Fred W. Savidge

Frederick William Savidge (1862 - 1935) was a pioneer English Christian missionary in northeast India. He and James Herbert Lorrain brought Protestantism to Mizoram, and some parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Together they were entirely responsible for the creation of written language in Mizo, beginning of literacy, origin of formal education and establishment of churches in Mizoram. They devised the original Mizo alphabets based on Roman script, prepared the first book and dictionary in Mizo, started the first school among the Mizos. Mizoram has become the most Christian populated state in India. As a professional educator Savidge was single-handedly responsible for introducing quality education in Mizoram (now the second highest in literacy rate in India). He is deservedly known as the Father of Mizo Education. Frederick William Savidge was born in 1862 in Stretham, a small village in Cambridgeshire. His family belonged to Baptist Church. He had BA and PhD degrees. He worked as schoolmaster in London, where he met his future missionary partner J. H. Lorrain. The two became friends through their congregation at the Highgate Road Baptist Church in London. In 1891 he accepted the missionary post offered by the Arthington Aborigines Mission to work in India. He quitted his teaching job and left England in October 1891. He sailed for India and arrived in Calcutta in November. He attended an evangelical campaign at Brahmanbaria (now in Bangladesh) organised by the New Zealand Baptists where he met Lorrain. Lorrain was already in India since 1 January 1890.