The Waller Papers

Livingstone MSS.. These papers mostly concern Livingstone's African expeditions and time spent in Britain, 1864-1865, but also contain occasional references to the U.M.C.A., slave trade and personal matters.

• Letters from Livingstone, 1862-1872
• Undated letters and fragments, 19th century
• Letters from Wallace to Livingstone, 1869-1873
• Letters from Sir Thomas Maclear, Astronomer Royal at the Cape, mostly addressed to Livingstone, 1866-1875

Gordon MSS.. Topics described include the suppression of the slave trade in the Sudan, the characters and conduct of members of Gordon's staff, the behaviour of missionaries, and Gordon's own views on historical and theological questions. They throw new light on his plans for East and Central Africa and on his relations with King Leopold of the Belgians, whose service he was on the point of entering when he was entrusted with his mission to Khartoum in 1884.

• Various papers, 1874-1884, mainly letters addressed to Waller
• Miscellaneous letters and fragments, 19th century

Miscellaneous letters, mainly addressed to Waller, [c1859-1893]. The correspondents include Sir John Kirk, U.M.C.A. missionaries and Gordon's sister

Diaries, 1849-1867, with notes, sketches and vocabulary of the Manganja language. These include a view of life in the first U.M.C.A. settlement, the personalities of its members, and the difficulties with which they had to contend.

Proofs of Livingstone's Last Journals, endorsed These should be carefully preserved as there are passages in them from Dr. Livingstone's notes and MSS. which were cut out before the book was published, at the suggestion of Mr. John Murray. He was pleased, by the bye, to designate it the most difficult piece of compilation he had ever known. Waller was entrusted with editing the journals. The passages deleted relate mainly to the misconduct of boys from the Nassick school at Bombay whom Livingstone took with him on expedition. Together with these proofs, Waller kept the originals of the sketches he made for the book.

Maps of Africa, miscellaneous sketches, photographs, etc., [19th century]

Gordon's map of Palestine, [19th century]

The Revd. Horace Waller (1832-1896) began his working life as a stockbroker, served as a layman on the first expedition of the Universities' Mission to Central Africa under Bishop Mackenzie, 1861-1863, was ordained on his return to England, and was Rector of Twywell, Northamptonshire, 1874-1895. He numbered among his friends almost all the notable East African explorers and administrators of his day, including Livingstone and Gordon.

With Livingstone Waller's relations were especially close. Their first meeting was in 1861, when Waller was with the U.M.C.A. party and Livingstone on the Zambezi expedition. They continued corresponding until 1872, shortly before Livingstone's death.

Bodleian reader's ticket required.

Collection level description created by Paul Davidson, Bodleian Library of Commonwealth and African Studies at Rhodes House.

Listed as nos. 25, 39, 49, 106 and 454 in Manuscript Collections of Africana in Rhodes House Library Oxford, by Louis B. Frewer (Oxford, Bodleian Library, 1968). A handlist is also available in the library reading room.

No reproduction or publication of personal papers without permission. Contact the library in the first instance.

Papers relating to the Universities' Mission to Central Africa, including:

• Microfilm of station log-books, 1910-1955 (ref. Micr. Afr. 392)
• Microfilm of letters relating to the raid on the mission at Masasi, 1882 (ref. Micr. Afr. 545)
• Typescript of E.R. Marshall's reminiscences of medical work with the Mission in the diocese of Nyasaland, 1939-1948, with a short description of life in the Nyasaland Shire Highlands area, 1948-1949 (ref. MSS. Afr. s. 1054)

Papers relating to David Livingstone, including:

• Photocopies of letters, 1841-1872 (ref. MSS. Afr. s. 18)
• Extracts from letters from Central Africa to Samuel Wilberforce, 1858-1859 (ref. (B) Wilberforce Dep. c. 199)
• The Royal atlas of modern geography by A.K. Johnston (s.l.; Blackwood; 1873), including a map bearing in pencil in Livingstone's hand his route westward from the coast and south of Lake Tanganyika, 1865 (ref. MSS. Afr. t. 9)
• Letter to Lord Clarendon, reporting on his explorations in Central Africa, 1868 (ref. (B) MS. Clar. Dep. c. 510)
• Papers of D.D. Yonge, comprising a typescript identification of the route of Livingstone's last journey along the shore of Lake Tanganyika, with map, [19th century?] (ref. MSS. Afr. s. 1065)
• Typescript identification of places [in Botswana] mentioned in Livingstone's journals, [1967] (ref. MSS. Afr. s. 1020)
• Notes on the journal of Thomas Baines made during his expedition up the Zambezi river with Livingstone, 1858 (photocopy of transcript, 1970) (ref. MSS. Afr. s. 424, ff. 546-556)
• Papers of Vivien Frdric Ellenberger, including photographs of Livingstone's house, [20th century] (ref. MSS. Afr. s. 1569)

Waller correspondence, [1861-1883], diaries and writings, [1858-1890] and photographs, [19th century] are held at the Library of Yale University Divinity School.