Pittaway, James Edward (1864–1940)

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 7, 2024

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James Edward Pittaway was a pioneer Adventist member and church builder in South Africa who came to the faith in the early days of the Adventist message coming to Africa.

Early Life

James Edward Pittaway was born in 1864 in Grahamstown, Cape Province, South Africa.¹ He was the sixth of the nine children of Frederick Pittaway (1833-1903) and Charlotte Pittaway née Shepherd (1829-1916).² His family were members of the Methodist Church, in which he was christened on July 4, 1887, while residing in the Bathurst District in the Cape.³

Becoming an Adventist

During the early days of the Adventist message in South Africa, Elder Pittaway became an Adventist. Pittaway was baptized by Elder D. F. Tarr and became a member of the Rokeby Park Church in 1896.⁴ It so happened that when Elder Tarr had shared the gospel to the local Methodist congregants, all of them became Adventists and began worshipping in the same church but then on Sabbath. Word got to the church authorities, who quickly disfellowshipped the “errant” members, forcing the new Adventists to come up with a place to worship of their own.⁵

The believers quickly secured a plot at Rokeby Park and tasked James Pittaway and his brother, younger Frederick Pittaway (sharing the name with their father), to construct their church. James also made the seats that remained part of the pews for the remainder of the church’s existence, evidence of his superb workmanship. This was the third Seventh-day Adventist Church in Africa.⁶ The church was eventually torn down in the early 1960s.

Marriage and Family

James Pittaway married Harriet Sparrow in 1887. They became farmers in the Barthust District. Harriet was born in 1864, the second of the twelve children of Methodist minister Frederick Sparrow (1836-1887) and Emma Fincham (1844-1926). Harriet became an Adventist with her husband. They had eight children--five daughters and three sons. Their eldest, Charlotte Benneta Pittaway, was born in 1888.⁷

James’ sister, Sarah Ann “Sallie” Pittaway (1871-1942), the last born in the family, married David Sparrow (1867-1963), and together they helped found the Adventist church in western Kenya.⁸ Until his death, James Pittaway remained a faithful member of the Rokeby Park Church. His fellow builder, Frederick Pittaway, Jr. (1869-1955), became an important evangelist and missionary in the early Adventist Church in South Africa.

Death and Legacy

In 1932, James Pittaway fell ill. This illness caused a progressive paralysis which, towards the end of his life, confined him to his home.⁹ He was under the constant care of his wife Harriet and granddaughter Barbara. Elder Pittaway passed away on March 21,1940, at his home in Langholm.¹⁰ He was survived by his wife, four daughters, and his granddaughter Barbara. He was laid to rest in Rokeby Park at the church he constructed. His funeral was conducted by Elder Will H. Hurlow. James Pittaway is remembered for his part in the construction of Africa’s third Adventist church and his effort in spreading the gospel message to the world.

Sources

Hurlow, Will H. “Obituaries.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, April 15, 1940.

Familysearch.org. Accessed September 3, 2024.

Robinson, Virgil E. Third Angel Over Africa. Unpublished Manuscript. In the author’s private collection.

Sang, Godfrey K. and Hosea K. Kili. On the Wings of a Sparrow: How the Seventh-day Adventist Church came to Western Kenya. Nairobi, Kenya: Gapman Publications, 2018.

Notes

Notes

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/G6TJ-FKQ, accessed September 3, 2024.↩
Ibid.↩
Ibid.↩
Will H. Hurlow, “Obituaries,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, April 15, 1940, 7.↩
Virgil E. Robinson, Third Angel Over Africa, unpublished manuscript, 10.↩
Ibid.↩
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/G6TJ-6BX, accessed September 3, 2024.↩
Godfrey K. Sang and Hosea K. Kili, On the Wings of a Sparrow: How the Seventh-day Adventist Church came to Western Kenya (Nairobi, Kenya: Gapman Publications, 2018).↩
Hurlow, 7.↩
Ibid.↩