Papers of Reginald John Beagarie Moore

Papers, 1924-1962, of Reginald John Beagarie Moore, comprising correspondence and papers relating to his missionary work in Africa. Includes annual reports of the United Missions in the Copperbelt (1937-1940); reports of his work at Mindolo (1934-1939, not 1936-1937); typescript copies of his publications; copies of published articles; and photographs of Copperbelt scenes. Also includes a copy of Moore's anthropological study The Witchdoctor's Prescription.

Reginald John Beagarie ('Mike') Moore was born on 20 August 1909. He was educated at Bungay Grammar School and Clarke's College, London. In 1928 he entered Cheshunt College, Cambridge, where he studied for a degree in theology and anthropology. He was appointed with his wife (née Joan Gundry) in 1933 to Central Africa by the London Missionary Society as the first representative of what was to be the United Missions in the Copper Belt. After a few months of study of the Bemba language, he settled in the Copper Belt [Copperbelt] at Mindolo, a section of the Nkana Mine. For two years, he and his wife laid the foundations of the United Church and Mission. The United Missions came into being in 1936, when a number of colleagues joined Mr and Mrs Moore. Amongst their work, they built up a small printing press. In 1941 Moore was transferred to the Mpolokoso District and settled at Kashinda, where he undertook evangelistic work over a wide area.

Following a long illness, R. J. B. Moore died at Johannesburg on 27 February 1943 at the age of 33.

Publications by R. J. B. Moore include: Man's Act and God's in Africa (London, 1940), These African Copper Mines (London, 1948), and Africa at the Mines (London c1948). He also published articles in numerous journals including Journal of the Royal African Society, Bantu, African Studies and International Review of Missions.

Further reading: H Theobald, Moore of the Copper Belt (London, 1946). A copy of this work is included in the collection.

The material has been arranged into the following sections: writings and correspondence, miscellaneous items, and miscellaneous publications.

Open

Donated in 1983.

Unpublished handlist.

For permission to publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections, SOAS Library in the first instance

The School of Oriental and African Studies holds the records of the London Missionary Society (Ref: CWM/LMS).