Mary Thornburgh-Cropper
Mary Virginia Thornburgh-Cropper (1857 - March 15, 1938), given the name Maryam Khánum by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,[1] was an American Bahá’í who was the first Bahá’í in England. She helped establish the Bahá’í Faith in Great Britain and served on the first National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles.
Biography[edit]
Cropper was born in the USA in 1857 but moved to England at some point where she married an Englishman.[2][3] She learnt about the Bahá’í when she received a letter from American Bahá’í Phoebe Hearst and she accepted the religion becoming the first Bahá’í in England. Hearst invited her to join her and a group of American Bahá’ís on a visit to the Holy Land later the same year and she accepted, traveling to ‘Akka and meeting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as part of the first pilgrimage group of Western Bahá’ís. Her mother, Harriet, also became a Bahá’í and was a member of the pilgrimage group.[4]
After returning to England from pilgrimage Cropper actively taught the Faith and her close friend Ethel Rosenberg became a Bahá’í in 1899 through her.[4] She made a second pilgrimage in 1906 visiting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for two days.[5] When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited England in 1911 Cropper hosted meetings at which He met with the public in her home in London,[6] and used her social connections to invite large crowds to hear Him speak.[7] As she owned a car she was also able to provide transportation for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His time in England.[8]
In 1922 the All-England Bahá’í Council was established to administrate the Bahá’í community in England and its inaugural meeting was held in Cropper's home.[9] In 1923 the Council was replaced by the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles to which Cropper was elected as an inaugural member,[10] and she served for two years.[9]
In later years Cropper corresponded with Lady Blomfield providing details which were used in the composition of Blomfield's historical work The Chosen Highway.[11] She passed away in 1938.[12]
References[edit]
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1942). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 8 (1938-1940), Pg(s) 649. View as PDF.
- ↑ Earl Redman, Visiting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Volume 1, George Ronald, Oxford, 2019, p 15
- ↑ Mary Virginia Thornburgh-Cropper at FindaGrave.com
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 O.Z. Whitehead, Some Early Baha'is of the West, George Ronald: Oxford, 1976, p 55
- ↑ Earl Redman, Visiting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Volume 1, George Ronald, Oxford, 2019, p 132
- ↑ Earl Redman, Abdu'l-Baha in Their Midst, George Ronald: Oxford, 2011, p 30
- ↑ Earl Redman, Abdu'l-Baha in Their Midst, George Ronald: Oxford, 2011, p 40
- ↑ Amin Egea, The Apostle of Peace: Volume 1, George Ronald: Oxford, 2017, p 92
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Shoghi Effendi, Unfolding Destiny, UK Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1981, p 467
- ↑ Earl Redman, Shoghi Effendi: Through the Pilgrim's Eye Volume 1, George Ronald: Oxford, 2015, p 63
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1942). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 8 (1938-1940), Pg(s) 649. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1942). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 8 (1938-1940), Pg(s) 650. View as PDF.
