Record

LevelSub-sub-sub-fonds
Finding Number (Click this to view full catalogue structure)CMS/B/OMS/I1A
TitleHimalaya mission
Extent2 volumes
Date1844-1847
DescriptionRecords compiled by the committees of the CMS Overseas (Foreign) Division, London.

Comprising papers under the Committee of Correspondence, CMS Overseas ('Foreign') Division, London. Including outgoing correspondence from the mission to the CMS in London 1844-1847, and office copies of the incoming correspondence from the mission to London, 1844-1847.
NotesWhen 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Work is underway to address outdated, discriminatory, and offensive language in finding aids used by the Cadbury Research Library, and to improve accessibility of the online catalogue in line with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.
ArrangementThe papers are arranged as:

L: Letter-book 1844-1847 (outgoing)
M: Mission book 1844-1847 (incoming: copies)
Finding AidsClick 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 the Himalaya mission. Alternatively, the original paper catalogues for the mission series can be consulted in the Cadbury Research Library and CMS (Oxford). The Himalaya mission series 1844-1847 are listed in the ‘West Asia (Group 2) Missions’ catalogue, volume two: North India.
Access StatusOpen
Physical DescriptionArchive reference numbers were marked in pencil on the inside front cover of volumes in the mission series, for example, C I1A M1. 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 (initially Foreign) 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). For example, CMS/B/OMS/C I1A M1.
Administrative HistoryIn December 1840, the 'Himalayan Auxiliary Church Missionary Society' was set up at 'Simla' [present-day Shimla in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India]. Two missionaries were engaged and began work at Kotgarh (at the time named 'Kotgur') in April 1843.

In 1844 CMS took over responsibility for the mission, the funds were transferred to the Society and the CMS Auxiliary became the 'Simla Corresponding Committee' (also referred to as the 'Himalya Corresponding Committee).

The final meeting of the 'Simla Corresponding Committee' was held in September 1846. The Committee was dissolved because so many of its members had been moved to other stations. The work at [Shimla] and [Kotgarh] was placed under the 'Calcutta Corresponding Committee' which administered the North India mission.
Archival NoteCatalogued 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.
Related MaterialRecords of the CMS Overseas Division: India General series (CMS/B/OMS/I); North India mission series (CMS/B/OMS/I1).

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