Guide to the Papers of John Kinross

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MS 3346

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Collection Summary

Creator
John Kinross
Title
Papers of John Kinross
Date Range
1848-1908
Collection Number
MS 3346
Extent
0.8 metres (5 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
National Library of Australia

Introduction

Scope and Contents

The papers include letters to Kinross, to his wife Joanna and to members of the Menzies family. A second group of correspondence includes letters to Kinross from William Grant, Rev. A. C. Geikie, Rev. Robert Steel, George Mackie, J. Cameron, Rev. J. D. Lang, W. M. Manning, M. W. McCallum, Sir John Hay, M. Mackay, David Waugh, James McCulloch and George Fullerton. There are also various documents relating to the Presbyterian Church at Kiama and to St. Andrew's College at the University of Sydney, some sermons, essays, newspaper cuttings and diaries, one of which includes details of services and baptisms from 1868 to 1878.

Conditions Governing Access

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2232076).

Conditions Governing Use

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of John Kinross, National Library of Australia, MS 3346, [series and/or file number]'.

Provenance

The Kinross papers were held by a granddaughter, Miss Menzies Smith, before passing to Sir John Ferguson who presented them to the National Library.

Biographical Note

John Kinross was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1833. He studied for the ministry in Edinburgh and in Berlin. He was one of the young Ministers encouraged at that time by the Presbyterian Church of Scotland to migrate to Australia. He arrived in Sydney in June 1858 and was ordained in Kiama the following December.

Kinross was prominent in church affairs in Sydney as well as having a large country ministry. He was Moderator in 1863-1864 at the time of unification and again in 1873-1874 when he laid the foundation stone of St Andrew's College, University of Sydney, of which he was to become Principal in 1875. In the meantime he had graduated B.A., University of Sydney, 1869.

In 1880 he represented the Australian Presbyterian Church at Assemblies in Scotland and Ireland. The University of Edinburgh conferred on him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1885 in recognition of his "wide and healthful influence" both in the Church and as Principal of St Andrew's College.

His chief publication was the book Dogma in religion and creeds in the church, published in Edinburgh 1897. He retired as Principal in 1901, continuing however as Hunter-Baillie Professor in the Theological Hall until his death in 1908.

References:

Scotsman, (Edinburgh), 23 April 1885 p. 3

White, C.A. The challenge of the years (Sydney, Angus Robertson, 1951).

Dougan, A. A. (ed) The Andrew's book (Sydney, St Andrew's College, 1964)

Item Descriptions

Series 1. General correspondence, 1849-1908

The letters, in chronological order from 1849 to 1908, are mainly from fellow Ministers, some of whom were close friends. The principal topics are the administration of the Kiama and Illawarra district ministry and the Synod unification debate of the early 1860s. Undated letters will be found at the end of 1875 relating to the Kiama Ministry, at the end of the years in which the correspondent died (i.e. 1885 for William Grant), or, where no other evidence has been found, at the end of the series. There are no letters for the years 1876-1877. There are five congratulatory telegrams dated April 1885.

General correspondence, 1849-1908 (File 1-15)

Series 2. Personal correspondence, 1848-1908

These letters, in chronological order from 1848 to 1908, are from Kinross Family members mostly in Scotland. These are also letters from Elizabeth Kinross's relatives, the Menzies Family.

Personal correspondence, 1848-1908 (File 16)

Series 3. Personal documents

This series consists mainly of academic records and a diary kept intermittently between 1857 and 1884.

Personal documents (File 17)

Series 4. Essays, sermons and study notes

This series includes essays from Kinross's student years, 1851-1854 and sermons given between 1864-1901. There is a two-column newspaper account of a lecture he gave in 1884 on the "Education question". Series 6 contains some additional lecture material. Further notes, up to 1907, may be found at the back of the diary mentioned in Series 3.

Essays, sermons and study notes (File 18)

Series 5. Kiama district

Theses papers relate to both Church and secular affairs. Kinross's call to Kiama is included, as well as copies of correspondence on disputed matters in the Church. There is a letter written by Kinross in August 1861, to Rev. Freer who in turn sent it on to Rev. Thomson with comments. The series also contains newspapers clippings of local interest.

Papers relating to Kiama district (File 19)

Series 6. St Andrew's College and the University of Sydney

This series comprises subscription fund lists, official Government documents on the incorporation of the College and correspondence on the 1872 and 1875 offers of the Principalship. There are also accounts, programs, invitations and some lecture material.

Papers relating to St Andrew's College and the University of Sydney (File 20)

Series 7. Delegate to church assemblies overseas, 1880-1881

This series contains all the papers for the period 13 March 1880 to 29 January 1881 and other papers pertaining to Kinross's overseas trip. The principal Assembly attended was the Second General Council of the Presbyterian Alliance held in Philadelphia in September 1880. Elizabeth Kinross's diaries of the time will be found in series 16.

Papers relating to Kinross's overseas trip for church assemblies, 1880-1881 (File 21)

Series 8. Compassionate leave in Edinburgh, 1896-1897

After the death of his wife, Kinross was granted leave to visit Scotland with two of his daughters. While there his book Dogma in religion and creeds in the Church was published, errata for which will be found in this series. Also included is a letter written by Kinross to a fellow passenger.

Papers relating to Kinross's compassionate leave in Edinburgh, 1896-1897 (File 22)

Series 9. Church papers

These papers include official Government documents concerning unification of the Synods, a scrapbook of Dr. William Cunningham's sermons and a copy of the Daily Review (Edinburgh) containing his obituary, 1861. A letter from D. Macdonald to Evan (Macdonald?) in 1858 comments on the state of Church affairs, mentioning Kinross's projected move to Australia. The call to William Grant from Manning River District is included.

Church papers (File 23)

Series 10. Obituaries, wills and memorials

These papers relate to people outside the family.

Obituaries, wills and memorials (File 24)

Series 11. Accounts and finances

The series contains accounts for the period 1856-1904. There are two books for 1860-1875 and three promissory notes for 1859-1860.

Accounts and finances (File 25)

Series 12. Miscellaneous

These series includes invitations, admission tickets and programs (other than those in Series 6). There is also a black silk purse containing visiting cards and some news and photographs (mostly unnamed).

Miscellaneous papers (File 26)

Series 13. Newspaper clippings - Church affairs

Some papers in this series postdate Kinross's lifetime. They are mostly concerned with the Presbyterian Church. Included is a group of cuttings, July-August 1899, relating to Cardinal Moran's Statement on Protestant Missions, and another on the controversy of Dr Cameron Lees' visit to Australia in 1887. Of special interest are three cuttings concerning Kinross, one on the 50th anniversary of his ordination, an obituary and an historical appreciation published in 1929.

Newspaper clippings relating to Church affairs (File 27)

Series 14. Newspaper clippings - Boer War

The cuttings are mostly first hand accounts of accounts of action, some written by Chaplains. There are also sketches and pictorial records.

Newspaper clippings relating to the Boer War (File 28)

Series 15. Newspaper clippings - miscellaneous

Much of this material was probably added by family members. The date of origin is often indeterminate but the range is up to 1934 with a single cutting from 1956. The subjects covered include: the 1914-1918 War, aviation, shipping (naval and merchant), pictorial records of Royal visits including the Opening of Federal Parliament in 1927, Australian and British politics, the Depression, Australian scenic attractions, poultry raising and nature articles. There are also several articles on Rolf Boldrewood and Sir Edgworth David.

Miscellaneous newspaper clippings (File 29-32)

Series 16. Family Papers

File 33 contains correspondence from Kinross to his wife and to other family members. There are also diaries kept by Elizabeth Kinross of the 1880-1881 trip, favourite hymns and readings, recipes for food and medicines and a booklet in her writing on Kinross's sermons, 1860-1861. File 34 contains correspondence received by Elizabeth Kinross other than from Kinross. File 35 contains correspondence received by other family members.

Family papers (File 33-35)


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