Photographs of Central Africa by Harold Edgar Wareham and Rebecca Purves Wareham

Photographs, c1893-1960s, of Central Africa by Harold Edgar Wareham and his wife Rebecca Purves Wareham (nee Stewart). Subject matter includes missionaries and mission stations in Northern Rhodesia, locals, church activities and scenery.

Harold Edgar Wareham was born on 8 January 1872 at Guildford, son of the Rev. Edward Allport Wareham who was a missionary to Southern India with the London Missionary Society. He studied theology at Edinburgh Congregational Hall, and medicine and surgery at Edinburgh University. He was ordained in April 1902, and was appointed to the London Missionary Society Central African Mission as a medical missionary. He married Rebecca Purves Stewart (b 1877) on 19 April 1902. Dr and Mrs Wareham left Britain on 30 April 1902 and arrived in Kawimbe on 3 August. They were stationed at Kambole until October 1903, when they were transferred to Kawimbe. In 1921, Dr Wareham was appointed temporarily to Mpolokoso. He left in May 1922 to open a new mission station at Kafulwe in Lake Mweru district. The Warehams carried out medical, educational and some evangelical activities. In 1925 they were transferred to Mbereshi. Their work as missionaries in Northern Rhodesia ended in 1931, when Dr Wareham retired on grounds of ill health. They returned to Britain on 21 September 1931. Harold Edgar Wareham died in Edinburgh on 4 February 1955. Mrs Wareham died on 15 March in the same year.

Most of the photographs are contained in albums, which have been arranged in chronological order.

Open

Donated in 1982, with additonal material added in 2000.

Unpublished handlist.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).