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| Abu’l-Qasim Afnan (L) with Dorothy and John Ferraby at 27 Rutland Gate (London), around 1954 |
FERRABY, JOHN (1914-1973). (Hand of the Cause of God.) Born in Southsea, England, on 9 January 1914 of Jewish background. He had a classical education—King's College, Cambridge—and heard of the Faith from a friend when living in London. He found a book in the local library and finally located the Baha’is who, because of the intense bombing raids on London, were able to visit the Baha’i Center only for called meetings. After a few such meetings he accepted the Faith and became very active in its affairs; in less than a year he was a member of both the London Local Spiritual Assembly and the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles.
In 1943 he married a fellow member of the National Spiritual Assemblv, Dorothy Cansdale Ferrabv, and in 1946 was elected its secretary. In 1950 he became its first full-time secretary and the first resident secretary of the National Haziratul-Quds (27 Rutland Gate, London) when it was purchased in the fall of 1954. For many years he was also manager of the British Baha’i Publishing Trust and was most active in the teaching field and on several national committees.
From 1951 to 1956 he was involved deeply in the work of the Africa campaign, which included much contact with government bodies. He wrote one of the two booklets that became the basic literature for translation into more than 100 African languages.
He attended the Intercontinental Conference in Frankfurt, Germany, 1958, the convention that elected the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, 1959, and the election of the National Spiritual Assembly of Norway, 1962. He was on pilgrimage in the Holy Land in January 1955, which inspired him on his return to write his major work All Things Made New.
He was appointed a Hand in the last contingent. October 1957, and in that capacity was involved in the arrangements associated with the funeral of Shoghi Effendi in November 1957. He attended the first gathering of the Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land following the funeral and remained there for over three months. In December 1959 he went to reside in Haifa, where he remained until the election of the Universal House of Justice in April 1963, He then returned to England and took up residence in Cambridge, where for a few years he served as a Hand dealing with secretarial matters and traveling a great deal. For the remainder of his life, his health prevented his active service, but right up to his death in September 1973, the Faith was his first concern, as it had been throughout his 42 years as a Baha’i. The Universal House of Justice cabled,
In 1943 he married a fellow member of the National Spiritual Assemblv, Dorothy Cansdale Ferrabv, and in 1946 was elected its secretary. In 1950 he became its first full-time secretary and the first resident secretary of the National Haziratul-Quds (27 Rutland Gate, London) when it was purchased in the fall of 1954. For many years he was also manager of the British Baha’i Publishing Trust and was most active in the teaching field and on several national committees.
From 1951 to 1956 he was involved deeply in the work of the Africa campaign, which included much contact with government bodies. He wrote one of the two booklets that became the basic literature for translation into more than 100 African languages.
He attended the Intercontinental Conference in Frankfurt, Germany, 1958, the convention that elected the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, 1959, and the election of the National Spiritual Assembly of Norway, 1962. He was on pilgrimage in the Holy Land in January 1955, which inspired him on his return to write his major work All Things Made New.
He was appointed a Hand in the last contingent. October 1957, and in that capacity was involved in the arrangements associated with the funeral of Shoghi Effendi in November 1957. He attended the first gathering of the Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land following the funeral and remained there for over three months. In December 1959 he went to reside in Haifa, where he remained until the election of the Universal House of Justice in April 1963, He then returned to England and took up residence in Cambridge, where for a few years he served as a Hand dealing with secretarial matters and traveling a great deal. For the remainder of his life, his health prevented his active service, but right up to his death in September 1973, the Faith was his first concern, as it had been throughout his 42 years as a Baha’i. The Universal House of Justice cabled,
“Regret sudden passing Hand Cause John Ferraby. Recall long services Faith British Isles crowned elevation rank Hand Cause valuable contribution Baha’i literature through his book ‘All Things Made New.’ Requesting befitting gatherings Mashriqu’l-Adhkars memorial meetings all communities Baha’i world.”
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