Papers of Maurice Alfred Maybury

Papers, 1951-1981, of Maurice Alfred Maybury, relating to his professional posts.

Papers relating to Uganda, 1951-1962, comprise government publications and reports, 1951-1959, on the Uganda Protectorate, including trade and commerce; unpublished manuals, 1952-1954, relating to trade; handbooks, 1955-1958 and undated, largely relating to trade; press cuttings, 1956-1957, the subjects including community development, banking, and official visits; miscellaneous papers, 1955-1962 and undated, including an invitation, economic survey on Uganda, and calendars.

Papers relating to Ethiopia, 1963-1974, comprise reports, 1970-1972 and undated, documenting his advisory work on commerce, industry and tourism; written accounts of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, undated; miscellaneous reports and proposals, 1963-1974 and undated, the subjects including prices, grain, and foreign and domestic trade.

Papers relating to Lesotho, 1954-1981, comprise Maybury's offer of employment as Export Promotion Adviser, 1975; general United Nations staff information, 1954, 1973-1977; UNCTAD/GATT International Trade Centre briefing papers, 1973-1974; Maybury's official project reports, 1976-1977 and undated, on export promotion in Lesotho; correspondence relating to the same project, 1977; additional reports and papers by Maybury, 1977, relating to trade promotion; miscellaneous reports and proposals, 1971-1981 and undated, relating to trade promotion.

Maurice Maybury was born in 1914. He served in Burma and was Sub-Divisional Officer, Kawkareik, when the Japanese crossed the border from Siam into Burma in 1942. He withdrew with the Army into India over the land route from northern Burma. He went on to serve as Permanent Secretary to the Reconstruction Department in Simla, India. As a Civil Affairs Officer, he later accompanied the Army through Burma, as part of the team restoring civil administration, ending in Mergui. After the capitulation of the Japanese in 1945 he reverted to civil status and became Deputy Commissioner at Mergui, c1945-1947. Maybury served in the Colonial Service in Uganda as Commissioner for Commerce in 1950-1960. He was also a member of the Legislative Council and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Services. At home in the UK he became a history master. From 1967 until 1974 he served as Adviser to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Imperial Ethiopian Government. From 1975 until 1977 he was assigned to the Ministry of Finance, Commerce and Industry, Government of Lesotho, as Export Promotion Adviser. This appointment was made through the United Nations. The Commonwealth Secretariat later appointed him to a position in Malta. From there he retired. He was married with two sons. He died in 1995. Publications: memoirs [1984-6], comprising The daily round [volume 1], Flight of the Heaven-born (volume 2), and Swan-song of the Heaven-born (volume 3); Pearl of Africa (1991).

The papers have been arranged by geographical area according to the chronology of posts held by Maybury in Uganda, Ethiopia and Lesotho.

Open

This collection was presented by Mrs E. D. Maybury in June 1997

Unpublished handlist

The British Library, Oriental and India Office Collections, holds papers relating to Maybury's work in the Burma Civil Service, 1945-1947 (Ref: MSS Eur D 1080). Oxford University, Rhodes House Library, holds Maybury's papers relating to commerce and banking in Uganda, 1950-1959.