Papers of Isabel Fleming and Jessie Service

Scope and Content

Diary entries and notes, incuding descriptions of the evacuation of missionaries from Manchuria.

Administrative / Biographical History

Isabel N. Fleming, M.A., was a Church of Scotland missionary in Manchuria, China and in Livingstonia, Malawi. She first went to China in 1923 and worked as a science teacher at Moukden Medical College where she later became warden of the Women's Student Hostel. Along with the other Manchurian missionaries she was forced to leave China in 1942 and, instead of returning to the UK, she went straight to Livingstonia, Malawi where she was based from 1942-1945.

She returned to Manchuria in 1947 and later, after she left China for the last time, lived in Edinburgh. Her good friend Jessie Wilson Service went to Manchuria with the Church of Scotland as an evangelist in 1931. She spent some time working in the north of Manchuria and, at the end of 1939, returned to Moukden as YWCA General Secretary. Like Fleming she was in Livingstonia between 1942 and 1945, returning to Manchuria in 1947. She also worked in Livingstonia from 1953 to 1956 then returned to Edinburgh where she died.

Access Information

Open to researchers. It is essential to arrange an appointment in advance to view the archive in order that someone can be available to help. Please contact us by email at is-crc@ed.ac.uk . Telephone the Centre on: 0131 650 8900. Postal address: Centre for the Study of World Christianity, University of Edinburgh School of Divinity, New College, Mound Place, Edinburgh, EH1 2LX.

Other Finding Aids

A more detailed paper catalogue is available to researchers at the Centre.

Archivist's Note

Description originally written and researched by Caroline Brown in June 2001. This had been added to Archives Hub in August 2012 by Louise Williams.

Conditions Governing Use

Reproduction of materials (for example by digital camera) is free for private research and educational use, although we ask researchers to sign an agreement. Please contact us for enquiries on using the material in a commercial setting, for which there will be a fee. Contact us by email at is-crc@ed.ac.uk . Telephone the Centre on: 0131 650 8900. Postal address: Centre for the Study of World Christianity, University of Edinburgh School of Divinity, New College, Mound Place, Edinburgh, EH1 2LX.

Accruals

No further additions to the collection are expected.

Related Material

Papers relating to Jessie Service and Isabel Fleming can be found in the Church of Scotland collections held at the National Library of Scotland.

Corporate Names

Genre/Form

Geographical Names