London Secretaries' Association
IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0374 F4/1
Held at: British and Foreign Bible Society's Library, Cambridge University Library
Domain: archival
Title: London Secretaries' Association
Date(s) of contents: 1819-1945
Level of description: Fonds
Extent and medium: 8 volumes, 2 files, 1 envelope.
CONTEXT
Name of creator(s): London Secretaries' Association
Administrative/Biographical history: The Association was formed in 1819 to provide a forum for discussion and exchange of information for those Missionary Societies with headquarters in London. The founding societies were the Baptist Missionary Society, the Church Missionary Society, the London Missionary Society, and the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society. Another three societies joined the Association before 1850, a further fifteen or so during the second half of the 19th century, and about a dozen during the 20th century. The Association seems to have ended abruptly in 1945.
See also:
J.H. Ritson and others, Records of missionary secretaries, an account of the celebration of the centenary of the London Secretaries' Association (London: United Council for Missionary Education, 1920).
Custodial history: The Association's records were kept by the Secretary for the time being, and handed by him to his successor. One volume of minutes (1924-1940) was lost, and the minutes for 1890-1891 are incomplete. In November 1944 the outgoing Secretary transfered the records to the British and Foreign Bible Society's office, in readiness for the Annual Meeting of 1945, and they have remained there ever since.
Immediate source of acquisition: The archives of the British and Foreign Bible Society were deposited in Cambridge University Library in 1985.
CONTENT AND STRUCTURE
Scope and content/abstract: The principal record is the series of minute books. There are also three letters of 1919 about the state of the minute books, and two small files of correspondence 1939-1944 about arrangements for meetings, membership, subscriptions and so on. Members of the Association met several times a year, to discuss a topic that had been agreed beforehand. Subjects ranged from aspects of the theology of missions to the practicalities of appropriate payment and allowances to missionaries and their families. Problems relating to different types of missionary work, e.g. eduction, medical work, and to specific countries were also discussed. Details of the discussions were not usually recorded.
System of arrangement: As per the description in Scope and content.
ACCESS AND USE
Language: English.
Conditions governing access: Unrestricted.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Physical characteristics: Some of the minute-books suffered minor fire-damage, thus becoming somewhat brittle, when the offices of the United Society for Christian Literature were bombed during the Second World War.
Finding aids: There is a brief typescript list of the records.
Refer also to the University of Cambridge's online archival catalogue, Janus.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Related material: Records of the Association of Church of England Secretaries of Missionary Societies are also held at the British and Foreign Bible Society's Library.
Copies: The records have been microfilmed.
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Date(s) of descriptions: May 2002
- INDEX ENTRIES
- Subjects
-
- Christians
- Communication process
- Conferences
- Group communication
- Group discussions
- Missiology
- Mission administration
- Mission policy
- Missionaries
- Missionary societies
- Missionary support organizations
- Missionary work
- Overseas/foreign mission administration
- Protestant missionary societies
- Protestants
- Religious activities
- Religious groups
- Religious organizations
- Religious studies
- Theology
- Christians
- Personal names
-
- Corporate names
-
- Anglo-Indian Evangelisation Society
- Baptist Missionary Society
- British Jews Society
- British Missionary Conference
- British Syrian Mission
- British and Foreign Bible Society
- Ceylon and India General Mission
- China Inland Mission
- Christian Literature Society for China
- Christian Vernacular Education Society for India
- Church Missionary Society
- Church of England Zenana Missionary Society
- Colonial and Continental Church Society
- Congo Balolo Mission
- Egypt General Mission
- English Presbyterian Church
- Evangelical Continental Society
- Evangelical Union of South America
- Jerusalem and the East Mission (of the Church of England)
- London Jews Society
- London Missionary Society
- London Secretaries' Association
- Mission to Lepers
- Moravian Church
- North Africa Mission
- Primitive Methodist Missionary society
- Regions Beyond Missionary Union
- Religious Tract Society
- Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
- Society for the Propagation of the Gospel
- Society of Friends
- South Africa General Mission
- South American Missionary Society
- Strangers' Home for Asiatics (Limehouse)
- Student Volunteer Missionary Union
- Sudan United Mission
- Waldensian Missions
- Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society
- Zenana Bible and Medical Mission
- Anglo-Indian Evangelisation Society
- Places
-
- Europe
- London
- UK
- Western Europe
- Europe