CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY ARCHIVE

Section IV: Africa Missions

Part 14: Egypt Mission, 1889-1934

Part 15: Egypt Mission, 1889-1949

Introduction to Part 15: Egypt Mission, 1889-1949

Part 15 continues the papers of the Egypt Mission with the Original Papers from 1923-1934 and the Précis Books, 1890-1935. It also includes the 1935-1949 material.

The Original Papers, 1923-1934 contain a wide variety of material including reports, memos and letters from the missionaries to the Secretary in London: Included are: letters re health of missionaries; minutes of the Egypt Women’s Conference; letters re the CMS policy in Cairo; report re strained feelings between workers; discussions on the retirement of missionaries and furloughs; report of the CMS hospital in Omdurman; report of the Egypt Mission Property Trust; report on the Old Cairo Mission; details of the cost of a bakery for the employment of Moslem converts; building site costs of a church at Giza; need for more medical men; minutes of the first meeting of the Egypt Mission Standing Committee; reports of the literature department; report of the CMS Girls’ School at Boulac, Cairo; annual letter from the missionary M E Rathbone; report by Mabel C Warburton dated February 1927 on the development of women’s education in the Northern Sudan: The time is ripe for a big development of women’s education in the Northern Sudan. Up to the present the whole of the primary education of girls has been in the hands of the missions. Government education has only aimed at reaching the Sudanese and providing an education of a most elementary type. It is for the mission schools to supply the teachers and the women leaders for the country. The education  of the non-Sudanese elements of the population is left entirely in their hands. This does not mean that the Christian Schools cannot touch the Sudanese girls. A certain number are already attending the primary schools and many more could be reached by the establishment of kuttabs in districts populated by Sudanese, as suggested in the above report. But the vital question for the future of women’s education in this country is the provision of properly trained teachers, women of strong spiritual character and powers of leadership. Such alone can be provided through the Christian Schools with their opportunities of contact and intercourse with Christian women of fine character, broad sympathies and high ideals….The women of the Sudan are worthy to play a high part in the future of their country. In practical ability and real intelligence, combined with a sturdy independence of character, they present fine material for teachers and leaders.

Also included is: CMS educational work; a report on the Old Cairo Boys’ School; letter from Bishop Gwynne, Bishop of Egypt and Sudan bewailing the terrible state of the mission; letters of resignation from missionaries; report of the death of Mrs Hall, one of the most longstanding missionaries; details of financial cuts in the mission; many letters from F O Lasbrey, the Secretary of the Mission.

Also included are: Bishop Gwynne’s notes on the situation in regard to Government relations for Missionary Education in the Sudan; Anglican Church Council report of the Literature Department; report of the Infant Welfare work; discussions between CMS and the American missionaries as to which parts of the country they should work in; report on the Girls’ School in N Sudan by Mabel C Warburton; minutes of the Medical Mission; report on the General Secretary’s visit to Sudan; details and statistics of schools and hospitals; plans for the CMS Boys’ School; correspondence regarding Mr Mann, manager of the CMS bookshop in Old Cairo and his estranged wife; appointment of Mr S A Morrison as Secretary of the mission; Miss Pronger’s report for 1928 of the CMS Girls’ Central  School at Omdurman with statistics on the nationality of the pupils: …. It will be noticed that there is a decrease both in the number of Sudanese and in the number of Moslems in spite of the fact that the actual roll is increased. The increased number of Christians in the school is probably due to the fact that the Catholic School in Omdurman was closed during the year. I do not think that these statistics need lead us to fear that the school is failing to attract Sudanese or Moslem children. As a matter of fact statistics taken on the 1 February this year ( 1929) show an increase both of Sudanese and Moslems, there being 55 Moslems and 35 Sudanese and during this present month of March at least seven Sudanese Moslem pupils have been admitted…. There are also reports of other schools by the missionaries Miss Jackson and Miss Myer; Dr Churcher’s report on the hospital at Omdurman; financial position of the mission; photos of Moslem converts.

Other topics include: history of the magazine “Orient and Occident” together with the financial situation; letters from Dr Cash re staffing at the Old Cairo hospital; a report about the political and financial situation in Egypt for 1930-1931: The present government is being charged not only with destroying the liberties of the people, but also with being responsible for the acute financial depression from which the country is suffering. The Government in turn ascribes the present crisis to the mistaken policy of the late Wafdist Government in making large purchases of cotton which cannot now be sold except at considerable loss…..The income of mission hospitals and schools as well as of the Egyptian Churches and their members has been seriously affected….There are indications that the leavening of thought and life by Western ideas, which has characterised post-war history of Egypt is still proceeding. At one time the swing of the pendulum seems to favour the part of reform. At another it swings back in the direction of Moslem orthodoxy and conservatism…. There is a report on the Boulac Boys’ Club in Cairo; report on the work among the blind by Gindi Effendi Ibrahim, blind evangelist and also by S A Morrison for the year 1938/39: Some of the workers are becoming very efficient in brush-making and more of them are now eager to gain experience in the making and mending of chairs and baskets. Also a larger number are anxious to learn Braille reading and writing. To encourage them, we have engaged a young blind Christian to whom we give a small monthly honorarium. He devotes this time to lessons in reading and writing  and also to reading books to the others, while they are at work…. Other items include: a memo re Dr Payne’s bad treatment of the Egyptian staff at the Old Cairo Medical Mission; balance sheet for the mission; report on the Oriental Churches and Moslem Evangelism; report on social work in Near East Africa; a complaint by a woman convert that undue influence was used on her to embrace Christianity; minutes of the emergency meeting of the Standing Committee re the possible closure of the CMS hospital at Menouf; need for more staff at Omdurman hospital; description of the Little Girls’ Club at Boulac with a statement of accounts; a pamphlet on Islam history; a memo on the financial status of the Medical Missions at Menouf and Old Cairo.

The Précis Books, 1890-1935 consist of a typed précis of incoming letters which were dealt with in London. The précis books detail from whom the letter was received, date sent and date received, a summary of the contents, matters of business arising from it, resolutions and recommendations of the Committee, how finally disposed of and when answered.

Many topics are covered such as: Biblewomen’s work; hospitals, statistics, native catechists; the Cairo Dispensary; the appointment of evangelists; illness of missionaries; descriptions of starving refugees in Suakin; a sketch of CMS Zerala; arrangements for a CMS orphanage; letters from General Haig describing the political situation; details of a proposed school at Khartoum; recommendations re missionary salaries, furloughs, schools, medical missions, language examinations; details of the Women’s Conference; native agents; evangelistic work; accounts; statistics; accommodation.

They also cover: school policy; missionary allowances; minutes of the Medical Committee; Conference minutes; report on women’s work; Cairo Training Centre; proposed hospital at Omdurman; need for reinforcements; school reports; statistics of the mission; report of the Wad Medani Girls’ School; the diocesanization of the mission; the Bookshop; mission property trust; missionary education; furloughs; difficulties between the American missions and the CMS in Egypt; the educational policy in Sudan; report on work amongst the blind.

The papers for Egypt, 1935-1949 are arranged by subject and are divided into Mission Papers, Papers of the Episcopal Church, Diocese of Egypt, Education, General and Medical.

The Mission Papers contain material such as: minutes of the Meeting of the Missions and Government Committee of the Egypt Inter– Mission Council; a note on Egypt and the League of Nations; details of a new law concerning the personal status of non-Muslims; a list of documents regarding religious liberty; resume of an interview between H E The High Commissioner of Egypt and a Delegation from the Egypt Inter–Mission Council concerning religious liberty; the position of Christians in the Egyptian Government Service; notes for new missionaries travelling long sea-journeys; government regulations affecting missionary work: details of a bill to ban missionary propaganda; details on the serious financial position of the “Orient and Occident”; memo on the religious situation; description of a rural visit.

Also included are: a survey of European staffing requirements;a description of “The Little Girls’ Club”; We have some fifty children who come daily from 2 to 4 pm. They learn reading and writing, hygiene, practically-applied personal hygiene, the care of the home and the care of the baby. Each child learns to make a set of baby clothes  and six at a time take turns in attending the Welfare twice a week, to help in the bathing-room and to watch treatments….; an account of CMS work amongst women and children in Boulac: Boulac is the area of our work and here humanity swarms...the most thickly populated and the poorest part of Cairo. It is a haunt of vice, where the police are always busy, seeking to suppress the drug traffic and where the unfortunate drug addict abounds. The area is known as “The Devil’s University” and it is fanatically Moslem. Most families live in one room, the floor of which is often made of mud only, with no water supply and no sanitation. Water has to be fetched daily by the women and the girls from public taps and it has to be paid for– so it is not surprising that cleanliness is at a discount. Rubbish and dirty water are commonly thrown out in to the streets where the rubbish lies all day rotting and collecting masses of flies. …. Every garbage heap, before its removal, is anxiously searched by street urchins and by the ubiquitous beggar. In houses, however, that possess an open mud oven, where each family in turn has its weekly baking, the rubbish will be left to dry on the roof and then be used as fuel; and so the pestilent fly is brought one stage nearer the family food and the family baby. There is much unemployment in this needy neighbourhood and most of its families have to live below the poverty level….  Also included are papers re: attendance of Muslim pupils at Christian Teaching; staffing; the control of free education; a report on “Orient and Occident” with sales figures; a description of The League of Arab Nations;  minutes of a meeting on Christianity and World Order; minutes re the re-organisation of the medical work; letter written January 1949 from Dr Hargreaves at the CMS Hospital in Gaza  describing bombing by the Jews and the treatment of refugees: Until two days ago when the Jews ordered cease fire we have been raided from the air every night and have been busy with many casualties. Last night or rather this morning at one was the first time I went to bed in pyjamas for several nights as I had to be ready for an emergency at a moment‘s notice. Friday was our great day. The hospital was full with fifty refugess and about ten others. I was busy with a long list of refugee Ops when a long procession of wounded and dying people was brought in from our next Village South, deir Belah. The Jews had raided them and dropped bombs on their market place. Over 100 were killed outright. We turned our big men‘s ward balcony in to a receiving room. It was grand to see the staff turning to and dealing with one after another. We admitted about thirty – many very seriously wounded….We went from then until 3am Sat when we had finished the worst cases. I got to bed at 4. Yesterday we went on operating on the less seriously wounded and continued operating until midnight when the valiant staff could stand no more of it…. A pamphlet called “Pioneering in a Cairo Slum” - an account of the CMS work amongst women and children in Boulac with photos can also be found.

The Papers of the Episcopal Church of Egypt contain: minutes of the Standing Committee of the Egypt Mission covering education, literature, salaries, medical work, evangelical work and finance; minutes of the Committee of Liaison between the Communities.

The Diocese of Egypt Papers cover: salary of the Bishop; grants and allowances to the Bishop.

The Education Papers for the Cairo Literature Centre contain: The Annual Report of the SPCK; report on the “Orient and Occident”; the accounts of the Book Shop Depot; staffing; report of the office of the Central Literature Committee for Muslims.

The Education papers for the Old Cairo Boys’ School contain a CMS magazine in Arabic; papers re the future of the school; staffing and recruitment and for the Old Cairo Girls’ School information on building a new classroom and staffing.

The General  Papers for Ashmoun, Cairo, Old Cairo, Ghamreen, Menouf and Shubra Zanga contain material such as: letters re purchase of land; a new building at Boulac; Boulac annual letters – the following extract is from the annual letter dated 25 October  1947:…. I have been giving a great deal of my time to the Infant Welfare as I found the Infants all badly underweight after they reach 6 months…..the trouble is mainly economical and is bound up with the inability of the Mother to buy food either for herself or the baby. Since the evacuation of the English Army the situation has deteriorated rapidly and I think this winter will be a very critical one with the poor. Added to this there is the Cholera epidemic that has closed down all the schools and out-patients depts at the hospitals…. What a pity that it is impossible to send you some of the really beautiful needlework that the children do. It is not at all easy to sell the necessary amount since the Soldiers have gone but we are trying to interest the wealthy Egyptians in both the work and the actual activities. Not an easy thing to do as they have no conscience about it at all. They are completely self centred and content as long as they get all they want as easily and cheaply as possible.

There are very big problems before the Missions as a whole here as the Govt is passing a law forbidding the teaching of Christianity to Moslem minors. This means that we shall not be able to teach our school children and that involves the whole policy of all Christian schools here. The Cholera epidemic has delayed the opening of Parliament  and so no decision has been made yet although the Education Committee have already notified the schools and forbidden the teaching of Scripture  as a matter of public order….  There is a report on the Boulac Welfare Centre; missionaries’ allowances; plans for a memorial church; the rural unit at Ghamreen: sale of former Menouf Church; report of the CMS Girls’ School; proposed developments of the Boys’ School; sale of property; concerning the closing of the work in the Zubra Zanga mission and opening of a new centre.

The Medical Papers for the Old Cairo medical mission include material on staffing and recruitment; increases in salary; the re-building of the hospital; appointment of a Medical Commission; report on the mission; the finances of the mission.

The Menouf medical mission papers include material on: staffing and recruitment; new buildings; finances.

<back