MS 1881 Papers of Rev. Benjamin Butcher (1877-1973)
- Papers.
- Date range: 1905-1938
- Quantity: 1.19m (7 boxes)
- Access conditions: Available for reference
Benjamin Butcher was born in London in 1877. In 1896 he entered Chestnut
College, a theological college , in Cambridge and on completion of the course,
in 1901, he volunteered for service with the London Missionary Society in New
Guinea. A year later he was appointed to the New Guinea Mission. In 1905 he
arrived in the territory where he worked as a medical missionary until his
retirement in 1938.
The collection consists mainly of correspondence, diaries, notes kept by
Butcher while he served as a missionary in Papua-New Guinea, together with
several incomplete drafts for his book We lived with Head hunters.
Folder nos
1 - 5 Correspondence
6 Dairies
7 - 8 Literary Manuscripts
9 Notebook
10 Cuttings
11 Publications
12 Miscellaneous
1. Correspondence
Folder no.
- Letters written by Butcher in 1920 to his wife and children in Sydney
and 4 letters written by Butcher between November 1936 - August 1938 to his
family then in England. These very personal letters include some account of his
life and work at Aird Hill, Kokori Delta.
- Carbon copies in exercise books of daily letters written by Butcher
to his wife when she was in England, November 1934 - January 1935, December
1936 - June 1938.
- Letters from Butcher to his mother, the bulk of which are carbon
copies of daily letters written between April 1914 - July 1915. One letter to
Butcher from his mother 28.12.23
- Miscellaneous correspondence, including letters to and from Butcher's
colleagues. c. 1940 - 1950.
- Letters written by Butcher's wife Eva to her parents, April 1913 -
June 1916, all but one of which were written from Aird Hill, Kikori describing
life at the mission. Also some letters from Eva to her daughter Hilary, 1936,
when she and the children were in England.
- DIARIES
14 volumes with daily entries concerned primarily with
Butcher's missionary work for the years:
- May 1905 - January 1906
- January 1912 - December 1912
- March 1920 - January 1922
- January 1922 - September 1922
- January 1923 - December 1923
- January 1924 - November 1924
- January 1925 - July 1925
- January 1928 - November 1928
- January 1930 - December 1230
- January 1931 - December 1931
- January 1932 - December 1932
- February 1933 - December 1933
- January 1935 - December 1935
- January 1937 - December 1937
- January 1938 - June 1938
- LITERARY MANUSCRIPTS
A number of manuscripts and typescript
drafts of articles, short stories and Broadcasts written by Butcher concerning
his life and experience in Papua. Also an account of life at Aird Hill written
by Mrs Butcher.
- A number of incomplete manuscript and typescript drafts of Butchers
book We lived with Headhunters. Also annotated extracts from top
copies of his daily letters (q.v. folder 2) which were kept with the drafts.
- NOTEBOOK
Notebook kept by Butcher for the comparison of Kiwai
and Kerawa grammar.
- CUTTINGS
Cuttings from various newspapers and church magazines
of letters and articles by or relating to Butcher and concerning the work or
the London Missionary Society in Papua New Guinea.
- PUBLICATIONS
Including two works by Butcher: Butcher, Benjamin
T. We lived with Head Hunters. London. Hodder and Stoughton,
[1963]. Authors signed copy. F.M. Extracts from a missionary's
letter. [An abridged account of an exploratory trip up the Bamu
River in New Guinea made by Rev. B. T. Butcher, in October 1910] 12pp. 2 copies
- MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS
These include an annual report of his
mission signed by Butcher, some photographs and a blueprint.
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