Sophia Blackmore

Born 100 miles off Perth, Australia, Blackmore came from a devout Christian family from Portugal who had migrated south in the 1850s.

Influenced by Isabella Leonard, a visiting American missionary, Blackmore left for India on 10 December 1886 with her mind set on serving China.

[5] On her arrival in Singapore on 16 July 1887,[6] Blackmore was encouraged by the Oldhams' work which included the local Methodist Episcopal Church and the Anglo-Chinese School at Coleman Street.

[8] Visiting homes by horse carriage in the estates bounded by Telok Ayer and Neil Road, she was led to the establishment of a second school for girls.

A widow, Nonya Boon, later offered Blackmore her home along Cross Street to start a school for girls.

[7] In 1894, Blackmore's home became the base for a Straits Chinese church headed by Goh Hood Keng, beginning with just six members and 16 probationers.

The Kampong Kapor Methodist Church thus traces beginnings to Blackmore's early preaching work in the 1890s.

The School trained Eurasian ladies and gradually Chinese women from various parts of Malaya, in-home visitation.

The Bible Women's Training School was considered ahead of its time in developing local, self-supporting work.

Blackmore retired to Australia in 1927 though she did make several visits to Singapore prior to the outbreak of World War II.