1900 - William & Clara McCurrach

August 9, 1900

Xinzhou, Shanxi

William and Clara McCurrach.

William Adam McCurrach was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, on March 30, 1869. After leaving high school he did an apprenticeship as an ironmonger. Although his family were members of the Free Church of Scotland, McCurrach came under the influence of some Baptists and joined their church. His conversion took place when he was 16-years-old. He felt a dramatic change in his heart and told as many people as possible that Jesus Christ had saved him.

About a year after his conversion, Thomas Pigott, a missionary from China’s Shanxi Province, visited McCurrach’s church. McCurrach was so challenged by the message that he immediately applied for admission into Cliff College. Two years later he applied to join the Baptist Mission Society, but they considered him too young and inexperienced and advised more study. He went to Rawdon College for four years, graduating in 1895. The following autumn he sailed for China as a fully-fledged member of the Baptist Mission. It was said of William McCurrach that “He easily made friends, and always kept them. Of an open, frank, and kindly disposition, he was a favourite wherever he went.”[1]

Clara Scholey was born in 1869 at Bradford, England. For many years she had dreamed of becoming a missionary, but her family did not approve of it. They directed her to a career in education, and for six years she was the headmistress of a girls’ school at Stairfoot, near Barnsley. Despite being good at her job, Clara had a growing awareness that she was not obeying God’s call on her life. She finally resigned and started the process of becoming a missionary to China. After arriving there she met William McCurrach, and the two were married at Shanghai in 1898. Although their time of service at Xinzhou was short, the McCurrachs were well loved by the other missionaries. After a visit around the various mission stations, William reported on April 20, 1900:

“It is needless to say that such visits are not only helpful to natives but stimulating to our own spiritual life. We are most grateful to our Heavenly Father for giving us the privilege of speaking to so many, and we look to Him to follow the preaching of His own Word with His richest blessing.”[2]

On July 3rd, with the Boxer threat imminent, William wrote to his mother,

“This is a sad time for China. If all missionaries are murdered, it will move the Church in a remarkable way. If it is God’s way of evangelising China, then surely we ought to be ready to die for the Gospel’s sake. None of us want to die, but we all want to say, ‘Thy will be done’…. It may be my last message to you all. Clara and I have been praying for you all one by one. I want to meet you all in heaven. Sorrow not for us, dearest mother. If we die, I trust it is together, and then we shall enter heaven and together receive our crowns.”[3]

William and Clara McCurrach were granted their desire. They were among the group of missionaries put to death at Xinzhou on August 9, 1900.