| Order number: |
CWM/LMS/Australia/Incoming correspondence/Box…etc.
1798-1811 Box 1A*
1811-1817 Box 1B*
1818-1828 Box 2*
1829-1844 Box 3*
1845-1849 Box 4A*
1850-1855 Box 4B*
1856-1863 Box 5*
1864-1868 Box 6*
1869-1872 Box 7
1873-1877 Box 8
1878-1880 Box 9
1881-1886 Box 10
1887-1889 Box 11
1890-1892 Box 12
1893-1895 Box 13
1896-1897 Box 14
1898-1899 Box 15
1900-1901 Box 16
1902-1904 Box 17
1905-1907 Box 18
1908-1909 Box 19
1910-1913 Box 20
1913-1915 Box 21
1916-1918 Box 22
1919-1920 Box 23
1921 Box 24
1922 Box 25
1923 Box 26
1924 Box 27
1925 Box 28
1926-1927 Box 29
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| Summary: |
Incoming correspondence from missionaries and agents in Australia to the London Missionary Society headquarters. Includes mention of missionaries to Tahiti and the South Seas and schemes for mission in New Zealand.
Detailed cataloguing has been completed at file level for the period 1798-1868. Catalogue entries provide the names of correspondents, dates, places and a summary of the subject matter. Letters for the later period have yet to be catalogued.
Early letters in the series reflect the LMS relationship with Australia, which began through contacts in Sydney, New South Wales (sometimes specified as Parramatta or Port Jackson) connected with the mission to the South Pacific (‘South Seas’). Some letters brought news of the South Seas missions which would not otherwise have reached London. The Society used a commercial agent (mainly Campbell & Co of Campbell’s Wharf 1809-1865) and a clerical agent in Sydney: Samuel Marsden (1801 to 1838), Robert Ross (1840 to 1859) and James Sunderland from 1864. In the early years various missionaries and/or their families came to New South Wales because they needed to recuperate or following their withdrawal from the mission. Later in the century letters come from Tasmania [Van Diemen’s Land], Melbourne and Adelaide, mainly in connection with support for mission work through Auxiliary missionary societies. Later still correspondence also comes from Queensland, launch point for the mission to Papua. Early attempts to take the gospel to Indigenous Australians (‘Aboriginals’ or ‘Aborigines’) included some missionary appointments and language work. Missionaries active in evangelism, pastoral care and education in Australia included Rowland Hassell, William Crook and Lancelot Threlkeld. Threlkeld’s relations with the LMS became difficult and resulted in Threlkeld’s case (papers on which are held in file ref: CWM/LMS/Australia/Incoming Correspondence/Box 2).
A further element in the correspondence with Australia was the succession of ships operated by the LMS: letters mention the Duff (1799), the brig Haweis (1830), the Camden (1838 and 1841), John Williams I (1844 to 1864), John Williams II (1866), and John Williams III (1868); letters are received from their captains Robert Morgan, William Williams, J Fowler and Roger Turpie. Concerns are raised in correspondence and press cuttings about questions of slavery in the Pacific islands and the treatment of Chinese labourers imported to Australia. Occasional letters from New Zealand report church developments there. Frequent correspondents to 1868 other than those already mentioned include William Crook, William Henry and Frederick Miller.
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| Extent: |
29 boxes
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| Arrangement: |
Until 1927, the LMS kept all correspondence received from the mission field in strict chronological order. From approximately the last quarter of the 19th century, each letter has a cover sheet, which gives it a unique number, date sent, date received by the Home Office, the appropriate governing region (Eastern, Southern etc) and a precis of contents.
The arrangement of incoming correspondence changed in 1928, when the administrative decision was made to file incoming and outgoing correspondence together in alphabetical files from individuals. These files also contain copies of some of the letters sent out by the LMS. Correspondence from this date is therefore identified as Incoming & Outgoing Correspondence, and is listed separately. |
Until 1927, the LMS kept all correspondence received from the mission field in strict chronological order. From approximately the last quarter of the 19th century, each letter has a cover sheet, which gives it a unique number, date sent, date received by the Home Office, the appropriate governing region (Eastern, Southern etc) and a precis of contents.
The arrangement of incoming correspondence changed in 1928, when the administrative decision was made to file incoming and outgoing correspondence together in alphabetical files from individua ... View more |
| Access status: |
Open
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| Language: |
English
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| Finding aids: |
*A detailed list of Australia Incoming Correspondence, 1798-1868 (list D1), is available for consultation in the Special Collections Reading Room, SOAS Library. A digitised copy of this list is available on SOAS Digital Collections - see URL link in this catalogue record.
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| Format: |
Archive
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