Helen Andrews

Helen Andrews (1858-1918), sister in law of museum founders R.T. and W.F. Andrews. Helen Paterson, the daughter of a clergyman, married Walter Andrews in 1878 and he and Helen arrived in Nagasaki with the Christian Missionary Society the same year. Their first child, Walter, was born the following year. It was not an easy life for the young family; the Japanese were suspicious of foreigners and their evangelism and hefty rewards were offered for information on Japanese converts preaching the gospel. The couple were sent to Hakodate, at the tip of Hokkaido around 1881, where they met John Batchelor. Walter and Helen’s daughter Minnie was born that summer but sadly died aged 13 months. A second daughter, Daisy, born 1883 and son Eric completed the family in 1885. The family returned home to Castle Street in 1903. Walter was given charge of the parish of Middleton St George in County Durham, where he, Helen and daughter Daisy lived very happily. They returned to Japan in 1909 when Walter was appointed Bishop of Hokkaido. He finally retired, aged 66, in 1918 and Helen died the same year.