In the heart of Kilmarnock, there stands a road marker dedicated to the life of Henrietta Hall, the first American female missionary to China and the first Western woman to live in Hong Kong. Henrietta was born in Kilmarnock in 1817 and, when she was 14, was baptized at Morattico Baptist Church.
After the passing of her mother, Henrietta relocated to Richmond, where she spent time serving as a Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church. While serving at the church, Henrietta met her future husband Jehu Lewis Shuck, who at the time was a student at the Baptist Seminary. He was ordained and, in September 1835, the couple was married. Henrietta was 17 years old at the time.
Within a short period of time, the couple was selected for mission work in China. They arrived by ship in Singapore in March 1836. While residing in Singapore, the Shucks welcomed their first child: a son named Lewis. The family then relocated to Macau, where they served as missionaries for about 6 years. Henrietta spent her time there establishing a small school, where she devoted her time to teaching as many as 8 pupils at a time. She also welcomed a second son (Ryland) and daughter (Henrietta) during their time there.
In 1842, the couple relocated to Hong Kong where they served as the first Baptist missionaries. Reverend Shuck established a Baptist church and Henrietta established a boarding school for both boys and girls. Her work with Chinese girls was unprecedented and helped open doors for future educational advancement.
Henrietta gave birth to a 4th and 5th child–but sadly she became ill suddenly after the birth of her last child and died at the age of 27. She was buried in the Hong Kong Cemetery. She left behind letters and journals that detailed much of her life and her achievements. These memoirs were later published and used as educational literature and training tools for future missionaries. The work of this Kilmarnock native paved the way for female missionaries and continues to influence and inspire those in the field today.
The road marker honoring her legacy is located in Kilmarnock on East Church Street near South Main Street on the left when traveling north. It reads:
Here was born, October 28, 1817, Henrietta Hall (daughter of Colonel Addison Hall), first American woman missionary to China. She married Rev. J. Lewis Shuck, and was sent with him to China by the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, arriving there in September, 1836. She died at Hong Kong, November 27, 1844.
Information sourced from wikipedia
