Meet The Woman Who Gave Birth To Bishop Ajayi Crowther.

ANCESTRY LEGEND

Meet The Woman Who Gave Birth To Bishop Ajayi Crowther.

Madam Hannah Afala is the mother of the famous and significant Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, according to historians and some facts gathered from scholars, Eaglesforesight could be able to come up with few informations about her.

Ajayi Crowther is one of our magnificent leader in terms of spiritual matter who we cannot forget in a hurry. He was also related to our famous politician Herbert Macaulay. An Anglican bishop who had went through several predicament but still survive as a bishop.

Samuel Ajayi Crowther was born in the year 1809 at Osogun near Iseyin,Oyo State, and died on 31 December 1891.

He was the first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria, he was also a Yoruba linguist. Both him and his family was captured at his tender age when he was 12, he was taken away from his mother for about twenty five years. The woman we are talking about is no other person than Afala Ajayi.

THE STORYLINE OF MADAM HANNAH AFALA.

Alaafin Abiodun Adegorolu succeeded Alaafin Ajabo, a powerful monarch of his time. Alaafin Abiodun gave birth to a girl child named Oṣù, Oṣù grew up to become the mother of Olámínigbìn, who in turn became the husband of Omo-oga-egun, together they gave birth to Ibisomi Telerinmasa.

Telerinmasa was said to be possessed with a special dignity which was known among her people as “Afala” (the one who loves purity or the pure one) signifying the princess or priestess of the great god Obatala (the white cloth god). Ọbàtálá’s province is believed to be a sphere of absolute and dazzling purity. 

Afala married a man whose name was also given as Ajayi from the Edu clan, his grandfather was the Baale of Awaiye-petu, who relocated to the Òyó empire from Ketou (now part of Benin Republic).

Madam Afala Hannah Ajayi was the great granddaughter of King Abiodun,the Alaafin of Oyo who was a great monarch . Madam Afala was separated from her son in the year 1821 after their town Osoogun was invaded by slave raider. It was a painful tragedy for a woman to stay away from her child for a long period of time and can’t even predict when he or she will come back. Madam Afala experienced such a terrible situation, but as a strong mother, she stood strong, and anticipated for the better tomorrow.

As a passionate mother, she waited patiently for the day she will surely meet her son again, fortunately for her, when she came for the Christian Almanac, she saw him, she couldn’t withheld her eyes, she trembled, tears flowed down from her eyes, with great astonishment, she called him by the name his grandmother use to call her. Even Ajayi Crowther also had lost hope, till he later recognized that all hope is not lost.

She was baptized by her son Samuel Ajayi Crowther, she was given the name Hannah during the baptism in the year February 5, 1848. After that, Madam Hannah and other relatives relocated to Abeokuta with Bishop Ajayi Crowther where she lived to be over a hundred years old till she died. She was indeed a virtuous mother who had always been optimistic to things pertaining to her children. A great mother that gave birth to great children.

NB: Whatever that was put together in written above is an effort of Eaglesforesight to gather and recall us back to the History memories lane.

SOURCE: #Yorubablog #Yoruba #Ileife #Oyo #Culture #History #Mother