| Level | Sub-series |
| Finding Number (Click this to view full catalogue structure) | CMS/B/OMS/C/I1 |
| Title | 'North India mission' later 'Bengal mission' |
| Extent | 52 volumes, 370 files, 27 boxes |
| Date | 1815-1934 |
| Description | Records compiled by the committees of the CMS Overseas (Foreign) Division, London, up to 1934.
Comprising papers under the Committee of Correspondence 1815-1880, and under the West Asia (initially 'Group 2') Committee 1880-1934. Including incoming correspondence from the mission to the CMS in London c 1815-1934, outgoing correspondence from the CMS in London to the mission c 1815-1934, office copies of the incoming correspondence 1820-1880, and office summaries (précis) of the incoming correspondence 1887-1934.
Papers under the West Asia and Asia committees for the years 1935-1959 are catalogued separately. Details are given below under ‘Finding Aids’. |
| Notes | Former Tree Number reference: XCMS/B/OMS/I1 |
When the catalogue was created names of mission stations were standardised but there was no attempt to give present-day place names where these differ from place names in the records. The bulk of names in the sub-number references are the spellings used in the documents.
Work is underway to address outdated, discriminatory, and offensive language in finding aids used by the Cadbury Research Library, and to improve accessibility of the online catalogue in line with current standards including adding present-day place names standardised according to 'The Times Atlas of the World', comprehensive edition, 2023. Copies of the original catalogues have been retained as a record. |
| Arrangement | Papers under the Committee of Correspondence are arranged as:
E: Early correspondence 1815-1820 (incoming and outgoing)
I: Individual letter-books 1852-1886 (outgoing)
L: Letter-books 1820-1881 (outgoing)
M: Mission books 1820-1880 (incoming: copies)
O: Original papers 1820-1879 (incoming)
Papers under the West Asia (initially Group 2) Committee are arranged as:
L: Letter-books 1881-1934 (outgoing)
O: Original papers 1880-1934 (incoming)
P: Précis books 1887-1934 (incoming: summaries)
The letter-books of outgoing correspondence started under the Committee of Correspondence continued to be used after the day-to-day administration of the mission passed from the Committee of Correspondence to the Group Committee. Researchers interested in outgoing correspondence dating up to 1886 will need to use the letter-books held under finding numbers CMS/B/OMS/C I1 I3 and L9 as well as CMS/B/OMS/G2 I1 L10 and L11. |
| Access Conditions | For conservation reasons, where available microfilm or digital copies are made available in place of the original documents. |
| Finding Aids | Click on the Finding Number to display the full online catalogue of the Overseas Division mission series up to 1934, including the lower level entries for North India mission. Alternatively, the original paper catalogues for the mission series can be consulted in the Cadbury Research Library and CMS (Oxford). The North India mission papers 1815-1934 are listed in the ‘West Asia (Group 2) Missions’ catalogue, volume two: North India.
The ‘Catalogue to the Papers of the Overseas Division’, which includes a listing of the Bengal mission series 1935-1959, is not available online. A paper copy of the catalogue is available to view in the Cadbury Research Library and CMS (Oxford). Copies can also be supplied on request (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk).
Guides to the Adam Matthew microfilm and digitally published copies of the North India Mission papers are available online and in CMS (Oxford), Cadbury Research Library, and other subscribing institutions. |
| Access Status | Open, but subject to some access restrictions |
| Physical Description | The pre-1880 incoming papers were given archive reference numbers and these are marked in pencil on the back of each item, for example, C I1/O117/3. The post-1880 incoming papers are each individually marked in red ink, and this number, plus the year, comprised the original archive reference for each item, for example, G2 I1/1902/24. When the records were transferred to the University of Birmingham and the online copy of the catalogue was created the archive finding numbers for the records of the Overseas Division were extended: the letters CMS/B/OMS were added at the beginning of the original filing numbers (denoting records of the Church Mission Society Archive: Overseas Division: Overseas Mission Series). In addition, for the papers under the West Asia (Group 2) Committee, a letter denoting the type of record (O for Original papers or L for Letter-book, etc) was added after the mission reference, for example CMS/B/OMS/G2 I1/O 1902/24. |
| Administrative History | CMS work in North India began in Kolkata (at the time named 'Calcutta') in 1816. It covered the whole of North India until 1878 and included work in the Himalaya area. Over time some of the work was transferred to new autonomous missions and the North India Mission was renamed 'Bengal Mission'.
Between 1878 and 1904 autonomous missions were set up for the Punjab, United Provinces, North-West Provinces and Central Provinces (see CMS/B/OMS/I India General). The area remaining comprised 'Bengal' with Nadia district [present-day West Bengal] and Bihar with 'Santalia'.
Main mission stations in 'Bengal' listed by start date with present-day place names in square brackets:
1816 'Calcutta' [Kolkata]
1817 Burdwan [alternative name: Barddhaman]
1831 'Krishnagur' [Krishnanagar]
1846 'Chupra'
1848 'Bollobhpur'
1906 'Doyabari'; Ranaghat
Main mission stations at Bihar (listed by start date):
1850 Bhagalpur
1912 Deoghar [alternative name: Devghar]
1918 'Purulia' [Puruliya]
Work amongst the Santal people:
1862 'Taljhari'
1872 Godda
1878 Barharwa and 'Bhagaya' |
| Archival Note | Catalogued by Rosemary A. Keen, CMS, 1962-1963. Handlist revised and expanded by Rosemary Keen, 1984-1985. Copied to the University of Birmingham online archive catalogue, 2000. Updates underway, 2024. |
| Copies | Parts of the North India Mission series are available on microfilm and online. With the exception of some of the Original Papers (CMS/B/OMS C/I1 O141-O331), the records from the North India Mission series under the Committee of Correspondence (CMS/B/OMS C I1) have been microfilmed and are available online. North India Mission records under the Group 2 Committee (CMS/B/OMS G2 I1) are not available on microfilm or online.
Microfilm:
'Church Missionary Society Archive': Section VI: Missions to India, parts 1, 2, 5 and 6.
Publisher: Marlborough: Adam Matthew Publications, 2003-2007.
Location in the Cadbury Research Library: microfilm drawers B3, B4 and B5.
Digital publication:
'AM Scholar-Church Missionary Society Archive': Missions to India: North India Mission
Publisher: Adam Matthew Digital.
Access by institutional subscription: access is free to members of the University of Birmingham and visitors to the Cadbury Research Library and other subscribing institutions. |
| Related Material | Records of the CMS Overseas Division: 'India General' series (CMS/B/OMS/C I); 'Himalaya Mission' series (CMS/B/OMS/C I 1A); Bengal missions series 1935-1959 (CMS/B/AS35-59/G2 I1). |