Scope and content
Papers of Alexander and Doris Sandilands relating to the earlier years (1927-1940)
of Alexander Sandilands' missionary service in Bechuanaland [Botswana] and South Africa,
including correspondence, diaries and photographs. The correspondence primarily consists
of personal letters from Alexander Sandilands to his mother, Annie Jane Sandilands,
in Scotland, at roughly fortnightly intervals, with occasional letters to other relatives
(most notably to Doris Sandilands after her return to Britain in 1937 with the Sandilands'
children). The letters, diaries and photographs describe the Sandilands' initial journey
to their mission station at Maun, subsequent trips to locations such as Livingstone,
Bulawayo and Johannesburg, and the daily work of the missions at Maun, Serowe and
Tiger Kloof.
Record creators history
Alexander Sandilands MBE (1896-1979) was ordained as a Congregational minister in
Christ Church Congregational Church, Friern Barnet in 1926. He was appointed as a
London Missionary Society (LMS) missionary to the Bechuanaland Protectorate [Botswana],
and sailed there with his wife Doris Sandilands (1902-1990) in September 1926. He
was subsequently stationed at the LMS mission stations at Maun in Ngamiland, Bechuanaland
in 1926-1931 and 1932-1939; at Serowe, Bechuanaland in 1931-1932; and at Tiger Kloof,
South Africa in 1939-1940. In 1941-1946 he served as chaplain to the African Auxiliary
Pioneer Corps in the Middle East. He was granted leave of absence for literature preparation
in England in 1946-1948, and on his return to Africa was instrumental in establishing
the Bible School at Kanye, Bechuanaland, to provide theological education for local
church leaders.
In 1956 he was asked by the LMS to begin a revised translation of the Bible into Tswana
to commemorate the centenary of Robert Moffat's translation. A revised translation
of St Mark's Gospel into Tswana by LMS missionaries led by Alexander Sandilands was
published in 1957. Among his other published works during his service with the LMS
were A hundred and twenty 'Negro spirituals' selected chiefly with a view to their
being used by Africans in Africa (1951); Introduction to Tswana (1953); and a translation
of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress into Tswana (1954). Alexander Sandilands retired
from the LMS in 1961 and moved with his wife to Canada, where he subsequently became
a minister in the United Church of Canada. He was awarded the Royal African Society
medal in 1963.
Archival history
Donated to SOAS in 2004 by Alexander and Doris Sandilands' son Ian, who organised
the collection prior to its donation. In particular, some of the photographs were
removed from a series of family photograph albums. The photographs were annotated
by Ian Sandilands with numbers reflecting the order in which they were removed, and
with the dates of the letters and diary entries which were believed to refer to incidents
captured in the photographs. The photographs were then arranged by Ian Sandilands
into annual files corresponding to the dates of the related diary entries and letters.
Similarly, the letters and diaries were annotated with the numbers of the related
photographs, allowing the letters and diaries to be cross referenced to photographs
in the corresponding annual files. This arrangement means that a small number of photographs
relate to different dates than the dates of the annual files in which they are held:
e.g. where a letter referred to an incident that was photographed at an earlier date.
Some of the photographs are later reproductions made by Ian Sandilands.
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Rights to access and re-use digital objects:
Unknown
For permission to publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections, SOAS Library
in the first instance
Copyright held by SOAS, University of London
Other finding aids
Related material
Papers relating to Alexander Sandilands are held in the archives of the London Missionary
Society (part of the Council for World Mission collections) held in Special Collections
at SOAS, including correspondence between Alexander Sandilands and the London Missionary
Society, reports from Sandilands, and photographs taken by or about Sandilands. For
further information, see the lists of CWM/LMS South Africa incoming and outgoing correspondence
for 1927-1940; South Africa files in the Council for World Mission accessions for
1941-1950 and 1951-1960; and reports and photographs catalogued on the SOAS Special
Collections database. See also the SOAS Library catalogue for books in the SOAS Library
authored or translated by Sandilands. Letters relating to Alexander Sandilands' service
as a chaplain during the Second World War are held in the archives of the United Congregational
Church of Southern African in Johannesburg.
Extent
2 boxes
Keywords
Subjects:
Missionary work
Missionaries
Travel writing
Travel abroad
Women
Wives of missionaries
Geographic names:
Southern Africa
Botswana, Africa
South Africa, Africa
Serowe, Central, Botswana, Africa
Personal names:Sandilands; Alexander (1896-1979); missionary Sandilands; Doris (1902-1990); wife of missionary Alexander Sandilands
Language of the material
English
Record creator
Sandilands; Alexander (1896-1979); missionary
Sandilands; Doris (1902-1990); wife of missionary Alexander Sandilands
Content provider
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Archives, University of London
