"Influence of Genius" a tribute to Dr James Egan Moulton [1]
Thursday, September 13, 2018 - 18:31. Updated on Friday, September 14, 2018 - 05:50.
The influence of Rev Dr James Egan Moulton on the education system of Tupou College, and the introduction of a new system of education for Tonga was the theme of an inaugural history lecture that was delivered by the Rev Dr Geoffrey Cummins at the Moulton Chapel, Tupou College on Tuesday evening, 11 September 2018.
The lecture was part of the Festival Week at Toloa. The week includes the Tupou College Annual Music Festival tonight, September 13, at the College Hall.
Dr Geoffrey Cummins was a former teacher at Tupou High School from 1966 to 1973. Later the Australian National University awarded him with a Doctor of Philosophy when he completed his thesis, a biography of Dr James Egan Muoulton in 1981.
The saga of Dr James Egan Moulton and his appointment to head Tonga’s Native Training Institution in 1866 began with the obsession of King George Tupou I with the Western form of education.
In a sermon that the King preached in Fiji when he was on a voyage to Sydney in 1853 aboard the Mission Ship John Wesley, King George Taufa’ahau Tupou I stressed: “Ignorance or the lack of knowledge destroys man. It destroys his excellency, his happiness, his usefulness, his soul; he 'perishes for want of knowledge'. See what knowledge has done for the white man; see what ignorance has done for the men of this land! Is it that white men are born more wise: is it that they are naturally more capable than others? No; but they have obtained knowledge; and that knowledge has come from the Book. This is the principal cause of the difference."
In the years that followed, the King returned more than once to the theme of seeking opportunities to advance the education of his people.
It was noted that in 1829 when Tupou I was just 32 years old, he requested a teacher for himself and Ha’apai. Pita Vi was sent, and he reported that Tupou I was devoting his time studying day and night to master the new skills of reading and writing.
Another missionary Nathaniel Turner noted that Tupou I did not know a single written character, but within less than 10 weeks he was able to send a letter of appreciation to the missionaries at Nuku’alofa.
Tupou I demanded a missionary schoolmaster, to work on higher education, challenging the thinking of the missionaries in Tonga and the heads of the Church in Sydney and London.
The King, however, stated that if the church could not provide a teacher, then the government must get one, and not a missionary to do the work.
Rev Dr Geoffrey Cummins emphasised that without Tupou’s genius single-mindedness and determination there would have been no Moulton and no Tupou College as we know it. With Moulton in Tonga it was the dawn of a new era.
He and his wife Emma aboard the Ocean arrived in Nuku’alofa on 28 May 1865.
According to the Chairman of the District, Rev John Whewell, the Tongans remained ignorant because the missionary had only produced a bible, geography and a few elementary school books. They failed to produce ‘a vernacular literature’.
First principal
In 1866 a whole new approach to teaching and learning began at Tonga’s Native Training Institution and in 1868 the school would bear the name of royalty and be known as Tupou College and Rev Dr James Egan Moulton became the first principal of Tupou College.
He introduced new syllabus, his view was that the work in mathematics would allow him to test the capacity of the Tongan mind. His Tongan students, he bvelieved, were worthy of, and capable of, receiving the best he could offer, the best that was being offered at Newington in Sydney and Kingswood in England.
Moulton’s first graduation class of 1869, examined his students in: Euclid 1 & 2 books; Algebra to Simple Equations; Arithmetic, Fractions, Vulgar and Decimal; Mensuration; Surfaces and Solids; History of Ancient Monarchies, Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon with outlines of the History of England and France; Religious Knowledge; The Life of Christ; History of the Hebrew Monarchy.
Among some of Dr Moulton top students were Tevita Tonga Mohenoa, whom he referred to as a "Precious Diamond". Moulton taught Tevita and Tevita taught the class.
Translation
Another student was Tevita Finau who became a College tutor and Honour Board student in 1870. He accompanied Moulton to England in 1877, they were there for three years to revise an existing bible translation that was completed in 1862 under the supervision of Thomas West.
Moulton and Finau return to Tonga in 1880. At the time Rev Shirley Baker was the King’s Prime Minister and he had a different view of the revised new Testament. Baker adopted a literal view of things whereas Moulton was using Tongan illustrations (contextualization) and Tongan words and phrases in his translation of scripture.
For example, in the Gospel of Luke, in the story of the Prodigal Son, the father says to the older brother: bring the best robe and put out on him. Moulton and Finau’s work had resulted in the verse being translated, as bering the robe from the box (mei he puha) the best one and put it on him, a meaning that would be immediately understandable to Tongan readers. (Luke 15; 22) For it was after European contact, that many Tongans had boxes or storage chests for the safe keeping f their very best things. Baker was troubled with this translation because he said there was no mention of a box in the Scriptures. Paul’s comment to the 2 Corinthians 4;4 that the Lord gave seed to the sower was translated by Moulton and Finau as pulopula – little piece of yam for planting. Baker objected that there was no mention of yams in the scripture.
In 1885 the church in Tonga was torn by division, the King’s church became dominant and the Wesleyans were reduced in number, initially, to a few hundred.
On 14 January 1885, the Free Church of Tonga was established by King George Tupou I, Rev Shirley Baker and Rev Watkin. Rev Watkin had resigned as a minister of the Wesleyan Church.
On 7 August 1888 George Brown arrived to take over from Rev Moulton. He left Tonga for Sydney on the Southern Cross on 8 Sept 1888.
Rev Moulton’s daughter, Mary Knight led the singing of his father’s composition – Hili ‘a e la’ala’a ‘e to ‘a e ‘uha, and they sang it at Zion Hill until the boat disappeared.
Premier Rev Shirley Baker was deported from Tonga in 1890 by the British Government.
Moulton and his wife returned to Tonga on 17 July 1891. During the Tongan Synod of 1905 a completed revised Bible (Old and New Testaments) was to be presented to the church. It was the culmination of some 25 years of Moulton’s work. It would be a special proud moment for him. It did not happen. An asthma attack struck him down and he spent 20 hours in great weakness.
He wrote: I had looked forward to laying on the table the publications of the year – the Bible, the New Hymn-bllk (our twentieth century edition greatly enlarged), and a new edition of the Catechism . . ., and them quoting from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, he remarked distressingly, To have to present that Bible by deputy “This was the most unkindest cut of all.”