| Level | Fonds |
| Finding Number (Click this to view full catalogue structure) | DA49 |
| Title | Willoughby Collection |
| Extent | 29 boxes |
| Date | 1874-1936 |
| Description | The collection comprises the research and other materials of and collected by William Charles Willoughby. It consists of a numerical series of files of general papers (1-1000), with accompanying finding aids; a series of bibliographic papers arranged alphabetically by surname of author of publication; a series of papers relating to the 'Abstract of Evidence' submitted by Willoughby to the Commission on the Uniformity of Discipline in Native Churches in South Africa [Fifth General Missionary Conference on South Africa, 1921]; and a series of miscellaneous material |
| Arrangement | The collection is arranged into four series: numerical series of files of general papers with accompanying finding aids, bibliographic papers arranged alphabetically by surname of author of publication, papers relating to the abstract of evidence prepared by Willoughby for the Commission on the Uniformity of Discipline in Native Churches in South Africa, Fifth General Missionary Conference on South Africa, 1921 and associated research material, and a series of miscellaneous material |
| Access Conditions | Access to all registered readers. |
| Copyright | Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material. |
| Language | English |
| Finding Aids | A catalogue of this collection is available on the online archive catalogue. Click on the Finding Number to display the summary contents list of the catalogue and to view the full catalogue. A paper copy of this catalogue is also available for consultation at Special Collections.
For contemporary finding aids to the collection compiled by Willoughby and/or his assistants see appropriate series level records |
| Access Status | Open |
| Physical Description | This collection contains papers, including press cuttings, of a highly fragile nature. Careful handling is therefore required |
| Administrative History | Willoughby served as a missionary with the London Missionary Society. He was sent to Bechuanaland in 1893 and was founder of the 'Native Institution' of Tiger Kloof. On his retirement from mission work in 1917 at the request of the LMS he undertook a deputation to Australasia and the islands of the South Pacific. In 1919 he was offered and accepted the position of Professor of African missions at the Kennedy School of Missions at Hartford, Connecticut, USA, where he taught and researched until 1931. He then returned to Birmingham, England, and died in 1938.
Willoughby was the author of various publications including 'Native life on the Transvaal border' (1900); 'The soul of the Bantu : a sympathetic study of the magico-religious practices and beliefs of the Bantu tribe of Africa' (1928); 'Tiger Kloof : the London Missionary Society's Native Institution in South Africa' (1912); 'Nature-worship and taboo: further studies in "The soul of the Bantu"' (1932); 'Race problems in the new Africa : a study of the relation of Bantu and Britons in those parts of Bantu Africa which are under British control' (1923) |
| Custodial History | The collection was deposited with the Selly Oak Colleges Library by Willoughby's son, for his executors, in 1940. In c 1947 some material was transferred, with the permission of the executors, to the Kennedy School of Missions, Hartford, Connecticut, USA where Willoughby taught from 1919-1931. This material included manuscripts of a book to be published as a successor to his 'Nature Worship and Taboo'. The manuscripts took the form of enlargements of parts of lectures delivered by Willoughby whilst Professor of African Missions at the Kennedy School of Missions. It was intended that this transfer would complete Hartford's existing holdings of Willoughby manuscripts. Other material transferred included extracts from books and press cuttings. In addition, some material was retained by the family; other items from the collection were loaned out and apparently not returned.
The collection was subsequently transferred to the Orchard Learning Resources Centre which was opened in 1997 following the merger of the Selly Oak Colleges Library and the Westhill College Library. In 2000, the custodianship of all archive collections held at the Orchard Learning Resources Centre was transferred to the University of Birmingham |
| Associated Materials | Other papers of Willoughby are held in the LMS archives, Serowe, Botswana, Southern Africa; Moeding College (successor of the Tiger Kloof Native Institution, Vryburg), Moeding College, Otse, Botswana; the Botswana National Archives, Gaborone, Botswana; |
| Publication Note | John Rutherford, 'W. C. Willoughby of Bechuanaland: missionary practitioner and scholar', University of Birmingham, Dept of Theology. Thesis (Ph. D), 1983 |