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Colonial Women Missionaries of the Committee for Women's Work, 1861–1967 - Volumes
Volumes
4 volumes in Colonial Women Missionaries of the Committee for Women's Work, 1861–1967
Ladies' Association for the Promotion of Female Education...1861 - 1895
The emphasis in both the minute books and the letter books, is very much upon the progress of establishing Christian schools in Africa, India, Burma, China, and Japan. Details include how many students have been recruited, how the teachers' health is coping with the foreign climate, teacher shortages, supply shortages and requests for money. The numerous requests for money contrast rather starkly with the Association's financial situation; increasing costs abroad are not neccessarily matched by any increase in funding, so cuts in the home budget are often considered and implemented. These missionaries were not immune from global events, so their correspondence does make occasional references to events such as the Sino-Japanese War between 1895-1895. Read more →
Womens' Missionary Association, circa 1895-1904
These items retain their focus on the missionaries' principle project: the maintenance and growth of mission schools around the world. The picture of finances over this period is more sustainable than during previous years and rules intended to protect female staff are introduced. The missionaries have some concerns about a potential food shortage following the cessation of slavery in Madagascar. This group of missionaries also report that they are making the effort to teach in Malagasy in order to nurture this native language whilst accusing the Jesuits of only teaching in French. Read more →
SPG Committee for Womens' Work, 1904 - 1967
The main focus of these records is the discussion of either candidates or prospective candidates, regarding their competance and whether their progress as a missionary should be supported or stopped. Descriptions vary in length from one line in a report to a full-page analysis. The letterbooks in this group usually contain indexes to the letters arranged by author. Details of how funds, including block grants, are disposed of are included here in some detail. These items lend more space to the discussion of the role played by native staff and assistants than those in other groups. Japanese residents of Korea showed some stout resistance to the missionaries' attempts to convert them and this resistance was sufficiently strong as to lead the missionaries to conclude that foreign workers, without local helpers, would not be able to convert enough locals as to make the exercise worthwhile. In Ahmednagar, the Bishop devolved some of his powers to native recruits and they had voting rights as to how the church was run. The missionaries in Ahmednagar also reported locals converting each other purely on their initiative. Local help was also crucial to the building of some mission houses. The work of the mission was not immune to outside events; the impact of World War one was particularly noticeable as donations from the military increased, staffing levels came under pressure, two members of the Women's Army were confirmed with a group of male soldiers, and one of the mission's hostels was given to the Red Cross. The impact of the Lucknow plague during 1904 was also felt, as medical staff died from the plague and more were requested. Read more →
Miscellaneous Items, 1866 - 1960
These documents feature discussion on the subject of the Women's Missionary Association joining the SPG as a subsidiary of it. Other developments include the proposal that marriage should no longer be a barrier to a woman becoming a missionary, and some of the missionaries asking for permission to ease their loneliness by visiting each other. The literature committee discusses the printing of publicity leaflets, as actual books to read are requested. The Survey of Missions provides statistics for the progress of the missions in each area. The objectives of the Junior WMA are also laid-out in this grouping. Read more →
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