1900 - George & Margaret Stokes

July 9, 1900

Taiyuan, Shanxi

George Stokes.

George W. Stokes was born at Dover, England, in 1863. From the age of four he attended Sunday school and the Salem Baptist Church became his spiritual home. He experienced the power of Christ’s salvation in 1881, aged 18.

After leaving high school, Stokes became an apprentice printer and later entered the trade. He became very successful, specializing in quality colour art publications. Despite his busy work life, Stokes still made time to engage in village preaching and in leading the Sunday school at his church. He also gave liberally of his finances to help establish free schools for the children of poor families who otherwise would not have been able to afford an education.

Stokes married and his family soon included a little son and daughter. Tragedy struck and both his wife and son died. This experience “tended to make him very gentle and sympathetic, and the remembrance of his kindness and consideration is still cherished,”[1] as one account put it. In the years following the death of his wife and son, Stokes heard about pressing needs of the mission field. His parents took care of Stokes’ daughter, allowing him to attend mission school. In January 1892, George Stokes arrived in China as a member of the China Inland Mission. For the first few years he was based at Shunde in Hebei Province. He was quick to learn Chinese and within a year of his arrival was able to preach in village churches.

In 1896 Stokes made a trip to Shanxi Province to consult with Dr. E. H. Edwards about the treatment of opium addicts. While there he met Margaret Whitaker, a single missionary who had come from England several years before. George and Margaret were married in 1897, and decided they were most needed in Shanxi Province. Consequently, the newlyweds resigned from the CIM and joined the independent Shouyang Mission.

Margaret Stokes.

Margaret Stokes knew Christ as a little girl. At the age of six her parents took her to see a play. The sensitive and innocent young girl asked her mother to take her out of the theatre, complaining that the actors were mocking God. Her parents complied, and she never attended another worldly play again. At the age of 14, Margaret started teaching Sunday school at her church. Her commitment to Christ was greatly strengthened after attending meetings by the great American evangelist D. L. Moody. She strongly desired to be a missionary to China. During the eight years she served in the Orient, Margaret’s main sphere of work was among sick and dying Chinese patients who came to the hospital for treatment. She was never short of a kind word and shared the gospel with many.

Just prior to the Boxer persecution in 1900, Margaret wrote home, “It looks rather ominous, does it not? Well, it is comforting to know that we are safe in God’s keeping.”[2] George and Margaret Stokes were among 46 missionaries and their children viciously slaughtered in Taiyuan on July 9, 1900. Their lives were not in vain, and many Chinese will rise on judgment day and call them blessed.