Brief Summary: The Legacy Of Betsy Stockton

Betsy Stockton was born a slave in New Jersey in 1798. Her master, Robert Stockton presented her to his daughter and son-in-law as a gift. The Greens encouraged her to learn after she came to live with them. She was even allowed to attend classes at the Princeton Theological Seminary, where Rev. Green was the current president. In 1816 Betsy got saved. Before her conversion, she was considered quite wild, but Rev. Green saw that she, “met with a saving change of heart.” When Betsy told Rev. Green, of her dream of becoming a missionary. Ashbel Green granted Betsy her freedom around the same time that she was accepted in the First Presbyterian Church.
After Betsy received her freedom, she became a member of the American Board of Commissions for Foreign Missionaries. At first she wanted to go to Africa but her friends encouraged her not to go. Another opportunity presented itself soon thereafter. She was presented with the chance to join a group of about 30 missionaries on their way to Hawaii. They were going to the Sandwich Islands.
One of those thirty missionaries had become a Christian at Princeton one year before Betsy did. Charles Stewart came to visit Green in 1821 and in the midst of the conversation they had the idea that Betsy should accompany the group of missionaries. Ashbel and one of Betsy’s teachers gave letters of recommendation. Both letters gave very high approval. Over the next year, Charles and Betsy raised and saved money, also in the midst of the year Charles married and it was decided that Betsey would work for the Charles and his new wife on several conditions which were written in a contract. The contract stated that she was to be “specially attached” to the Stewarts