March 4. On this date in 1954, Roy Fernie and Elena Marsella arrived in Kiribati, for which they were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh.

 

March 4. On this date in 1954, Roy Fernie and Elena Marsella arrived in Kiribati, for which they were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh.

Roy Fernie was the only son of Evelyn Granthame-Hayes and Cyril Fernie, the owner of the C. Fernie Steamship Company in the Panama Canal Zone. He was born on January 20, 1922 at Ancon in the Canal Zone, but spent most of his school years in England with his grandparents.

Since Roy was the only son, his father definitely expected him to make major in businesses administration and take over the reins of the Steamship Company. Accordingly, he sent him to business college in England. But Roy, from childhood on, manifested a tremendous variety of talents, none of them in the least related to the business world. he had an excellent ear for harmony and learned to play both the accordion and piano by ear. He painted, wrote science fiction stories, directed stage plays, and was a superb actor. His abilities were so diverse they seemed to include almost everything but business. But his greatest ambition, he often said, was always to be a doctor.

When World War I broke out Roy was only too glad to escape what he considered to be the dull routine of business school and he joined the Royal Air Force. Because of illness he was discharged from the Air Force, but then emigrated to the United States an again entered the Armed Services. When the war ended he became an American citizen and lived for several years in St. Louis, Missouri.

By that time Roy's father had retired from active participation in the Steamship Agency, but he constantly kept hope that Roy would take over the business, and eventually, to please his father, Roy returned to the Canal Zone. It was there that he first heard of the Bahá’í Faith. He was recuperating from a severe tropical fever at his sister's home in Panama City when he heard her mention a Bahá’í girl she had just met. It was late in the evening, and to his sister's consternation he insisted he must meet the "Bahá’í girl" immediately. He was so dogged in his determination that she called the girl and practically begged her to let Roy come over.

That same night Roy found himself in the headquarters of the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America and the Antilles. The "Bahá’í girl" was Elena Maria Marsella, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly. Roy's family background was Anglican, but he himself had long since ceased to adhere to any "organized religion". With his naturally inquisitive mind he had investigated many faiths but had never found one that seemed sensible or, in his words, "logical".

From that point onward Roy's life took a very different turn. He made his declaration in March of 1953; two months later he and Elena were married, and in another three months the newlyweds had answered the call of the Ten Year Crusade.

For Roy's father this was the last straw. He disinherited his son. This was a great shock to Roy who attached little importance to wealth, because he genuinely wished his father to understand what he called a "new job that was worth more then a million dollars".

After many interesting adventures the Fernies found themselves on Abaiang in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands.

From the first the Gilbertese were fascinated with this tall, lanky American with the brilliant blue eyes, the bubbling personality, the unfailing sense of humor. He kept them constantly intrigued. He put on magic shows for them, played the piano, sand with them, learned their language and started English classes for them. Although he could not openly teach the Faith he actually taught all the principles by example. And before long he had a myriad opportunities to teach that way, for the missionaries began to suspect that the Fernies were not just visiting the Gilbert Islands to study the Flora and fauna. Soon they were hinting that the Fernies were a "dangerous" couple who were under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Scotland Yard. The Colonial Government, without giving Roy and opportunity to defend himself, accepted the accusations as true.

Day by day the persecution grew more intense, but it served only to draw the people themselves closer and closer to the Fernies. When finally a Catholic priest saw the word "Bahá’í" on a letter addressed to the "dangerous Americans" he proclaimed the Faith for them. He obtained information about it from Australia, then wrote articles in The Star of the Gilberts magazine which went to every island in the atoll. Meanwhile, one Gilbertese had actually declared his acceptance of the Bahá’í Faith. Peter became Roy's constant companion. He could read English and he eagerly devoured every book in the Fernie library. Shoghi Effendi, in a letter to him, told him not to teach his people yet, but to follow the example of the Fernies.

With the proclamation of the Faith by the Catholic priest, Roy and Peter the first Gilbertese Bahá’í, were constantly harassed, both by the missionaries and the heads of the Colonial Government.

But time was short for Roy. First Peter was deported to his own island in the Southern Gilberts, accused of crimes. Then Roy was accused of being a divisive influence, and he was deported to Canton Island.

He went to Hawaii to be as near as possible to the Gilberts, hoping that as a result of the Colonial Government's investigation in London and the efforts of the British National Spiritual Assembly, he would be allowed to return. He died on October 21, 1964, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

What has always struck me about the designation of Knights of Bahá'u'lláh is the arbitrariness with which the "virgin territories" were defined. For example, the Cook Islands and Tonga Island, both part of the Realm of New Zealand have distinct sets of Knights, while Niue and the Chatham Islands, also part of the Realm of New Zealand, are Knightless. 

Several islands off the coast of Alaska have distinct Knights, like Baranof Island , Kodiak Island, and the Aleutian Islands. Yet other Alaskan islands, like the Pribilof Islands are Knightless.

The Brazilian state of Amapá has its own Knights (for Portuguese Guiana), while the other Brazilian statesare Knightless.

Crete and Rhodes have Knights distinct from the Knights of mainland Greece, yet other Greek islands, like Santorini and Samos, are Knightless.

Key West has its own Knight, yet the other Florida Keys are Knightless.

Tiny islands, like Great Manan, have their own Knights. St. Thomas Island has its own Knight, yet the remaining Leeward Islands have one set of Knights, representing numerous politically and geographically independent islands. Similarly, the Windward Islands have one set of Knights, representing numerous politically and geographically independent islands.