Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1850s-1947 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
16 boxes
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, 1852; trained at Lancashire Congregational College; appointed London Missionary Society (LMS) missionary to Savai'i, Samoa, was ordained in Farnworth, married Elizabeth Emma Sidlow (d 1882), and sailed for the South Pacific, 1880; arrived and began his service at Matautu, Samoa, 1881; sailed to Sydney, 1883; married Honor Jane Gill (1857-1922; daughter of the LMS missionary in the Cook Islands, W W Gill) in Sydney, 1884; sailed frequently on the mission ship the John Williams III to place and visit students in Tokelau, Niue, Tuvalu, Kiribati, and Papua; visited the mission outstations, 1885; served at the Malau seminary on Upolu, which trained pastors and teachers for Samoa and for missionary service within Oceania, from 1887; visited England, 1891-1893; visited the outstations, 1894, 1896; mediated between Samoans and contending colonial powers, 1898-1899; an expert on Samoan law and custom; edited the Christian magazine Sulu (Torch) and guided formation of the council of elders (Au Toeaina) - the Samoan presbytery, nucleus of the future self-government of the Samoan church; when Western Samoa became a German colony (1900), his knowledge qualified him as LMS adviser and negotiator with the governor Wilhelm Solf; visited England, 1901-1902; improved his German and visited missionary societies in Germany to recruit German-speaking staff for Samoa, 1902; persuaded the Samoan orator-chief and deacon of the church, Lauaki Mamoe of Savai'i, of the inadvisability of a revolt against Germany, 1908; with August Hanke, a leader in the Rhenish (Barmen) mission, planned to send Samoan LMS missionaries to the Madang field of German New Guinea, and following the World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh went to Barmen to make arrangements, but died of pneumonia at Gütersloh, Germany, 1910.
Archival history
The papers were deposited with the London Missionary Society and form part of the special series of personal papers of individual LMS missionaries and officers.
GB 0102 CWM/LMS South Seas Special Personal Boxes 1-16 1850s-1947 Collection (fonds) 16 boxes Newell , James Edward , 1852-1910 , missionary
Born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, 1852; trained at Lancashire Congregational College; appointed London Missionary Society (LMS) missionary to Savai'i, Samoa, was ordained in Farnworth, married Elizabeth Emma Sidlow (d 1882), and sailed for the South Pacific, 1880; arrived and began his service at Matautu, Samoa, 1881; sailed to Sydney, 1883; married Honor Jane Gill (1857-1922; daughter of the LMS missionary in the Cook Islands, W W Gill) in Sydney, 1884; sailed frequently on the mission ship the John Williams III to place and visit students in Tokelau, Niue, Tuvalu, Kiribati, and Papua; visited the mission outstations, 1885; served at the Malau seminary on Upolu, which trained pastors and teachers for Samoa and for missionary service within Oceania, from 1887; visited England, 1891-1893; visited the outstations, 1894, 1896; mediated between Samoans and contending colonial powers, 1898-1899; an expert on Samoan law and custom; edited the Christian magazine Sulu (Torch) and guided formation of the council of elders (Au Toeaina) - the Samoan presbytery, nucleus of the future self-government of the Samoan church; when Western Samoa became a German colony (1900), his knowledge qualified him as LMS adviser and negotiator with the governor Wilhelm Solf; visited England, 1901-1902; improved his German and visited missionary societies in Germany to recruit German-speaking staff for Samoa, 1902; persuaded the Samoan orator-chief and deacon of the church, Lauaki Mamoe of Savai'i, of the inadvisability of a revolt against Germany, 1908; with August Hanke, a leader in the Rhenish (Barmen) mission, planned to send Samoan LMS missionaries to the Madang field of German New Guinea, and following the World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh went to Barmen to make arrangements, but died of pneumonia at Gütersloh, Germany, 1910.
The papers were deposited with the London Missionary Society and form part of the special series of personal papers of individual LMS missionaries and officers.
Deposited on permanent loan with the records of the London Missionary Society by the Congregational Council for World Mission (later Council for World Mission) in 1973.
Papers, 1850s-1947, of and relating to James Edward Newell, comprising diaries, 1870-1887, 1891-1892, 1898-1908, describing his life and activities, including life in Samoa; correspondence, c1880-1910, including letters received and letterbooks containing copies of outgoing letters; notes by Newell, 1870s-1900s, including various notebooks and commonplace books, and his recollections of Robert Louis Stevenson; sermon notes; typescript and manuscript mission reports, 1880s-1900s; printed and manuscript papers, 1880s-1900s, including talks and articles by Newell and others, relating to Samoan life, culture and anthropology, and missionary work, also including various printed proclamations and the Samoan constitution; press cuttings, 1850s-1900s, on Samoa, including colonial politics, on missionary affairs, and on Newell himself; copies of the newspaper Samoanische Zeitung, 1907; papers relating to Newell, 1910-1947, including manuscript notes, reminiscences, press cuttings, and a photograph of his grave in Gütersloh.
Unrestricted.
No publication without written permission. Apply to archivist in the first instance.
English, Samoan and German
Unpublished handlist.
Published on microfiche by IDC Publishers.
The School of Oriental and African Studies holds the records of the London Missionary Society (Ref: CWM/LMS), including letters from individual missionaries, among them Newell (Ref: CWM/LMS South Seas Incoming Correspondence); his candidate's papers (Ref: CWM/LMS Candidates' Papers Box 12 No 33); his LMS journals, describing his visits to the outstations of the Samoan mission, 1885, 1894, 1896 (Ref: CWM/LMS South Seas Journals Box 12 Files 188, 194, 196); his reports from Samoa, 1886-1909 (Ref: CWM/LMS South Seas Reports Boxes 2-6 passim); a letter from Newell to Talbot Wilson, 1900 (Ref: CWM/LMS South Seas Personal Box 5/2); photographic portraits of Newell, one with his wife Elizabeth (Ref: CWM/LMS General Portraits Box 4); photographs of Newell and his mission work in Samoa (Ref: CWM/LMS South Seas Photographs Box 1).
Compiled by Rachel Kemsley as part of the RSLP AIM25 project. Sources: Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, ed Gerald H Anderson (1998); LMS Register of Missionaries, ed James Sibree. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. Mar 2002 Communications media Ancient religions Asia and the Pacific Authors Christianity Christians Clergy Colonial administration Colonial conflicts Colonial countries Colonization Commonplace books Congregationalism Congregationalists Constitutional law Constitutions Cultural anthropology Diaries Documents Educational missionaries Educational missionary work Europe Evangelistic missionaries Evangelistic missionary work Germany Government Gütersloh Information sources Literary forms and genres Literature Manuscripts Missionaries Missionary Society x LMS , London Missionary Society x London Missionary Society Missionary work National cultures Newell , James Edward , 1852-1910 , missionary Newspaper press Newspapers Nonfiction Oceania Oceanic cultures Ordained missionaries Periodicals Photographs Political systems Press Press cuttings Primary documents Prose Protestantism Protestant nonconformists Protestant nonconformity Protestants Public administration Publications Public law Religions Religious activities Religious doctrines Religious groups Religious texts Sermons Stevenson , Robert Louis , 1850-1894 , author and traveller Theology Travel Travel abroad Visual materials Western Europe Western Samoa Writers Information sciences Nonconformity
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Deposited on permanent loan with the records of the London Missionary Society by the Congregational Council for World Mission (later Council for World Mission) in 1973.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers, 1850s-1947, of and relating to James Edward Newell, comprising diaries, 1870-1887, 1891-1892, 1898-1908, describing his life and activities, including life in Samoa; correspondence, c1880-1910, including letters received and letterbooks containing copies of outgoing letters; notes by Newell, 1870s-1900s, including various notebooks and commonplace books, and his recollections of Robert Louis Stevenson; sermon notes; typescript and manuscript mission reports, 1880s-1900s; printed and manuscript papers, 1880s-1900s, including talks and articles by Newell and others, relating to Samoan life, culture and anthropology, and missionary work, also including various printed proclamations and the Samoan constitution; press cuttings, 1850s-1900s, on Samoa, including colonial politics, on missionary affairs, and on Newell himself; copies of the newspaper Samoanische Zeitung, 1907; papers relating to Newell, 1910-1947, including manuscript notes, reminiscences, press cuttings, and a photograph of his grave in Gütersloh.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Unrestricted.
Conditions governing reproduction
No publication without written permission. Apply to archivist in the first instance.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English, Samoan and German
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
The School of Oriental and African Studies holds the records of the London Missionary Society (Ref: CWM/LMS), including letters from individual missionaries, among them Newell (Ref: CWM/LMS South Seas Incoming Correspondence); his candidate's papers (Ref: CWM/LMS Candidates' Papers Box 12 No 33); his LMS journals, describing his visits to the outstations of the Samoan mission, 1885, 1894, 1896 (Ref: CWM/LMS South Seas Journals Box 12 Files 188, 194, 196); his reports from Samoa, 1886-1909 (Ref: CWM/LMS South Seas Reports Boxes 2-6 passim); a letter from Newell to Talbot Wilson, 1900 (Ref: CWM/LMS South Seas Personal Box 5/2); photographic portraits of Newell, one with his wife Elizabeth (Ref: CWM/LMS General Portraits Box 4); photographs of Newell and his mission work in Samoa (Ref: CWM/LMS South Seas Photographs Box 1).
Finding aids
Unpublished handlist.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Published on microfiche by IDC Publishers.
Related units of description
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
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Subject access points
- Religions » Ancient religions
- Authors
- Religions » Ancient religions » Christianity
- Religious groups » Christians
- Religious groups » Clergy
- Political systems » Colonial countries
- Political systems » Colonial countries » Colonization
- Public law » Constitutional law
- Public law » Constitutional law » Constitutions
- Cultural anthropology
- Documents
- Government
- Information sources
- Literary forms and genres
- Literature
- Documents » Manuscripts
- Religious activities » Missionary work
- National cultures
- Press » Newspaper press
- Periodicals » Newspapers
- National cultures » Oceanic cultures
- Periodicals
- Visual materials » Photographs
- Political systems
- Press
- Press » Newspaper press » Press cuttings
- Documents » Primary documents
- Literary forms and genres » Prose
- Religions » Ancient religions » Christianity » Protestantism
- Government » Public administration
- Public law
- Religions
- Religious activities
- Theology » Religious doctrines
- Religious groups
- Theology
- Travel
- Travel » Travel abroad
- Visual materials
- Authors » Writers
- Information sciences
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Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English