| Level | Sub-series |
| Finding Number (Click this to view full catalogue structure) | CMS/B/OMS/C/MA |
| Title | Mauritius, Madagascar and Seychelles missions |
| Extent | 13 volumes, [1117] items, 3 boxes |
| Date | 1856-1929 |
| Description | 'Mauritius mission' and 'Mauritius and Madagascar mission' papers 1863-1874 and Seychelles 1871-1894 compiled by the committees of the CMS Overseas (Foreign) Division, London.
Comprising papers under the Committee of Correspondence 1856-1880 and under the West Asia (initially 'Group 2') Committee 1880-1929. Including incoming correspondence from the mission to the CMS in London 1856-1925, outgoing correspondence from the CMS in London to the mission 1857-1929, office copies of the incoming correspondence 1856-1880, and office summaries (précis) of the incoming correspondence 1897-1934.
From 1868 to 1874 the mission books include copies of East Africa correspondence as Mauritius was considered a base for CMS activities in East Africa. |
| Notes | Former Tree Number reference: XCMS/B/OMS/MA |
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Work is underway to address outdated, discriminatory, and offensive language in finding aids used by the Cadbury Research Library, and to improve accessibility of the online catalogue in line with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:
I: Individual letter-books 1863-1889 (outgoing)
L: Letter-books 1857-1885 (outgoing)
M: Mission books 1856-1880 (incoming: copies)
O: Original papers 1856-1880 (incoming)
Papers under the Africa (initially Group 3) Committee are arranged as:
L: Letter-books 1885-1929 (outgoing)
O: Original papers 1880-1925 (incoming)
P: Précis books 1897-1929 (incoming: summaries)
The letter-book of outgoing correspondence started under the Committee of Correspondence continued to be used for the first years under the Group Committee. Researchers looking for outgoing correspondence from the Secretaries in London for 1881-1885 should consult the letter-book under finding number CMS/B/OMS/C MA L1. |
| Access Conditions | For preservation reasons, 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 including the lower level entries for the Mauritius, Madagascar and Seychelles missions. Alternatively, the original paper catalogues for the mission series can be consulted in the Cadbury Research Library and CMS (Oxford). The ‘Mauritius mission' papers are listed in the ‘West Asia (Group 2) Missions’ catalogue, volume five: Mauritius and Madagascar.
Guides to the Adam Matthew microfilm and digitally published copies 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 | Many items are missing from the records under the Group 2 Committee (CMS/B/OMS/G2 MA). The missing numbers are listed in the typescript handlist held in the Cadbury Research Library reading room and CMS (Oxford).
The archive reference numbers for the pre-1880 incoming papers have been marked in pencil on the back of each individual item, for example, C MA/O 10/4. The post-1880 incoming papers are each individually marked in red ink, and this number, plus the year, comprised the archive reference for each item, for example, G2 MA/1904/6. 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 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 MA/O 1904/6. |
| Administrative History | CMS work in what is now the Republic of Mauritius was initially considered an off-shoot of the CMS 'South India mission'.
In Mauritius, work began in 1856 amongst Tamil labourers who had migrated to Mauritius from South India and amongst Hindustani and Bengali speaking peoples of North India. Itinerating work centred on Port Louis, Plaines Wilhems, and 'Plaisance' [Plaine Magnien]. When work was handed over to the Church in Mauritius 31 December 1908 a small annual grant was paid for a time and complete separation from CMS did not come about until July 1919. The women missionaries were transferred to India while the remaining clergyman was taken on to the ecclesiastical staff of the Church in Mauritius.
In Madagascar, work began in 1863 and centred on Vohemar (at the time: 'Vohimare') from 1864 and Andovoranto from 1866. Following difficulties over the appointment of a bishop, the mission was wound up in 1874.
In Seychelles, work began in 1871. At first it was treated as a branch of the CMS East Africa mission [see CMS/B/OMS/A5]. The main work was at 'Venn's Town' on the island of Mahé. 'Venn's Town was an industrial school and 'settlement' for the children of formerly enslaved people of African heritage. By 1894 it was no longer needed and CMS work was handed over to the Seychelles branch of the Mauritius Diocesan Society.
Sources: website of the Government of Mauritius available online at https://govmu.org/EN/Pages/exploremauritius.aspx (accessed 6 August 2024); website of Seychelles National Information Services Agency available online at https://www.nation.sc/archive/230382/the-mission-ruins (accessed 6 August 2024). |
| Archival Note | Papers catalogued by Rosemary A. Keen, CMS July 1975. Handlist revised and expanded by Rosemary Keen, March 1985. Copied to the University of Birmingham online archive catalogue, 2000. Updates underway, 2024. |
| Copies | Available on microfilm and online.
Microfilm:
'Church Missionary Society Archive': Section IV: Africa Missions, part 24.
Publisher: Marlborough: Adam Matthew Publications, 2005.
Location in the Cadbury Research Library: microfilm drawers B6 and B7.
Digital publication:
'AM Scholar - Church Missionary Society Archive': Africa Missions: Mauritius, Madagascar and the Seychelles Missions.
Publisher: Adam Matthew Digital Ltd.
Access: by subscription: 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: 'East Africa Mission' papers (CMS/B/OMS/A5). |