1821-1891: Samuel Adjai Crowther, born in Yorubaland, was captured for the slave trade as a young man but was rescued by the British navy and freed in Freeto…

1821-1891: Samuel Adjai Crowther, born in Yorubaland, was captured for the slave trade as a young man but was rescued by the British navy and freed in Freetown in 1821. After being educated in London and Sierra Leone, he was ordained in 1841 and was later appointed the first African Anglican bishop in 1864. Crowther coupled his religious career with extraordinary linguistic accomplishments, producing a Yoruba dictionary and translating both the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. His remarkable life, from a captive youth to a distinguished church leader, stands as a powerful narrative of survival and intellectual achievement within the African diaspora.