Rev William Impey journal
Typescript (2 copies) of Impey's Journal beginning on 25 October 1838 the day before he sets sail for South Africa onboard the Brig 'Vixen'. His journal ends on 21 September 1847 whilst preaching amongst the Fingo in and around Fort Beaufort [Eastern Cape].
| Order number: |
MMS/Special Series/Biographical/South Africa/FBN 10 (fiche 431-432) |
|---|---|
| Date(s) of creation: |
20th century |
| Level: |
Sub-series |
| Format: | Archive |
| Main author: | Impey; William H (1816-1896); ordained and educational missionary |
| collection |
SOAS Archive |
|---|---|
| id |
MMS.17.02.04.11 |
| recordtype |
archive |
| scb_item_location |
Archive & Special Collections |
| item_location |
Archive & Special Collections |
| scb_loan_type |
Reference only |
| scb_order_with |
MMS/Special Series/Biographical/South Africa/FBN 10 (fiche 431-432) |
| callnumber |
MMS/17/02/04/11 |
| callnumber_txt |
MMS/17/02/04/11 |
| callnumber-sort |
MMS/17/02/04/11 |
| prefix_number |
11 |
| title |
Rev William Impey journal |
| scb_date_creation |
20th century |
| scb_level |
Sub-series |
| level_sort |
7/Collection/Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Sub-Collection/Series/Sub-Series/Sub-Sub-Series/File |
| scb_extent |
1 file |
| author |
Impey; William H (1816-1896); ordained and educational missionary |
| author_facet |
Impey; William H (1816-1896); ordained and educational missionary |
| authorStr |
Impey; William H (1816-1896); ordained and educational missionary |
| author_letter |
Impey; William H (1816-1896); ordained and educational missionary |
| format |
Archive |
| scb_admin_history |
William Impey was born in Whitby, Yorkshire, on 22 February 1816. He was ordained as a Wesleyan Methodist minister on 24 October 1838 and departed for South Africa two days later (arriving 17 January 1839). He initially served in Grahamstown but also in Wesleyville, Mount Coke and Fort Beaufort. On 8 April 1841 he married Mary Elizabeth Shaw (1821-1915), the daughter of Rev William Shaw, at the Wesleyan Chapel in Grahamstown. In 1853 he returned to Grahamstown and three years later he was appointed as the superintendent for the WMMS district of Albany and Kaffraria. Measures he suggested to the civilian authorities for the 'improvement' of indigenous people were implemented amongst the Xhosa in 1858 and in 1865 he served as President of the Native Affairs Commission.
After 13 years in Grahamstown he accepted the position of President of the Healdtown Missionary Institution where he remained until his retirement in 1875. Three years later Impey, along with his son (Rev B S H Impey, 1853-1900), resigned from the Methodist Connexion due to a disagreement in doctrinal views over eternal punishment. Joined the Anglican Church and preached at Christ Church in Grahamstown. He died there on 25 September 1896.
Further Reading:
Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa (Vol 6, 1972). |
| description |
Typescript (2 copies) of Impey's Journal beginning on 25 October 1838 the day before he sets sail for South Africa onboard the Brig 'Vixen'. His journal ends on 21 September 1847 whilst preaching amongst the Fingo in and around Fort Beaufort [Eastern Cape]. |
| scb_related_name_code |
GB/SOASNAF/P922 |
| scb_related_name_relationship |
Subject of |
| scb_place_code |
1085593 9406051 953987 |
| scb_access_status |
Open |
| scb_conditions_gov_access |
Only to be viewed on microfiche. |
| language |
English |
| language_search |
English |
| scb_originals |
Location not known |
| scb_related_material |
Also within the records of the (Wesleyan) Methodist Missionary Society is the official correspondence for William Impey whilst working in South Africa. Unfortunately correspondence for the first part of his career is not extant but correspondence by him does exist from the late 1850s onwards (MMS/South Africa/Correspondence/Kaffraria/FBN 14, MMS/South Africa/Correspondence/Bechuana/FBN 5 & MMS/South Africa/Correspondence/Grahamstown/FBN 12-13). The Grahamstown correspondence (FBN 13) includes Impey's correspondence regarding his resignation from the WMMS as well as a copy of his pamphlet 'Why I leave the Wesleyan Methodist Church', 1878 (fiche 477-478). Furthermore, the synod minutes will detail his work, and that of his colleagues, in the districts in South Africa he served (MMS/South Africa/Synod Minutes/FBN 1-5).
An image of Impey can be found within MMS Box 1203. |
| hierarchy_top_id_raw |
MMS |
| hierarchy_sequence |
MMS.0017.0002.0004.0011 |