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 11

Part 11 continues the coverage of the Nigeria – Niger mission. It continues the Original Papers covering the years from 1929-1934 and the Précis Books from 1880-1934. It also contains the papers for Nigeria – Northern Nigeria for the years 1900-1934. Covered are the Letter Books for 1907-1934, Original Papers for 1900-1934 and Précis Books for 1907-1934.

Nigeria – Niger, 1880-1934

The Original Papers, which in this part cover 1929-1934, 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. 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.

Other items included are: reports from the schools; lists of buildings at the missions; sketches and plans of mission buildings; reports of missionaries describing their year’s work. There are reports on conferences; Medical Mission reports; reports on women’s work; educational reports; minutes of Executive Committee meetings; annual reports from the missions; reports on Biblewomen’s work; reports on itineration; missionary probation reports; language examination reports; a report of the Onitsha Industrial Mission. There is also much describing the native people of the Niger mission – their language, lives and customs.

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.

The Précis Books for 1880-1934 contain a précis of all the incoming papers prepared for the Group Committee. The précis comprises the number, date, writer, date received, summary of contents, proposals for committee action to be taken and/or the Secretary’s remarks.

Nigeria – Northern Nigeria, 1900-1934

The Letter Books covering 1907-1934 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.

The Original Papers, covering 1900-1934, 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. There are many reports of the mission areas within the Northern Nigeria mission giving descriptions of work done and the experiences of the missionaries. One interesting extract from a missionary’s diary describes a visit from the King’s messenger (see page 82). There are many letters and reports from the missionary Walter Miller, a printed diary of the Rev John Lloyd illustrated with pencil drawings, newspaper cuttings, minutes of the Northern Nigeria executive committee, annual reports of the Lokoja Native Pastorate Auxiliary Association and reports on mission districts. Issues of the periodical Cambridge University Missionary Party are also included.

The Précis Books for 1907-1934 contain a précis of all the incoming papers prepared for the Group Committee. The précis comprises the number, date, writer, date received, summary of contents, proposals for committee action to be taken and/or the Secretary’s remarks.

The quotes below give some idea of the type of material to be found in the Original Papers. The extract below is taken from the Nigeria – Niger papers for 1929. It forms part of the Reports of the Executive Committee and gives details on the Owerri District for July to December 1928.

Schools – The most trying problem has been the management of Schools. The demand of the new Code and the increased communication with the Education Office seem to call for a whole time Manager in the District. The file of correspondence and the twenty and odd forms demanding attention are very threatening on the office table. The Supervisor’s short stay in the District has been helpful. He was able to hold classes for school teachers and to visit the schools trying to assist and direct school teachers how best to carry on their work….

Women’s Work – The work of the Ebu Home and the five Hostels is going forward….A very successful Women’s Conference was held at Oguta in November when Dr Batley of Iyienu Hospital gave very helpful lectures.

Church Discipline – I am sorry to report that many of Christians at Nekede Umualum have had to be suspended from membership for wilfully taking part in the second burial of Chief Nkwazema. This chief greatly oppressed the people of the town and on his death they all rose up in a body for the burial demonstrations: not so much in honour of the dead as for the fact that a great oppressor has been removed. It was this last motive that led some of the Church members to take part in the burial….

The second, also from the Original Papers for Nigeria – Niger, is taken from a report of the IYI-Enu Medical Mission, written by Sybil K Batley. It is taken from the Executive Committee Minutes for the year ending 31 Dec 1932:

Medical Work
General – The hospital has been carrying on as usual– statistics show a slight increase in out-patient numbers and a large increase in in-patients, maternity work and surgery. Great difficulty has been experienced throughout the year in accommodating these greater numbers of in-patients and very sick people have had to be put on the hard floors or lodged in the outpatient hall of Strangers House until an empty bed is available. To give an example: in the ward for cases of ulcer where we have accommodation for 20 patients, there have been as may as 70 patients sleeping…..
Maternity Work – The work connected with the maternity department has increased markedly. Growing numbers of women are attending for ante-natal advice, over 5,000 of these attendances having been made through the Government Medical Department….

The next three extracts are taken from the Nigeria – Northern Nigeria papers. The first is from the papers for 1901 and describes a visit to a missionary from the King’s messenger:

Thursday July 19 1900 ( confidential)

The King’s messenger came to me at 7am with salutations from the King and the following message, “ The king had not yet told me the purpose of his visit to Zaria, he would now do so. The King of Zaria had summoned him to Zaria to test his fidelity. Rumours had reached the King of Zaria that the King of Gierko was following the English and was not loyal to his own sovereign: it had been said that if the King of Zaria summoned the King of Gierko to Zaria the King of Gierko would refuse to obey the summons. When he reached Zaria and appeared before the King, the King was somewhat appeased, but he taxed him with disloyalty and with over attention to the English. The King of Zaria then told him that he was not to allow his people to visit the Missionaries or to sell food to their boys, they will then get tired and leave the country. Later on however the King’s steward told the King of Gierko in confidence not to take any notice of the King’s word but to go on quietly and let his people sell food to the Whitemen”. The King further stated that if we had not been here he believes he would not have been allowed to return to Gierko but that he would have been dethroned and if we were to leave he might still dispossess him. He therefore begged me to be his friend. He had opened his heart to me. He wanted me to let him lean on me. I sent word to him in reply that he had proved himself to be our friend and that I was his friend and that I would come down and see him privately.

At 8.30 Miller and I rode down to the town taking a present for the King with us as a mark of welcome to the King on his return. We found his zauri filled with men, but all were quickly despatched. He then began to speak in a very excited manner telling us to take no notice of messages either from the Sultan of Sokoto, the King of Zaria or anyone else, that God had given us the world and that we should sit down and not go away. I urged him to be more cautious….

The next is an extract from the Annual Letter for 1907 of Thomas E Alvarez written to the CMS Secretary in London:

….Mr Low appears to have been given the idea in England that the Society wished the Gwari work to be conducted through the medium of Hausa, ie that the Gwaris were to be instructed in Hausa and that the Scriptures were not to be translated into Gwari. I cannot help feeling that either Mr Low is mistaken, or there has been some misunderstanding of the members of the Gwari tribe in England. The Gwaris are the most numerous and compact pagan tribe in Northern Nigeria and to endeavour to reach them by means of the language of their inveterate enemies the Hausa – speaking slave raiders is to my mind ridiculous….So I shall be grateful if you will assure Mr Low that CMS mean to take up the Gwari work seriously and encourage him to try and master the language….

The next extract from Norman Orr in 1921 describes a fire at the mission house at Bida:

On the morning of Monday 17th Jan fires had been seen…in the farms to the North East and South of the Mission Compound outside Bida town. Between 2 and 3 o’clock in the afternoon … the teachers and house boys at school in the town…arrived with a note for Mr Beaghen. He drew Mr Beaghen’s attention to the fact that a small grass house to the rear of the main building was in flames. Almost at the same moment a strong South wind blew the flames a distance of about 20 yards on to the main building. Very little water was at hand and in spite of the efforts of Mr Beaglieu and the messenger to beat out the flames, within five minutes the whole roof was blazing and it was impossible to approach anywhere near the house. From here the cook’s house was in danger and was only saved by the roof being taken off and consequently destroyed.

The fire seems to have spread from the bush to the small house at the back along a very narrow belt across ground that had been cleared. It seems probable that a little of the grass which had been cut down must have been allowed to lie there instead of being carried away.

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