Tugwell Collection

Scope and Content

Papers of Herbert Tugwell and his wife Caroline, comprising correspondence, 1890-1937, diaries, diary notes, and notebooks, 1890-1918, press cuttings, 1893-1924, personal ephemera, circa 1889-early 20th century, and miscellaneous publications, 1887-1920; the papers relate to the activities of Herbert Tugwell as a Church Missionary Society missionary in Nigeria, 1889-1894, and as Bishop of West Equatorial Africa from 1894-1920, and also to his death in 1936.

Administrative / Biographical History

Herbert Tugwell was born in Salisbury, c. 1855. From 1880-1889 he served as a curate in the parish of Petworth, Sussex. He then joined the Church Missionary Society. His first appointment was to the Yoruba mission, in Christchurch, Lagos, where he worked from 1889-1894, holding the position of secretary of the mission from 1891-1892. In 1894 he was appointed to the Bishopric of West Equatorial Africa, a post which he held until 1920. On his retirement from Nigeria he became Rector of Mavesyn, Ridware. He held this position until 1927, when he finally retired from service. He married Caroline (nee White) at Lagos in 1896, and they had two children, named Herbert and Dorothy. He died on the 22 July 1936.

Reference: University of Birmingham, Special Collections Department, Online Archive Catalogue ( http://calmview.bham.ac.uk/ ). Accessed May 2002.

Arrangement

The papers have been arranged into five series: correspondence, diaries, diary transcripts, diary extracts, and notebooks, newspaper and press cuttings, personal ephemera and miscellaneous publications. Files and volumes within each series have been arranged chronologically.

Access Information

Open. Access to all bona fide researchers. All papers held at the Orchard Learning Resources Centre will be viewed at the Birmingham University Information Services, Special Collections Department. Please contact the University Archivist for further information.

Acquisition Information

This collection was deposited as a gift by Dr and Mrs D. Poole, though the date of the deposit is unknown.

Other Finding Aids

See full catalogue for more information.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the University Archivist, Special Collections. Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Custodial History

Following the merger of the Selly Oak Colleges and the University of Birmingham in 1999 the custodial ownership of collections belonging to the Selly Oak Colleges and held at the Orchard Learning and Resource Centre (OLRC) was transferred to the University. These collections now form part of the University's Special Collections Department and are available for consultation at the Main Library on the University's Edgbaston Campus.

Related Material

The University of Birmingham, Special Collections Department holds a rich collection of archives relating to missions, charities and other religious and ecclesiastical organisations and individuals. These include the Official archives of the Church Mission Society, which contain material relating to Tugwell's service as a missionary (GB 150 CMS).