CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY ARCHIVE
Section VI: Missions to India

Part 1: India General, 1811-1815,and North India Mission, 1815-1881

REEL 1
Catalogue to West Asia (Group 2) Missions Vol 2 North India, pp 9-22
Calendar to India General Early Correspondence, pp 193-246

India General
C I E: Early Correspondence, 1811-1815
The Early Correspondence contains incoming and outgoing correspondence between the Secretaries and the missionaries, agents and government officials. There are letters from Rev David Corrie who arrived in India in 1806 describing the teaching of Abdul Museeh, a native catechist. There are also journals written by Abdul Maseeh himself. Letters from Rev Rhenius and Rev Schnarre describe their arrival in the mission. Included also are their diaries detailing their experiences. Rev Bowley’s journal for 1814-1815 gives detail on his preaching in the mission. Information regarding schools includes an account of salaries of school teachers and a list of English and Tamul Free Schools with names of the masters and the number of scholars. Included also are the proceedings of the CMS Committee in Calcutta.

C I E 1 A-D: Early Correspondence, 1811-1815
These four letters are from Henry Martyn to the CMS Secretary, Josiah Pratt; from Maulvie Munsoor to Rev David Corrie; from Josiah Pratt to Rev T Thomason and from D Brown.

North India
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C I 1 E 1: Early Correspondence, 1815-1818
Letters from: Rev G Schroeter describing his journey to India and his experiences on arrival; news of the death of Mrs Bryan whose husband was in charge of the Native School in Calcutta; letters from Rev Thomas Thomason to the Secretary and to the Archdeacon; reports of meetings of the CMS Committee in Calcutta and circular letters issued by them.

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C I 1 E 2: Early Correspondence, 1818-1820
Letters from Rev Corrie to the Secretary; the journal of Rev Bowley for 1818 and 1819; report of the Calcuttan Diocesan Committee; some pages from The Calcutta Journal; a report by Mr Allington on the school at Benares; a letter from the inhabitants of Benares to Rev Corrie; CMS committee minutes.

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C I 1 L 1: Letter Book, 1820-1829
The Letter Books contain copies of outgoing correspondence from the Secretary to missionaries (mainly the mission secretary). Each contains an alphabetical index of missionaries with dates and page numbers. Topics covered include: re a proposed college, grants to the bishop; concern that a box of Idols had not been received in London; discussions on who should succeed the present bishop; complaints that annual letters are not being sent by the missionaries; discussions on the possibility of sending a lady missionary out to educate the female children.

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C I 1 L 2: Letter Book, 1829-1842
Letter to Rev Eleson regarding his good work preaching in the Bazaar and the surrounding villages, letter to Rev Lathy re the return of Rev Wilkinson and his family after time spent in England; letter to Rev Wybrow, Rev J Innes and Rev J F Osborne. There are also many letters of instructions to new missionaries going out to India such as Rev Smith, Rev Morse, Rev Knorpp, Rev Leupold, Rev Haberlin and Rev Linke. The Secretary advises self-denial and not to expect too much success in the first few years.

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C I 1 L 3: Letter Book, 1842-1851
Letters to the Bishop of Calcutta, Rev Innes, Rev Osborne, Rev James and Rev Hasell. There are instructions to new missionaries such as Rev Johnson, Rev Lamb advising them to acquire the native language as soon as possible. Included also are discussions re conferences to be held and travelling allowances to be paid to missionaries.

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C I 1 L 4: Letter Book, 1851-1857
Letters to Rev Henry Smith, Chaplain at Agra, to Rev Lamb, to the Mission Secretary re expenses of the mission; instructions to new missionaries such as Rev Robert Clark, Rev Henry Stern, Rev S Dyson, Rev J Bingham, Rev W J Bale and Rev Storrs regarding exposure to dangers, the risk of undertaking unsuitable marriages and the importance of sending annual letters to London.

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C I 1 L 5: Letter Book, 1857-1862
Letters to Rev Cuthbert re the increase in missionary salaries and health of missionaries and the success of the Orphan Press; instructions to new missionaries such as Rev R Clark and Rev George Geates including a set of printed instructions from the committee for missionaries; letters re the finance of the mission and annual estimates for the mission from the mission secretary to the Secretary in London, Henry Venn. Also included are details re the compensation fund for the destruction of the Agra printing press during the 1857 mutiny.

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C I 1 L 6: Letter Book, 1862-1866
Letters to Mr Stuart and other missionaries re the ill health of missionaries and the receipt of missionary journals; a list of suggestions for the improvement of the Krishnagur mission; yearly estimates for the mission; re finance; re the opening of a new college in Calcutta; re conferences to be held; letters to the Baptist Missionary Society re the work in Mulliana; a minute on the management of the missions and proposals for enlarging the system of management in North India; a letter from the Earl of Chichester, CMS President to Sir John Lawrence.

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C I 1 L 7: Letter Book, 1866-1873
Letters to Rev Dawes and Rev Stuart re the ill health of missionaries; re the receipt of missionary journals with instructions that the Native Church should be free to set its own salaries; re the reduction of grants and the increase in missionary salaries; estimates for the year; telegrams to Robert Bruce re the Persia Famine Fund.

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C I 1 L 8: Letter Book, 1873-1877
Letters with instructions from the Secretary to missionaries such as Rev F Shirreff and Rev Skelton leaving for India; discussions on the Cathedral Mission College; regulations for Native Church Councils in North India; minutes of the committee of Correspondence; a memo on the Trinity Church Mirzapore Endowment Fund; a circular re estimates.

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C I 1 L 9: Letter Book, 1877-1881
Letters to the Bishop of Calcutta, to Rev Barry re his state of health and the appointment of an Acting Principal; extract from a letter from Mr Rodger re the schools at Battala, Umritsur; letter re the Punjab Church Council and its relationship to CMS; translation of an address in Sanskrit sent by pandits of Nuddea to Professor Monier Williams, Oxford University; circular re estimates; letter re the setting up of the Punjab and Sind Corresponding Committee for an area of Lahore diocese; a report on native catechists and readers in India.

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C I 1 M 1: Mission Book, 1820-1824
The Mission Books contain hand written copies of the Original Papers sent by the missionaries to the Secretary in London. The papers are numbered in the order they arrived in London. The letters and journals from 1820-1848 are copied out in full and a note of receipt is made for the financial and printed papers. Each volume has an alphabetical index of missionaries and some subjects

Letters re supplies received, progress of schools, expenses, difficulty in raising subscriptions. There are also letters from one missionary to another for example Rev Henry Fisher to Rev Andrew Chap re the conversion of a Brahmin soldier of very high caste and the ensuing problems with the government; letters from the Correspondence Committee to the Bishop of Calcutta and letters from the bishop to London; news from missionaries re conversions, preaching, new Churches and the learning of the language; journals by missionaries including Rev Thomas Morris and Rev Bowley.

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C I 1 M 2: Mission Book, 1824-1827
Letters from Rev Morris to Archdeacon Corrie, from Rev J Maisch, Rev Duncan Schmidt and Rev Reichart describing the floods; balance sheets showing expenses and receipts; Committee minutes; journals of Rev Bowley, Rev Morris, Rev Adlington and Rev Abdul Museeh, who was one of the first Indian clergymen of the Anglican Church.

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C I 1 M 3: Mission Book, 1827-1829
Journals of Rev Bowley, the catechist Nurpul Sing, Mr John Peters, Rev W Deerr and Rev Wilson; minutes of committee meetings; letter from Rev J Schmid discussing whether the salaries of native catechists should be lower than those of Europeans; minutes of the Benares School Committee.

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C I 1 M 4: Mission Book, 1829-1832
Letters from Rev Henry Fisher to Archdeacon Corrie; list of schools at Burdwan with the number of students and those who had received the Gospel; journals of Rev Bowley, Rev Thomas Morris, Rev Charles Friend, Rev Ralph Eleson and native teachers, Matthew Runjett and Rutten; minutes of the Calcutta Auxiliary Committee; a list of mission stations with the number of labourers and salaries; report for Allahabad, 1828-1829; private letters from Rev Charles Friend to his relations and friends; letter from Rev T Morris re the tradition of suttee; an account of the Benares Mission in 1845 by Rev Eleson; minutes of a quarterly meeting of the Agra School Committee.

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C I 1 M 5: Mission Book, 1832-1835
Minutes of the monthly Correspondence Committee; journals of Rev Eleson, Rutten (a native teacher), Rev McLeod, Rev M Wilkinson; an account of the Ceremony of the Festival of Doorga Roojah; a statement of expenses for the missionaries, schoolmasters and catechists and of the mission schools.

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C I 1 M 6: Mission Book, 1835-1837
Journals of Rev Krucklenberg, Rev McLeod, Rev Bowley, Rev Knorpp, Rev Smith, Rev Leupold, Rev Weibracht and David Shakoor. All relate their experiences teaching and preaching in the mission. Included also are: minutes of the Calcutta Correspondence Committee and reports on the missions; annual report of the mission at Burdwan for 1833-1834 written by Rev Weibracht; a list of students at Benares School; a letter from Rev Wilkinson to the Lay Secretary (Financial Secretary).

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C I 1 M 7: Mission Book, 1837-1839, pp 1-600
Journals of missionaries including Rev Sandys, Rev Linke, Rev Weibracht, Rev Alexander, Rev Bowley, Rev Smith, Rev Leupold and Rev Wilkinson; minutes of the Corresponding Committee; a list of missionaries in Bengal and Hindoostan since the beginning of the mission; report of the Gorruckpore Station for 1836 by Rev R Reynolds; a report of the Culma Station by Rev Alexander.

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C I 1 M 7: Mission Book, 1837-1839, pp 601-end
Letters from the Bishop of Calcutta to the Correspondence Committee and to the Earl of Chichester, President of CMS; minutes of the Calcutta Correspondence Committee; letter from Rev Wybrow to the Lay Secretary.

C I 1 M 8: Mission Book, 1839-1844, pp 1-401
Minutes of a Special Meeting of the Calcutta Correspondence Committee; estimated expenditure of the North India mission for 1840; letter from the Bishop of Calcutta to the Earl of Chichester re the state of the mission; a memo from Rev I Innes re the illness and death of Mrs Innes; journals of missionaries including Rev Weibracht; a letter from Re Wybrow concerning his retirement; a letter from Rev Sandys re the conduct of recent converts; a letter from Rev Leupold re the dishonesty of native workers; a letter from the Bishop of Calcutta re journeys round the mission.

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C I 1 M 8: Mission Book, 1839-1844, pp 402-end
Letters from missionaries including a letter from Rev Innes to the Lay Secretary.