an Adventist
John Schuil heard of the Seventh-day Adventist faith when he became ill and was admitted to the Leicester Sanitarium, then run by the Adventists.4 He was baptized in August 1910, and his family also became Adventists. He became actively involved in the affairs of the SDA Church in Newcastle from then on, and his daughter attended local schools before training to become a teacher. On June 6, 1926, John Schuil died in a road accident while traveling to Leeds from Newcastle.5 He was survived by his wife and children. His business was sold after his death.
Moving to Africa
Catherine Schuil taught in Newcastle for some years before she received the call to mission service. In 1930, Grace Clarke, who had started the Kamagambo School for Girls in 1922, was in England on furlough. She met Schuil and convinced her to travel back to Africa with her to teach at her school. She accepted, and they arrived at Kamagambo in December 1930. Schuil began her missionary service, assisting Clarke at the girl’s school.6 She joined the faculty at the school, which included Principal E. Roy Warland, Ruth Raitt, and Conrad J. Hyde.
In 1933, Schuil was appointed the director of the Normal Department at Kamagambo.7 She was then responsible for training teachers following the government of Kenya curriculum. At this time, the Adventists already had 150 schools that needed teachers. Schuil excelled at the Normal School, and her students passed government examinations well. She upheld high standards, and her teachers also turned out well and were in high demand. Besides overseeing teacher training, she also taught at the boy’s school.8 A gifted musician, Schuil taught music and also trained the boys choir at Kamagambo.9
Return to England
In March 1951, she was forced to cut short her missionary work to care for her ailing mother. She left Kamagambo and was replaced at the Normal School by Vera Lauderdale.10 She settled at the Markyate Village near Dunstable in Bedfordshire, north of London.11 She attended the Luton Church, where she served as their organist.12 She also served as the church treasurer as well as the church clerk.
Death
In 1974, she became ill for several weeks after returning from a holiday in France and was hospitalized at Luton. She seemed to get better and had been discharged from hospital, and then travelled to Crieff in Scotland with her brother, Dr. Philip Schuil, and his wife.13 Dr. Schuil was a professor at Newbold College. Catherine’s situation took a turn for the worse and was admitted at the Crieff Nursing Home, where she passed away on September 16, 1974.14 She was unmarried and did not have children. She was laid to rest three days later at Crieff.
Legacy
When Catherine Schuil first arrived in Kenya, the country was transitioning from its tribal culture, and the status of girls and women was extremely low. Girls were valued only for the dowry they could bring their parents and, upon marriage, were considered part of their husband’s wealth. Schuil transformed this situation by introducing modern education to girls, enabling them to pursue employment as teachers, nurses, and in other professions. This not only allowed them to contribute to their families’ welfare, but also to the nation’s development. She set high standards in teacher training, earning accolades from the colonial government for the professionalism displayed at the Kamagambo Training School. Although she did not have children of her own, she nurtured and educated hundreds of girls and boys at her school, imparting important life skills and empowering an entire generation.
Sources
Anscombe, C. H. “Miss Schuil who is taking up school work . . . .” Transportation Notes. The Advent Survey, February 1, 1931.
Dixon, Robert. “Philip Peter Scoyle.” Obituary. British Advent Messenger, February 8, 1985.
Hulbert, E. E. “Miss Catherine Jeanette Schuil.” Obituary. British Advent Messenger, October 18, 1974.
FamilySearch.org. Accessed August 4, 2024.
Raitt, W.C.S. “Co-operation in Radio Work in Kenya.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, February 15, 1953.
Robinson, Virgil (Mrs.). “News Items from Kamagambo Training School.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, May 1, 1948.
Robinson, Virgil. “Kamagambo–Since Yesterday.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, December 15, 1955.
Warland, E. R. “The Call of the Hour in Africa is Education.” The Advent Survey, December 1, 1933.
Wilson, A. “Schuil.” Obituary. The Missionary Worker, September 10, 1926.
Notes
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E. E. Hulbert, “Miss Catherine Jeanette Schuil,” obituary, British Advent Messenger, October 18, 1974, 6.↩
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https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWC2-XSR, accessed August 4, 2024.↩
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Robert Dixon, “Philip Peter Scoyle,” obituary, British Advent Messenger, February 8, 1985, 7.↩
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A. Wilson, “Schuil,” obituary, The Missionary Worker, September 10, 1926, 7.↩
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Ibid.↩
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C. H. Anscombe, “Miss Schuil who is taking up school work . . .,” Transportation Notes, The Advent Survey, February 1, 1931, 8.↩
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E. R. Warland, “The Call of the Hour in Africa is Education,” The Advent Survey, December 1, 1933, 6.↩
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Virgil Robinson, (Mrs.), “News Items from Kamagambo Training School,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, May 1, 1948, 2.↩
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W. C. S. Raitt, “Co-operation in Radio Work in Kenya,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, February 15, 1953, 3.↩
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Virgil Robinson, “Kamagambo–Since Yesterday,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, December 15, 1955, 5.↩
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Hulbert, 6.↩
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Ibid.↩
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Ibid.↩
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Ibid.↩