CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY ARCHIVE

Section IV: Africa Missions
Part 16: South Africa, 1836-1843, Kenya, 1841-1888, and Nyanza, 1876-1882

There are Original Papers, Letter Books and Mission Books for:

• The South Africa Mission, 1836-1843.
• The Kenya Mission, 1841-1888.
• The Nyanza Mission, 1876-1882.

The South Africa material has a rich mix of journals, letters, extracts from local newspapers and instructions to missionaries.  It features:

• The journals and letters of Rev Robert Philips describing his work amongst the Zulus and his trek up the Orange River in 1839.
• Long and detailed journals by Rev Francis Owen for 1837-1840.
• Journals of Wallace Hewetson and documents on the work at Mosita.

There is lots of material on evangelical, medical and educational work, as well as on expeditions into the interior and on developments at Mombassa, Zanzibar and Freretown throughout the papers on the Kenya Mission.  There is good material on the activities of the following missionaries:

• Dr John Ludwig Krapf (first missionary in Kenya).
• Rev William Salter Price (Secretary and Director of the East Africa Mission).
• Rev John Rebmann (especially his report on ten years work in East Africa and various significant journals).
• Edward Wood Forster (medical mission work at Mombassa and reports on the mission station at Freretown).
• Rev John James Erhardt (journals and maps).

There are also important documents on Sir John Kirk, Sir Bartle Frere and Dr David Livingstone.

Finally, the papers on the Nyanza Mission record the efforts to respond to the invitation of the Kabaka Mutesa, the King of the Buganda, welcoming white men in his country, after his meeting with Henry Morton Stanley.  They cover:

• The expedition, journals and accounts of Lieutenant George Shergold Smith and Rev Charles Thomas Wilson.
• Accounts, journals and letters of Alexander Mackay.
• Papers and drawings of James Last.
• Diaries and journals of the medical missionary Robert Felkin.