Violet McKinley
Violet McKinley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 25, 1882 Enfield, England. |
| Died | August 16, 1959 |
Violet Jessie McKinley (May 25, 1882 - August 16, 1959) was an English Bahá’í who was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for pioneering to Cyprus.
Biography[edit]
McKinley was born Violet Jessie Watson in Enfield, England, in 1882 into a wealthy family.[1] She suffered ill health in her youth and was unable to attend school instead studying from home under a governess learning both German and French. In approximately 1913 she moved out of home to live with friends and began attending meetings of the Theosophical Society at the Theosophical Lodge in Exeter.[2]
After the end of the First World War Violet met Irish Catholic surgeon Dr. David McKinley in Exeter and they married in 1922 and moved to Oxford which resulted in her family disinheriting her.[1] They had a son, Hugh, in 1924. While living in Oxford the McKinley's heard a talk about the Bahá’í Faith at a Theosophist meeting and borrowed a copy of the book Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era and came to think of themselves as Bahá’ís. They moved to Cornwall for Dr. McKinley's health however he passed away in 1927.[2]
In 1932 McKinley went on holiday to London with her son and visited the London Bahá’í Centre and established contact with the Bahá’í community maintaining written correspondence with several Bahá’ís after returning to Cornwall.[2] In 1935 McKinley moved to Devonshire, near Torquay, so her son could receive a higher quality of education and in 1936 she met Bahá’í artists including Mark Tobey, Bernard Leach, and others at Dartington Hall and served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Torquay when it was established.[2]
In 1947 McKinley and her son pioneered to Cardiff, Wales, to help establish a Local Spiritual Assembly and they pioneered again to London in 1950 and then Brighton in 1952. When the Ten Year Crusade was launched in 1953 the McKinley's volunteered to pioneer to a goal post to establish a Bahá’í community and were assigned to pioneer to Cyprus. Hugh pioneered first then McKinley followed leaving England in November 1953.[3]
The McKinley's settled in Nicosia and after a short time they were joined by pioneers from the United States, the Netherlands, and Iran and coupled with some declarations this allowed for the formation of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Nicosia in 1956. They pioneered within Cyprus to Famagusta in 1958 and McKinley's health began to decline and terrorism in the country prevented any teaching activities from taking place. She passed away after being seriously ill for ten days on August 16, 1959.[3]
The Custodians conveyed the following message after her passing:
GRIEVED PASSING DEVOTED SELFSACRIFICING KNIGHT BAHAULLAH VIOLET MCKINLEY HIGHLY ESTEEMED BY BELOVED GUARDIAN EXAMPLE PERSEVERANCE UNFORGETTABLE PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS SOUL REALMS BEYOND STOP FEEL IMPELLED BUILD HER GRAVE TRIBUTE HISTORIC SERVICES.[4]
Further Reading[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 376
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 512. View as PDF.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 513. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 514. View as PDF.
