Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Dear FriendsRe archiving. What has been nuggetted. A1.1SAGM 1918-45 A1.2 SAYM 1948-63 A1.3 SAYM 1966-84 Special Funds A3.1 in - Quaker fund for Inter-racial work 1953-62 B3.1 War Victims Fund 1941-43 C3 More on special Projects from 1918 3.1 Statements by Meeting and Individual 1936-72 Saturday sermons etc FWCC K2.2 Visit of South African friends to USA 1978 Visit of American Friends to Southern Africa 1979 Seminar on Non-Violence Botswana 1977Herewith the 18 page archive inventory. However don't blench. It is veryclear headings just like a book index. Some of them sound fascinating. Ihave just not had time to go up. If anyone has time get in touch with me andmaybe I will be able to join you.RegardsJulie Suberg-----Original Message-----From: Julie Suberg [mailto:juliesu@netpoint.co.za] Sent: 02 July 2006 19:50To: Scoble, BridgetSubject: Fw: AQFP Quaker Collection Archives----- Original Message ----- From: Lesley Hart <lesley@UCTLIB.uct.ac.za>Subject: Quaker Collection> The inventory of the Quaker Collection is attached. I have made a note> to send you updates of the list.> > Kind regards,> Lesley Hart> > -- > > Mrs Lesley Hart> Manager: Special Collections Information Services> University of Cape Town Libraries> Private Bag X3, 7701 Rondebosch,South Africa> Tel: +27 21 650 4424> Fax: +27 21 686 1505

BC 749

THE QUAKER COLLECTION

donated by the Religious Society of Friends in Southern Africa

A LIST compiled by JOHN HARDING assisted by Alma Harding

University of Cape Town Libraries
1993, rev. 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003
CONTENTS

Page no.

Introduction (rev.1999) iii
Introduction (1993) iv
The Structure of the Religious Society of Friends in v
Southern Africa
How to use the material vi
A
Central & Southern Africa Yearly Meeting
1
B
South Africa General Meeting
2
C
Cape Town (Cape Western Monthly Meeting)
3
D
Quaker Service Cape
4
E
Cradock Meeting of Friends
6
F
Johannesburg/Transvaal/Pretoria/Soweto Quaker Trust and Meeting
6
G
Quaker Service Transvaal
7
Ga
Additional Transvaal Trusts
7
H
Natal Monthly/Regional Meeting
7
I
Botswana Monthly Meeting
8
J
Quaker Service Natal
8
K
Friends World Committee for Consultation
8
L
Publications
9
M
Central Africa General Meeting
9
N
Historical and personal
9
O
Quaker Peace Centre Cape
10
P
Donors
13
Q
Programmes
13
R
Photographs
18
Addendum:
Inventory of Cape Eastern Regional Meeting
(Housed in Cory Library, Rhodes University, Grahamstown)
19
BC 749 QUAKER COLLECTION

INTRODUCTION (1999)

The first collection of material to be given to Manuscripts and Archives was listed in 1993 and covers items up to 1986/7. At that time no items were included from Botswana Monthly Meeting, Soweto Preparative (then Monthly Meeting), or Lesotho Allowed Meeting. In 1999 material was included from Botswana Monthly Meeting, the Kagisong Centre and the Kagisano Society (in Botswana), but this is incomplete. Material from Soweto is included up to 1994, when the Soweto Centre was handed over to the Northern Metropolitan Sub‑Structure and the Monthly Meeting itself discontinued. Only limited material has come in from the Lesotho Allowed Meeting (see A.1.4)

The overall structure of the Society in Southern Africa has now been simplified as South Africa General Meeting was discontinued after 1992. Central and Southern Africa Yearly Meeting (as it is now called) meets once a year.

Updated material has been incorporated from Cape Western Monthly Meeting and Johannesburg Monthly Meeting. Meetings in the Eastern Cape lodge their material at Rhodes University in Grahamstown. Those meetings in Zimbabwe use the National Archives in Harare, but little is known about the material produced by Friends in Malawi.

Central Africa General Meeting was retained after 1992 for the oversight of Friends in Zimbabwe and still continues to meet annually but has limited formal business, except for the responsibility for the Friends Rural Service Centre (south of Bulawayo). Being part of C&SAYM it produces minutes which are part of this archive.

The Eveline Cadbury Travel Fund material has been greatly extended.

The catalogue which follows this latest introduction (1999) confirms that the Collection refers mainly to the changes that have taken place through material increases up to 1997. For the historical background please refer to the catalogue produced in 1993.

The documents referring to the purchase of 3 Rye Road and 26 Selby Road opposite the Meeting House in Mowbray, Cape Town, housing the Quaker Peace Centre, are now lodged in this archive.

During 1998 for the first time this Quaker Collection contained records of the peace work begun in 1981 with the Quaker Peace worker and which has grown to a staff of about thirty based in greater Cape Town and districts.

The records of Quaker Service (Cape) are also greatly extended to include material up to 1998. This is the one remaining branch of Quaker Service active in South Africa.

Apart from the Minutes, Reports, and correspondence in this archive, inquirers might well consult Section L which covers the period 1897‑1998 in Quaker publications which are partially summarised and listed. They contain a wealth of information. Section N contains much historical interest, particularly over the period 1898‑1902 and on individual Quakers.

INTRODUCTION (1993)

This collection of material received up to approximately 1986/7 is based on the structure of the Religious Society of Friends in Southern Africa as it existed when the work on the collection was carried out during 1993.

At the top of the pyramind is Southern Africa Yearly Meeting (SAYM) which meets every two years. In alternate years Southern Africa General Meeting (SAGM) meets while Central Africa Yearly Meetings (CAGM) meets annually. SAGM and CAGM comprise the second level. CAGM, comprising Friends in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, are all expected to use Archives within their own countries.

No archival materials have been received from Botswana, Lesotho and Soweto while Cape Eastern Regional Meeting has opted to use the Cory collection archive at Rhodes University, Grahamstown. Some items are lodged with the University of Witwatersrand in the form of microfiche - the original documents being in the UCT collection.

The catalogue following this short introduction confirms what is described above, namely that the collection refers mostly to South Africa, covering the period 1900-1986. Before 1900 South African Friends links were stronger with British Friends and information should be sought from the Friends House Library, Friends House, Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ, England.

It was not until 1903 that Cape Town Meeting and Cradock Meeting began recording minutes of their business meetings. Cradock appears to have ceased in 1921, but Cape Town was recognised as a Monthly Meeting of London Yearly Meeting in 1906. The first meeting house in Cape Town was purchased in Green Street in 1921. Johannesburg Friends began Meeting for worship in 1912, became a Monthly Meeting in 1917 and purchased their first meeting house in Doornfontein in 1962. Both Johannesburg and Cape Town Friends held their meeting in rented premises until meeting houses were acquired.

In Natal a worshipping group appears to have begun its minutes in 1943, although original minutes are illegible. There are no documents relating to Soweto meeting which has its own meeting house. Cape Town, Johannnesburg and Natal have operated Quaker Service programmes during the period as a practical expression of Friends' concern for the underprivileged.

Apart from minutes, correspondence, etc of the individual meetings a valuable resource exists in the Quaker publications (section L), covering the period 1897 to 1986 - these 9 boxes have been summarised and listed. Under the historical heading is information on individual Quakers as well as writings gleaned from perusal experience and research.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS IN SOUTHERN
AFRICA

As a guide to users of this archive, the structure of the Religious Society of Friends in
Southern Africa as at 1 March 1999 is as follows:
Central and Southern Africa Yearly Meeting is made up of the following:

South Africa
• Cape Western Monthly Meeting
• Johannesburg Monthly Meeting
• Durban Monthly Meeting
• Cape Eastern Regional Meeting
• Pietermaritzburg Allowed Meeting

Botswana
• Botswana Monthly Meeting

Zimbabwe
• Harare Monthly Meeting
• Bulawayo Monthly Meeting

There are Friends Groups in Malawi and Zambia. (Some records for Zambia Regional
Meeting can be found in the Zambia National Archives).
There are also Allowed Meetings of C&SAYM in Lesotho and Namibia.

There is a Central Africa General Meeting, comprising the Meetings, Groups and Friends
living in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, which meets annually.


HOW TO USE THE MATERIAL

The Collection has been prepared on the basis of provenance, ie where the material originated. It has not been resorted thematically and the existing order has been maintained as far as possible. There are files which relate to a particular project or topic, and these appear mostly under the code Special Projects.

One example would be an inquiry concerning "Conscription and Conscientious Objection" in Cape Town in the 1980s. This would lead to C.3.1. It is most important to consult Minutes C.1.5 for decisions and discussions as well as correspondence in C.2.3, remembering that not all correspondence will necessarily appear in C.3.1. Also the subject may have been discussed at Yearly Meeting and General Meeting level (see B.3.1) as well as in the relevant minutes and correspondence. A further search under Publications L.5.6 and L.5.7 may prove fruitful. Information on the topic, originating in other Quaker Meetings in South Africa will follow the same procedure as described for Cape Town.

An interest in the general historical and spiritual background of Friends in South Africa can be found in Section N and is indexed in Section L (in each box). There also exists a collection of books in the Rare Books and Special Collections Department of the UCT Libraries, which can be consulted. (see N.10).

N.B. Inquirers/researchers who wish to follow issues and concerns relating to Friends work in South Africa but originating overseas might also consult the Friends World Committee for Consultation, 4 Byng Place, London WC1 who have links with all Yearly Meetings around the world.