John Parrett's house and printing workshop, Imarivolanitra, Madagascar, ca. 1865-1885

"My House, Imarìvolànitra", "First Printing house". Printing house in foreground with view of Antananarivo in distance. The main printing operations of the LMS in Madagascar were based at Imarivolanitra, which had grown from a single hand press to a full plant with forty-two staff by the time of Parrett's resignation from the field in 1885.; John Parrett served as a printer for the London Missionary Society in Madagascar from 1862 to 1885, first at the capital Tananarive [now Antananarivo] then, following a period of furlough in England from 1873 to 1875, at Amparibe. Parrett sailed to Madagascar in 1862 as part of a large missionary party comprising Dr and Mrs Andrew Davidson , Mr and Mrs Robert Toy, schoolmaster Charles Thomas Stagg and Mrs Stagg, Reverend John Duffus and Reverend William Edward Cousins. The party was sent to aid Reverend William Ellis who had pioneered the re-introduction of missionaries to Madagascar in 1862 on the accession of King Radama II to the throne, following the death of Queen Ranavalona I in 1861.