John Gibson Paton (24 May 1824 – 28 January 1907), born in Scotland, was a Protestant missionary to the New Hebrides Islands of the South Pacific.

He advocated strongly against a form of slavery, which was called "Blackbirding", that involved kidnapping the natives and forcing them to work in New Zealand and elsewhere.

[6] For some years he also worked at distributing tracts, teaching at school, and labouring as a city missionary in a degraded section of Glasgow.

I ran off as fast as I could; and, when about to turn a corner in the road where he would lose sight of me, I looked back and saw him still standing with head uncovered where I had left him gazing after me.

He did not see me, and after he had gazed eagerly in my direction for a while he got down, set his face towards home, and began to return, his head still uncovered, and his heart, I felt sure, still rising in prayers for me.

I watched through blinding tears, till his form faded from my gaze; and then, hastening on my way, vowed deeply and oft, by the help of God, to live and act so as never to grieve or dishonour such a father and mother as He had given me.

[11] It is no pharisaism, but deep gratitude, which makes me here testify that the memory of that scene not only helped to keep me pure from the prevailing sins, but also stimulated me in all my studies, that I might not fall short of his hopes, and in all my Christian duties, that I might faithfully follow his shining example.

[12][page needed]John and Mary Paton landed on the island of Tanna, in the southern part of the New Hebrides, on 5 November 1858 and built a small house at Port Resolution.

[13] When they arrived, the Canadian missionary John Geddie (1815–72) had already been laboring in the New Hebrides since 1846, where he served primarily on the island of Aneityum.

[citation needed] Paton continued unfailingly with his missionary work in spite of constant animosity from the natives and many attempts on his life.

In Aniwa they found the natives to be very similar to those on Tanna – "The same superstitions, the same cannibalistic cruelties and depravities, the same barbaric mentality, the same lack of altruistic or humanitarian impulses were in evidence."

Their fourth son, Frank Hume Lyall Paton, who followed them as a missionary in the New Hebrides, was one of those born on Aniwa Island.

Maggie taught a class of about fifty women and girls who became experts at sewing, singing and plaiting hats, and reading.

[24] Maggie Whitecross Paton died at the age of 64 on 16 May 1905[25] at "Kennet" - believed to be the family home at 74 Princess Street, Kew, Victoria, Australia.

Paton outlived his wife by nearly two years, dying at the age of 82 on 28 January 1907[25] at Cross St, Canterbury, Victoria, Australia.