| Description | Papers relating to the Oji River mission station which was established in 1935 as part of the CMS Niger mission, Onitsha Province, Nigeria, for the prevention and treatment of leprosy. (Elizabeth) Jean Alderman (b 1930) worked in the Oji River Leprosy settlement as nursing sister from 1956-1967. Although she herself was appointed through the British Government, her colleagues included CMS missionaries. The collection comprises the revised edition of an autobiographical account by Jean Alderman and papers which were used in its preparation including 'Oji River - Place of Hope' written by CMS missionaries, Mary and Arthur Garrett. |
| Administrative History | (Elizabeth) Jean Alderman was born in Lymm, Cheshire in January 1930. In 1934, she moved with her parents, brother (Denis), and her aunt to Ilkley, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, in 1934. She was educated at Skipton Girls' High School before entering training as a nurse at Manchester Royal Infirmary in 1948; she studied midwifery at St Thomas' Hospital, London and Bradford (1953) before returning to London and training as a Health Visitor (1954-1955). In 1956, she sailed out to start work as Nursing Sister in the Leprosy Service, Eastern Nigeria appointed by the British government; her colleagues included CMS missionaries. In July 1967, some weeks after the start of the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970) and after hearing of the death of her father, she was evacuated to England. In September 1967, she returned to Ilkley and took up a post as Health Visitor.
Jean was awarded an MBE for service to leprosy patients in 1967. |
| Custodial History | The original papers were passed to the donor, Jean Alderman (b 1930), by Audrey Dobson, nee Boynes, nursing sister in leprosy services 1953-1963. |