CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY ARCHIVE

Section IV: Africa Missions

Part 8:   Nigeria - Yoruba Mission, 1880-1934

Part 9:   Nigeria - Yoruba Mission, 1880-1934

Part 10: Nigeria - Niger Mission, 1880-1934

Part 11: Nigeria - Niger Mission, 1880-1934 and Nigeria - Northern Nigeria, 1900-1934

Part 12: West Africa (Sierra Leone) Mission, 1881-1934

Part 13: West Africa (Sierra Leone) Mission, 1935-1949 and Nigeria Missions, 1935-1949

Introduction to Part 10

Part 10 begins the coverage of the Nigeria – Niger mission. It contains the Original Papers for the years 1880-1928 and the Letter Books from 1882-1934.

The Letter Books covering 1882-1934 contain the copies of the outgoing correspondence from the Secretaries at headquarters to the missionaries. They also occasionally contain copies of correspondence and papers from others concerned with the mission affairs in Britain and overseas. Each volume contains a name index. Topics covered include: instructions to missionaries; circulars re the adoption of English names by converts at baptism; circulars re the employment of native agents and registration of names; circulars re the organisation of the Niger mission and expansion into Sudan; re the church at Bonny; circulars to West African Christians; instructions to the Hausa party; letters to missionaries re the educational work; circulars re expenditure; re the persecution of Christians at Ekiti; information on prospective missionary candidates.

The Original Papers, which in this part cover 1880-1928, comprise all the incoming papers sent by the mission secretary to headquarters in London. They consist mainly of letters and reports but include also minutes and papers of local CMS and diocesan committees. Some items, usually relating to finance, were removed in the course of administrative work and a note to this effect can be found in the relevant place in the papers.

Many of the Original Papers are from Bishop Samuel Adjai Crowther describing his experiences and his life in the mission. Journals of his visits to areas of the mission are included. Also included are his reports of the different mission areas with the dates they were founded and the work carried out. He writes a very vivid description of the Obotsis ( see opposite page). There is a copy of the Sermon preached by Bishop Crowther at the ordination at St George’s Cathedral Church in 1882. Included also are letters to him from his son.

There are many reports of the mission areas within the Niger mission giving descriptions of work done and the experiences of the missionaries as they set up the new areas. One description of the new mission at New Calabar describes the influence of the heathen priests on the King and the Chiefs.

Other items included are: figures for the attendance at services; reports from the schools; lists of buildings at the missions; notes on the rise and progress of Christianity at Okrika; sketches and plans of mission buildings; reports of missionaries describing their year’s work; lists of Native Agents with a description of the work of themselves and their wives with a list of places visited; reports are included of allegations against missionaries, for example the case of Rev E Philips who was charged with drunkenness and there are also cases reported of alleged immorality committed by communicants. There is information on the progress of Islam in Western Africa; notes on CMS training at the High School at Bonny; lists of converts; a memo on the future policy of the CMS in the Upper Niger and Sudan; reports on conferences; reports on the Girls Training School; Medical Mission reports; a pamphlet on domestic slavery; report on a children’s refuge; report on women’s work; educational reports.

There is much describing the native people of the Niger mission – their language, lives and customs. Descriptions are to be found of languages spoken in the different mission areas including Ibo; lists of translations of English into Nupe done at Kipo Hill station; lists of towns dependent on King Amachreo of Calabar; lists of different tribes in the Bunu country; lists of the towns and villages in the mission areas. There is a vivid description of the incidents connected with the death and burial of King Akaia of Goebe. Also included are letters from the Chiefs of Bonny to the Secretaries in London. Bishop Crowther’s report on native marriages is included as is an article entitled Conditions of the Heathens.

Financial items include: reports of meetings of the Niger Finance Committee; details on expenditure of the missions; expenses of the missionaries; statistics of the stations.

Miscellaneous items include: newspaper cuttings of The Methodist Herald and The West African Educational Times, The Sudan and Upper Niger Mission and The Lagos Echo; cuttings from The Guardian and The Times regarding the Niger mission. There are also pamphlets on The Royal Niger Company and The Hausa Association.

The following extracts from the Original Papers give a taste of the wide ranging variety of material to be found:

The following was written by Samuel Crowther in October 1886 and describes the Obotsi laws and practices:

The Obotsis are a tribe of the Ibo Proper, their dialect is purer than that of their neighbours the Onitsas who are regarded by them as immigrants from the opposite side of the River, being originally a tribe of Benim or Ondo, as the people of Asaba, who by long residence among the Ibos have lost their language and adopted a corrupt or provincial dialect of the Ibo: hence the Onitsa are greatly ignored by the Obotsis as foreigners or bastard Ibo and great advantages is taken of them as such by the interior Ibo tribes among whom the Obotsis their near neighbours are most prominent.

What gives Onitsa a great advantage over their interior neighbours of later years, is the suitable position of their land fronting the River, it being the first high and elevated ground from the swampy lands, which is the character of the Delta….

Obotsi town is about 5 miles distant south of Onitsa…. It is situated on the slope of a rising ground on the other side of a valley; it is built in the midst of woodland like a park or grove, on which grow trees of all kinds, bombax, Arto Carpus, palm, cocoa nut and kola nut trees and African Oak, from which one might saw plenty of boards for building. In the midst of this grove the town is built; the houses are constructed of mudwalls, covered with grass or bamboo leaf thatch. ...it is from this place the Obotsis go to Onitsa to carry out their barbarous and savage practices to the great annoyance of all with whom they come across. I shall note some of their laws as regards themselves and others.

Obotsi town is divided into district, township or families. Each of these is headed by a Chief or Patriarch. Properly speaking the Obotsis have no King; though they may regard any of these Chiefs as an elder or head Chief by way of respect. The whole population of the tribe may be about 6,000 or more. The law of Obotsis with regard to theft and debt is as follows:

1. Theft is recognised as a criminal act among the Obotsis. If a thief is caught in the act, he may he killed on the spot and the stolen property with him is laid on his breast or by him; there the dead body must remain until it is owned by any of his relatives; nor further proceedings are to be pursued after this by either party.

2. But if the thief be not caught in the act and the theft is afterwards traced out and proved against any person he may be caught and sold for the theft; if he be a free born of Obotsi he may be sold away until his relatives can ransome him from slavery. But if the thief made his escape to another town for protection, he may not be caught there, but to remain there as a refugee unless he gets out of that jurisdiction, then he may be caught and sold by the person whose property he had stolen.

3. If the thief caught be considered too good and respectable to be sold into slavery two inferior persons of his family may be given to the owner of the stolen property as a substitute to be held or sold by him to any person for his stolen property: such substitutes may or not be ransomed by the members of the family hereafter.

4. If a debt is due to an Obotsi by a person of another town or tribe and he cannot get it paid, the creditor may seize the property or person of any one, of that town or tribe, in payment of the debt due him by one of that town or tribe, who is made responsible for the property or person seized. These laws are more or less rigidly acted upon by other tribes also….

The following is an extract from a report entitled “Conditions of the Heathen” dated May 1891:

Information of the state and condition of the Heathen of diffferent tribes, speaking different languages in the Niger Mission, most ignorant, superstitious and barbarous to the utmost degree, amongst whom the Christian Mission was opened since 1857.

1 Objects of Worship
Idols of wood or clay as representatives of numerous imaginary deities or spirits, supposed to be appointed by the Great Spirit (God) to see after the inferior affairs of mankind which are beneath his great dignity to stoop down to see after. The Great Spirit himself is not worshipped, because he is too good to harm anyone. From this idea the imaginary deities are increased to an endless number in the world; as national gods, family or personal gods or guardians.

2. To these are added the spirits of some of the most influential ancestors in the world before they were dead, which are worshipped for protection and worldly prosperity through the medium of the priests and priestesses of the gods, the emissaries of satan; they are very superstitious and most influential to an incredible degree over the Kings and rulers of the nations, as the messengers of the gods, hence their word is law.

3. To these imaginary deities are added some other visible objects of worship as sacred to the gods – such as:
The god of Thunder and Lightning.
The god of Palmut, or god of divination to be consulted in cases of doubt and perplexity.
The god of Iron, of Blacksmith, of war, of Hunting.
The god of Trade, of prosperity in money making.
Sorcery, witchcraft.
The goddess of Births, which gives children….

4. Creeping things sacred to the gods never to be killed such as
The Crocodile, The Shark, The Boa Constrictor
Sundry kinds of birds
A tribe reckoned their objects of worship known to be 401 in number.

5. Abominable practices – Slave Wars, Slave Trade, Slave Holding, Cannibalism, Human Sacrifices, Polygamy.

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