British North Borneo Collection

The collection comprises off-prints, pamphlets, press cuttings and miscellaneous papers relating to British North Borneo c 1880-1940. Papers principally collected and written by E. P. Gueritz. Includes reports of the British North Borneo Company (1893-1945).

1-3. Offprints, pamphlets and reports relating to British North Borneo, by Edward Peregrine Gueritz (collected by Owen Rutter?). 96 items, 1824-99.

4-8. Handbook of the State of British North Borneo, 1886, 1890, 1921, 1929, 1934.

9, Diary of the late Mr W. Pretyman, 2 May 1878-5 Feb. 1880.

10. Mr Hewett's report dated 4 Nov. 1890 on the Kwamut Kalabakang Expedition to enquire into the death of C.W. Flint. (Filed in G.S.O. 303/33.)

11-14. Papers relating to British North Borneo, 1824-1904, &c.

15. Joseph Hatton's MSS, press cuttings and sketches relating to British North Borneo.

16. Diary notes (of E.P. Gueritz?) relating to British North Borneo, 26 Jan. 1877-10 May 1885.

17. The Ordnances of the Stale of North Borneo, 1881-1914. Singapore, 1915.

19-25. Printed reports of the British North Borneo Company and (the State of) North Borneo, 1893-1935.

26. Miscellaneous documents relating to North Borneo, collected by E. P. Gueritz, N.B. Babmean? C. Bruce, W. R. Flint and O. Rutter. c. 1870s- c 1940s.

The British North Borneo (Chartered) Company was formed in 1881 and from 1882 administered the territory of North Borneo, the present-day Malaysian state of Sabah. The Company ruled the territory until the end of 1941, when Japanese occupation ended Company rule. After the war, in 1946, the Company surrendered the territory to the British Crown and North Borneo became a British colony until 1963, when the territory became part of Malaysia. The Company was dissolved in 1953. The territory was administered by a Governor, a nominated Legislative Council and a Civil Service, but the final seat of authority was the Court of Directors of the Company, which sat in London. The Company, under the Charter, was the Government of the territory and had to maintain a civil administration. But the Company was also mindful of its shareholders, and promoted the territory as a source of timber, forest products and mineral wealth, and publicised the territory's potential for growing plantation crops such as rubber and coconut. Edward Peregrine Gueritz was Governor of British North Borneo between 1904- 1911. Further reading: Tregonning, K. G., Under Chartered Company Rule (North Borneo 1881- 1946) , (University of Malaya Press, 1958).

Open

Purchased in June 1971.

Unpublished handlist

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

Other papers relating to British North Borneo can be found as follows: Papers at the Public Record Office 1. British North Borneo: register of correspondence, 1915-41. C.O. 777/1-4. 2. British North Borneo: register of out-letters, 1915-26. C.O. 778/1. 3. British North Borneo Company papers 1865-1947 (previously held at the Colonial Office Library). C.O. 874/1-114. 4. British North Borneo: rules for native courts in the interior, 1907-41. C.O. 966/1 5. Memorandum for BNB employees relating to the keeping of geographical records. Department of Western Manuscripts, British Library (Add. 46152 Lady Layard diaries) 6. Materials relating to postal service. Post Office Archives