Methodist Missionary Society Archives on microfiche School of Oriental and African Studies, London IDC
Introduction The filming of important missionary archives has a dual purpose: the original, unique documents are preserved for the future and copies can be made available easily and cheaply for distribution to scholarly institutes all over the world. The Archives of the Methodist Church, Overseas Division (Methodist Missionary Society), date back some 200 years and have proved a unique and fruitful source of information to the four to five hundred researchers a year from all over the world who have used them. The Archives refer to the Work of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Caribbean region and North America, and include, for instance, minutes of the first General Committee in 1804, records of the Primitive Methodists, finance ledgers, missionary correspondence from 1807, record books of missionaries from 1769 to the present, much biographical material, and missionaries' journals. A special feature is extensive material on Dr. Thomas Coke, Wesley's 'right hand'. The Archive is now housed in the Library of the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. The records consist of three distinct groups, the most extensive being those of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society and smaller collections of the Women's Work organisation and the Prim& ti»e Methodist Missionary Society; these have been listed separately. Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society The most extensive and valuable series of records are the Synod minutes and correspondence to London from the districts all round the world. The minutes and correspondence from each region are arranged and listed together and the two series complement each other. The Synod minutes were sent in to London from the districts and contain synopses of the important events of the mission and the area. Up to 1900, the letters from the missionaries are listed in detail and these lists are available at SOAS and on microfiche. (These are noted in the Guide by an asterisk.) After 1900, the system of filing changed and the increased volume of correspondence made detailed listing impractible. The later correspondence was divided into two series, that of the Chairman of the districts and that of the missionaries. The small amount of correspondence from London is listed in the Home and General section Outgoing Letters and the records of the organisation in London are also listed in the Home and General series. In addition, the Special Series contain records complementing the main series, including the Notes and Transcripts and Biographical papers, which consist ofprivate collections of missionaries and researchers deposited with the Society at various times. The Candidate Papers are not an extensive collection and most personnel records remain with the Society. Women's Work Collection This series of records relates to the work of women missionaries employed by the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society who were organised and funded independently from the main Society. The records have been arranged by the form of the material and then sub-divided by the region to which they relate. No detailed lists are available. Primitive Methodist Missionary Society This is a fairly small collection of the records of the Primitive Methodist Church's missionary activities up to its amalgamation with the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society in 1933. It contains material relating chiefly to Southern Africa and Nigeria but also includes an interesting collection relating to missionary work in Fernando Po. The Records have been arranged by the form of the material and then sub-divided by the region to which they relate. No detailed lists are available. Cover illustration: Thomas Coke (1747-1814) Founder of Methodist missions. Superintendent in America, constant advocate of missionary enterprise; died on the way to take up missionary service in Ceylon at the age of 67.
External finding aids A 45-page very detailed printed guide to the Archives, compiled by Mrs. Elizabeth Bennett. This guide relates the content of the archives with the corresponding microfiches. If you prefer to have a more detailed impression of the entire archives, ask without engagement for a free copy of this guide on microfiche. 2. Detailed inventories in typescript have been prepared for a large part of the Archives, mainly the correspondence, and are available on microfiche. The inventories are also available separately (53 fiches; Order no. LH-1833). The finding aids come free with the microfiches. Price and other information James Calvert (1813-1892) Wesleyan pioneer missionary and translator in Fiji 1838-1864; as a veteran served in South Africa in the early days of the mining rush (1872-1880). Number of fiches Size Film type Reduction ratio Internal finding aids External finding aids Free readers 24,281 105 x 148 mm microfiche Positive silver halide 1: 23 Eye-legible headers with the exact (kind content of the fiche of material, country, years) A printed guide of 45 pages by Mrs. Elizabeth Bennett and detailed inventories on in icrofiche Three Realist Valiant 14 microfiche readers (value Dfl 1500 each) are given free to purchasers of the complete collection Single sections are available at the listed prices. Smaller parts may also be purchased. A quotation will be provided on request. For information about a flexible purchase plan please contact 1DC. Other Missionary Archives available from 1DC Conference of British Missionary Societies, 1912-1954 Council for World Mission Archives, 1775-1940 International Missionary Council Archives, 1910-1961 Jerusalem and East Mission Archive, London, 1889-1976 Joint IMC/CBMS Africa & India, 1910-1945 Paris Evangelical Missionary Society Archives, 1822-1935 Presbyterian Church Archives, 1842-1961 United Society for Christian Literature, 1799-1960
Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society Home and General Minutes 1798-1902 1869-1933 1837-1948 LH-2700/1 General United Methodist Free Church Various 1833-1890 1835-1947 1905-1946 1838-[1890] 1867-1936 1834-1930 LH-2707/1 Antigua Bahamas Barbados Barbados. Marriage regs. British Guiana Haiti LH-2701/1 1833-1944 Honduras 1834-1945 Jamaica 1803-1896 Home 1907/08-1946 Leeward Islands (arranged by area) 1858-1890 St. Vincent 1880-1902 West Indies Conference 1806-1904 Govern. Dept./Col. Office/ 1803-1857 West Indies General 1928-1945 Circulars Home 1903-1945 West Indies General 1816-1914 Outgoing Europe 1823-1944 1806-1884 1825-1902 1818-1879 1916-1941 1814-1936 1821-1899 1804-1902 1802-1862 1861-1936 1815-1902 1886-1904 [1870-1936] 1825-1864 1823-1905 LH-2702/1 LH-2703/1 Channel Islands Egypt/Greece Europe (various) France Germany Gibraltar Ireland Italy Malta Naples Portugal Spain Sweden Switzerland West Africa 1933-1939 1925-1946 1842-1946 1878-1945 1822-1945 1924-1945 1932-1944/45 1930-1940 1924-1945 1821-1945 1835-1944 1893-1904 1811-1946 + 1930 1905-1945 LH-2708/1 Fernando Po French West Africa Gambia Nigeria Sierra Leone West, Africa (irarious) LH-2709/ 1 South Africa Eastern Nigeria Fernando Po French West Africa Gambia; odds Gold Coast Nigeria Sierra Leone West Africa (miscellaneous) Western Nigeria North America LII-2710/1 LH-2705/1 1791-1883 West Indies 1822-1946 LH-2706/1 1933-1945 LH-2704/1 1892-1944 1822-1868 1823 1912-1887 - 1944 Kenia Rhodesia South Africa Transvaal LH-2711/1 1933/35-1945 Copper Belt/Kenia 1891-1944 Rhodesia 1807-1898 South Africa 1883-1940/42 South Africa Conference 1932-1945 South Rhodesia 1881-1944/45 Transvaal
India KH-2712/1 1824-1911 India 1911-1946 North India 1912-1945 South India 1906-1947 Various general and provincial Minutes 1904-1945 1902-1945 1868-1904 1885-1945 1902-1945 1868-1904 1817-1945 1835-1945 1886-1945 Ceylon 1927-1931 Burma/Ceylon 1821-1945 Ceylon 1943-1946 India/Ceylon KH-2713/1 KH-2714/1 K H-2715/1 1814-1867 Ceylon 1885-1915 Colombo/Galle & Kandy 1868-1945 North Ceylon 1868-1935 South Ceylon Burma 1889-1944 Burma 1886-1945 Burma 1938-1945 China/Burma China 1853-1946 China 1851-1905 1936-1945 1924-1934 Bengal Bombay Calcutta Hyderabad Lucknow Lucknow/Benares Madras Mysore Trichinopoly/Negapatam KH-2716/1 KH-2717/1 KH-2718/1 KH-2719/1 Canton China General China Miscellaneous 1907-1945 1905-1945 1933-1946 1933-1945 1905-1945 1932-1945 1933-1945 1876-1905 Australasia K11-2720/1 1822-1864 Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania 1828-1855 Fiji and Tonga 1812-1889 1835-1860 1878-1881 1819-1882 1834-1876 1823-1876 1822-1887 Special Series K H-2721/I Notes and Transcripts KH-2722/1 Biographical KH-2723/1 1829-1869 Candidates Papers Various Papers Central Africa Ceylon/Burma China Europe India New Zealand 1839-1859 Ships Logs/Papers "Triton": "John Wesley" I & II South Africa South Seas West Africa West Indies Finance Hunan Hupeh Ningpo North China South China South West China Wenchow Wuchang Australia Fiji New Britain New Zealand Samoa Tasmania Tonga KH-2724/1 1932-1933 Finance district Schedules 1825-1880 Minutes of Finance Sub- Committee
Women's Work Collection Minutes KH-2725/1 China KH-2729/1 1858 1939 Minutes 1921-1945 Hunan, Hupeh, Ningpo, Reports KH-2726/1 1920-1947 Wenchow North, South and South West 1923-1947 Africa, China, India China KH-2727/1 KH-2730/1 1928-1945 Africa 1906-1920 Miscellaneous 1921-1945 Bengal 1925-1930 Missionaries on Furlough (China) 1920-1945 Burma 1907-1945 Ceylon Overseas Schedules KH-2731/1 1918-1943 Europe 1911-1945 Hyderabad 1923-1946 Burma, Ceylon, China 1922-1945 Lucknow/Benares 1913-1945 Madras 1913-1945 Medak 1913-1945 Mysore 1920-1941 North Ceylon 1920-1939 North/South Ceylon 1914-1933 Rhodesia/Transvaal 1920-1947 South Ceylon 1918-1948 Trichinopoly 1928-1933 West Africa 1928-1945 West Indies Primitive Methodist Missionary Society Minutes KH-2732/ I FINDLAY, G.G. and W.W. HOLDS WORTH. The History of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society. London, 1921-1924. 5 vols. KH-2736/1 K H-2734/1 1863-1933 Minutes 1895-1913 Australia/New Zealand Reports KH-2733/1 1914-1932 Eastern Nigeria, 1894-1933 Fernando Po 1914-1933 Foreign Reports 1903-1908 Home/Corr. (alphabetically 1894-1917 Quarterly Reports people/subjects A-Y) Home/General miscellaneous Ilome/Outgoing letters 1896-1933 Nigeria 1892-1934 South and Central Africa
Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society Serial publications on microfiche Annual report and accounts of the Methodist Missionary Society. General Fund and Women's Work for 1966-1970. London, 1967-1971. KH-2750/1 Annual report of the London Missionary Society. Report no. 1-145. London, 1796-1939/1940. Lacking: Report 5-20. KH-2142/1 Annual reports of the Primitive Methodist Missionary Society Report 1-84, 1843-1927. London, 1844-1927. Lacking: Report 50-66. KH-2738/1 Annual reports of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society. London, 1789-1966. Financial supplement 1939-1959. Lacking: 1790; 1793-1803; 1807; 1810; 1932. KH-2749/1 The Arminian Magazine consisting of extracts and and original treatises on Universal Redemption. London, 1778-1797. V.1-20. Cont. as: The Methodist Magazine. London, 1 79 8-18 21. V.21-44. Cont. as: The Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine. London, 1822-1894. V.45-107. Lacking: 1820, V.43 (August, p. 561-640); 1821, V.44 (June/July, p. 401-560); 1856, V.79 (pt. 2); 1878-1891, V.101-114. KH-2753/I At Home and Abroad. A magazine of Home and Foreign Missions for young helpers in the work. London, 1879-1974 (Spring - summer). Cont. as: Window. London, 1974 (Autumn) - 1976. Lacking: 1879, V.1; 1941; 1946. KH-2755/1 The Christian Messenger. London. Available: 1884-1889. V.19-24. KH-2740/1 Ladies' Committee for ameliorating the condition of women in heathen countries, female education... London, 1859-1873. No. 1-56. Cont. as: Ladies' Auxiliary for female education. London, 1 8 73/1 874-1 8 84. No. 57-102. Cont. as: Woman's work. London, 1885-1899. No. 103-161. KH-2754/1 Methodist New Connexion Missions. Gleanings in Harvest Fields, 188 9-1 9 0 7. Lacking: 1889, p. 1-36; 1890, p. 49-128; 1891, p. 161-224, p. 237-260; 1892/93, p. 285-344; 1893/94, p. 369-396; 1899, p. 97-112; 1903, p. 161-176; 1904, p. 81-96; 1905, p. 113-128; 1906,p. 161-176. KH-2 74 2/1 Minutes of the annual conferences of the United Methodist Church. London, 1932. KH-2744/1 Minutes of the conferences of the Primitive Methodist Connexion. 65th - 77th annual conference. London, 18 84-1 8 96. Cont. as: Minutes of the annual conferences of the Primitive Methodist Church, 87th - 96th annual conference. London, 1 906-1915. Cont. as: Year book including the Minutes of the annual conferences of the Primitive Methodist. 97th - 1 13 th annual conference. London, 1916-1932. Lacking: 1819?-1883, 1st - 64th; 1885-1895, 66th - 76th; 1909-1913, 90th - 94th; 1918-1920, 99th- 101st; 1929, 110th. K11-2737/1 Minutes of the Wesleyan Methodist conferences from the first held in London in the year 1 744-1976. London, 1862-1976. KH-2747/ 1 Handbook and Index to the Minutes of the Conference: showing the growth and development of the Wesleyan Methodist Constitution from the first conference, 1744 to 1890. London, 1890. KH-2748/1 Missionary chronicle. London, 1822-183 5. Cont. as: The missionary magazine and chronicle; related chiefly to the missions of the London Missionary Society. London, 1836/1837-1859, V.1-23. N.S. 1 86 0-1 86 6, V.24-30. Cont. as: The chronicle of the London Missionary Society. London, 1 86 7-18 9 1; N.S., 1892-1940. V.1-48. Lacking: 1822(Febr.); 1827-1835. KH-2143/1
The Missionary Echo of the United Methodist Free Churches. London. 1894-1905. V.1-12, N.S., 1906-1932. V.1-39. KR-2743/1 Missionary Notices, relating principally to the Foreign Missions, established by Wesley and Coke.. the Methodist Conference. London, 1816-1838. V.1-9. Cont. as: Wesleyan Missionary Notices. N.S. London, 1839-1853, V.1-11. London, 1854-1868, V.1-15. London, 1868/1869-1877, V.1-9. London, 1878-1885. V.1-8. London, 1886-1893. V.1-8. London, 1894-1899. V.1-6. London, 1900-1904. V.I-5. KH-2751/1 Monthly notices of the Primitive Methodist Missionary Society. London, 1848-1869. Lacking: 1848-1850. Cont. as: Records of missionary of the Primitive Methodist Missionary Society. London, 1870-1892. Lacking: 1871(13). Cont. as: The Record. Organ of the Primitive Home, Colonial and Foreign Missionary Society. London, 1893-1904. Lacking: 1899-1902. Cont. as: The Herald of the Primitive Methodist Missionary Society. London, 1905-1922. Cont. as: Advance. Missionary Organ of the Primitive Methodist Church. London, 1923-1932. KH-2741/1 The Primitive Methodist Magazine. London. Available. 1866-1871, V.47-52;1884, V.65; 1887-1888, V.68-69. KH-2739/1 Report of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society. London, 188]- 1892. Cont. as: Report of the Women's Auxiliary of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society. London, 1893-1915. Lacking: 1898; 1900, p. 255-End. KH-275/1 United Methodist Ministers and their Circuits being an arrangement in alphabetical order of the Stations of Ministers of the: Methodist New Connexion; Bible Christians; Armenian Methodist, Protestant Methodists; Wesleyan Methodist Association; Wesleyan Reformers; United Methodist Free Churches and the United Methodist Church 1797-1932. KH-2746/1 Women's Missionary Service. London, 1858? - 1934. Cont. as: Methodist Missionary Society Women's Work. London, 1935-1965. Lacking: 1858?-1922. KH-2757/1 Work 8c Workers in the Mission Field. London, 1892-1904. V.1-13. Cont. as: The Foreign Field of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. London, 1904/1905-1931/1932. V.1-28. Cont. as: The Kingdom Overseas. London, 1933-1969. V.1-37. Lacking: 1943, V.11. KH-2752/1 Report of the home and foreign missions of the United Methodist Free Churches. London, 1 86 7/1 86 8-1 93 1/1 93 2. Lacking: 1868/1869-1874/1875. KH-2745/1